MYSTERIOUS POISONING CASE AT HAMILTON.

Southland Times, Issue 1752, 10 June 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

MYSTERIOUS POISONING CASE AT HAMILTON.

(From the Hamilton Spectator, May 17.) Yesterday morning, the inquest on the remains of Clara J. Davis, aged 12 years, was resumed. Witnesses were examined as follows : — Ada Clementina Davis, sworn, deposed, — I am the daughter of Benjamin Davis, residing at Hamilton. The deceased, Clara Jetty Davis, was my sister. I remember the day she died. My mother went out after her music lessons. Clara and I remained in the house after mother went out. We remained together for about an hour. Clara went then to clean the lamp-glass, and in doing so

smashed it. Clara then said, "Whatever shall Ido ? I shall catch it." We were both in the little room then. Clara then went into the front room, and told me not to come in until she came out. She remained about two minutes, when she came back into the .little room. We were both together in tha little room for about half-an-hour. Clara went to pull the blind down. When she did so, she ra* to the sofa and laid down, crying, saying her head was bad, aud she felt as if the house was going round. We were together all the time that mother was abseut, except the few minutes when Clara went into the front room. Clara had some bread and butter that mother left out for us. I know there were three packets of mice-powder behind the clock, and I only saw one of them after Clara had been in the front room. I looked behind the clock, because I thought she had taken some. I said to Cl*ra, bad she taken the mice-powders, and she said she did not. I told her there were two packets missing. Clara said sbe did not take them. The powders had been there for a month or so. Clara was lying on the sofa in the little room, called the dining-room, when mother returned. This was about dusk. Clara lit the lamp, without the glass, before she pulled down the blind.

Benjamin Sands Davis deposed : I am an engineer, residing at Hamilton. la_ the father of deceased. I was absent from home on April 26, but returned about half-past nine o'clock at night. The deceased was insensible then, and remained so until her death. I was aware of there being these mice powders in tke house — they were obtained by my wife. lam net aware of there being any in the house when I left home. On my leaving home on the 23rd the deceased was in good health. Sue was a very healthy child. My daughter Ada, the last witness, never mentioned to me anything about the j powders until after the first sitting of this inquiry. The deceased was not in fear of her mother, to my knowledge. To the best of my belief, the deceased was uofc treated with more severity than her sister. Deceased never complained to me about any harsh treatment. I have, for the last three mouths, been alternately two and three days at home in the week. The jury, after a brief consultation, brought in the subjoined verdict :—" That the deceased, Clara Jetty Davis, died at Hamilton, on the 27th April, 1873, from the result of administration of strychnine, but how or b*j*| whom there is no evidence to show." Wi***"l tbe following rider: — "The jury are • opinion that from the small quantity taken, as shown by the Government chemist's analysis, that death would not have taken place had the body of deceased been well nourished." The simple story of thi? poor little twelve-year-old child, whose life was suddenly cut short, a3 told by her sister, a baby of still tenderer age, is quite affecting. It i 3 difficult to believe that a child, even under the influence of terror, could calmly contemplate self-destruction, and deliberately carry out the project without breathing a single word to auy individual, parrying all the questions asked her by her younger sister, and even by tho doctor, and dying with her secret locked up in her own breast, t uch fortitude and determination in one so young is surprising. Tlie child had not been subjected to violent ili-usage, for not a scratch was found upon her boJy, and the questions suggest themselves : — What could liave been the nature of the domestic discipline that she was apparently so much afraid of? Did she fe.-ir punishment; for breaking the lamp-glass, or take poison from a mete childish freak ? The coroner addressed the jury for about half-an-hour, elaborating most carefully all the prominent points, and summing up the evidence in a very lucid manner. The jury, it will be seen, do not appear to have attached any special importance to the dangerous practice of leaving packets of poison in places accessible to children, although we should have expected them to do so. They returned an open verdict, to the effect that death [must have aro'e from strychnine, but how or by whom administered there was no evidence to show ; attaching a rider — ba-fed p obably on the medical evidence of the emaciated condition of the body, and the empty state of the intestines — setting forth that, in their opinion, from the small quantity of strychnine taken, the dose would not have been fatal had the body of the deceased been better nourished. Altogether the case is one of the saddest it has ever been our lot to chronicle. Circumstances may be detailed iv novels where a poor little twelve-year old child, born to trouble, and elucated to suffering, is glad to put herself

"Anywhere, anywhere, out of the world !" but such occurrences are rare in real life. The deceased was a child of quick susceptibilities, and a woman in experience. Those acquainted with her were much struck with her precocity and amiability, whilst her untimely cud has created a sensation over which we would gladly draw a veil.