INQUEST.

Southland Times, Issue 616, 9 January 1867, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon at the Golden Fleece Hotel, Eskstreet, before Dr Deck, coroner, on the body of Thomas Robinson. From the evidence adduced, it appeared that deceased had for some time prior to his death been very low spirited and desponding. At the same time he drank heavily. On Friday last he retired to bed at about 9 o'clock, but was restless and unable to sleep. Between that time and 2 a.m. of the next morning he drank frequently small quantities of gin. At the last-named hour he rose and went down stairs, followed by his wife, who asked him what he wanted. He replied " that he required nothing ; that he was only walking about to pacify himself." He then told his wife to go to bed, and went upstairs with her and locked her in the room. Thence deceased went down stairs again, returning shortly after to the bedroom. He said then that he had taken arsenic to destroy himself. The poor woman, apparently unable to realise the truth, said, "what nonsense, you suiely have not." He became very ill shortly after, but refused to allow his wife to send for medical aid. At length deceased said he had not taken enough poison to kill himself, and went downstairs again, " to — as he said, — take the rest of the poison." Mrs Robinson on this occasion followed and saw deceased about to take something white from a tumbler, but this she got from him and threw away the contents. Finding deceased getting rapidly worse she prevailed on him soon after 7 a.m. to allow her to send . for assistance. There were only three little children in the house. Dr G-rigor and two neighbors Mrs Murdoch and Mrs Rutland were sent for. In the confusion of the moment the child sent for the doctor was only instructed to say that Mr Robinson was very ill. This was about 8 o'clock, but some other duties detained Dr Grigor for a short time, so that he did not reach Robinson's place until 9 o'clock. About a week previously deceased expressed a wish to take something to make him sleep so that he might never waken, but he had uttered no other threat of self-destruction. Arsenic was kept in the house by deceased ; some thirty pounds of the poison had been left in his charge about five or six years ago by Archd. Macnab. It was kept in a tool chest belonging to deceased. i Mrs Murdoch deposed to having been sent for by Mrs Robinson at about 8 o'clock on Saturday morning. When she saw deceased he smiled, but was unable ro speak, and died shortly after. A little boy aged eight years, son of deceased, stated that he was sleeping that night in a room over his parents', and heard his father say that he had taken poison. Dr orrigor, who made the post mortem examination, proved that death had resulted trom poisoning by arsenic. The Coroner ia directing the jury, mentioned the existence of an Act passed during the last session of the General Assembly, regulating the sale of poisons. By its provisions the sale of poisons, excepting in the presence of a witness, was punishable. A provision was also made rendering it compulsory on vendors of poisons for

sheepwashing or other purposes, to in- I troduce some coloring matter. He thought j it proper to bring the Act under the notice of those present, as it was not generally known, and it became the duty of every one to see that the law was carried out. The medical evidence as to the cause of death was conclusive ; it was for tbe jury to determine whether the other evidence was sufficient to show that deceased voluntarily took the poison, and if so, what was his state of mind at the time of taking it. After a brief deliberation, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide while laboring under temporary insanity.