Inquest on Karamu Victims

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 227, 14 December 1927, Page 13

Inquest on Karamu Victims

STORY OF POISONING THE MYSTERIOUS BOTTLE (Prom Our Own CorrespondentJ HAMILTON, To-day. The mystery surrounding the poisoning tragedy which occurred recently at Karamu and caused the death on Sunday, November 6, of a farmer named Allan Cornall, following the drinking of the contents of a beer bottle, and when another farmer, James Cheyne, was also poisoned but recovered, was the subject of a coroner's inquiry to-day by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M. Harold Lang, a youthful farm-liand, said on Friday evening he went to a dance at Tapahu Hall with Mr. and Mrs. Cheyne, Mr. and Mrs. Cornall and liis sister. No supper basket or bottles were taken in the car. There was some trouble wdth the car on the return journey. He saw into the front part of the body of the car at that time, hut he did not see any bottle or parcel.

In answer to the coroner witness said that for four months and a week he was employed at the Karamu Post Office and remembered Mr. Ted Hutt getting him to telephone to a chemist to send out two ounces of strychnine. A small parcel arrived for Hutt that night. James Cheyne, farmer, of Karamu, one of the victims, said he had known Cornall for about 14 months. They were friends and when Cornall left his own farm he went to live with witness. So far as witness knew Cornall was of . a pleasant disposition and popular in the district. He was a married man with two children. Cornall had no property and was rather “hard up.” Witness said he also was poisoned through taking a drink from the bottle on the Sunday. He had not used the car since returning from the dance. When he put the car away on Friday night he closed the door of the shed and did not remember entering the shed on Saturday or on Sunday morning. He then went on to detail the story of the poisoning. FINDING THE BOTTLE On the Sunday afternoon Cornall and witness went to, the carshed between 2.30 and three o'clock to make an adjustment to the rear mudguard of the car. Cornall remarked that there was a bottle of beer in the car. After effecting certain repairs witness said he would go over to the house to get a file, and Cornall said bring over a cup and we will have a drink. This witness did, and Cornell picked up the bottle, which was wrapped in brown - paper. He also picked up three bottle-caps from the floor of the car. Witness remarked that he thought somebody had been drinking in the car, and had left the bottle behind. Witness handed Cornall the cup and he poured some of the contents of the bottle into it, which Cornall handed to him. Witness drank about half the contents of the cup and' remarked, "What rotten stuff this is.” He then handed the cup back to Cornall. The Coroner: Did you get the cup yourself when you went to the house? —Yes.

Witness, continuing, said Cornall drank some of the contents of the bottle and remarked that it was “hoppy.” When witness took any intoxicant it was usually beer, but the last lot he had had in the house was two bottles at Christmas time. CORNALL COLLAPSES After taking a drink from the bottle Cornall sat down against the shed and witness proceeded to roll a cigarette. He then noticed Cornall give a couple of jerks and asked him what was the matter. As he did not reply witness ran toward the house and called out for salt and water, and said, “Ring for a doctor; tell him poison.” Mrs. Cheyne, he thought, brought the salt and water and Mrs. Cornall ran over to Birch’s, where the nearest telephone was located. He was not sure whether he handed the bottle to Mrs. Cheyne or whether he told her to “hang on to it.” When he drank some salt and w.ater he was seized with spasms. His wife then got the pathology book and remarked, “It says baking soda and water.” He took some, but by this time he was helpless. He remembered Mr. Birch and Mr. Smith coming over and the eventual arrival of Dr. Spencer. A DOMESTIC ELEMENT In answer to the coroner, he said he was previously ill in February, after taking a dose of Epsom salts. Dr. Joseph, who attended him on that occasion, at first diagnosed it as strychnine poisoning, but later considered it nervou strouble. Hutt bad previously boarded with him and witness had told him to keep off the place. He had not sen him since February. An analyst said the contents of the bottle and stomach contained a large quantity of strychnine. Mrs. Cheyne had admitted to her, stated Mrs. Cornall, that she had been intimate with Hutt and that he had threatened her life.

The proceedings were adjourned.