The Botany Poisoning.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 291, 18 August 1888, Page 6

The Botany Poisoning.

The Coroner's inquiry into the death of Charles Andrews., supposed io have been poisoned (says the " Sydney Telegraph "), terminated on Saturday in the committal of the woman Louisa Collins on a second chargo or wiliul murder. The jury were bareiy ton minutes deliberating on their verdict, and -when the toieman announced it Mrs Collins listened with unmoved countenance and \\ Ithanah ol quiet unconcern. A good deal ot evidence was taken dining the morning, and some of it tlncw light upon the apparent mothfcs of the accused. A son of the deceased said that Andrews was a hale ai.d hearty man until within a icw weeks of hie death, and another witness desciibed hioi as a man who could do ib hours' work a day without any inconvenience. A quan el, it was stated, took place with reference to Collins, and it ended in that person being turned out of deceased's house. A few days later the deceased became ill, and within a short while died. Scarcely had ho breathed his last when his widow sent over to a neighboui and told her that ohe intended to catch the next tram to Sydney, so that she might acquaint the insurance company, in which hiw lilo was insured, and the Havings Bank, whcie he had money, of the occurrence. A week or so afterwards she gave a wedding feast in celebration of her marriage with Collins. No suspicion was entertained of Andrews' death, and it was not till Collins, in his turn, was taken ill in the same way and also died that suspicion was aioused, and arsenical poisoning discovered to have been the end ot bofh men. The trial of Louisa Collins for the alleged murder oi her husband, Michael Peter Collins, was commenced at the Central Criminal Court on August 6th. Mr Lusk appeared lor the accused, and Mr Coffey conducted the case on behalf ot the Crown. Bomc entirely new evidence was given by the deceased's btepdaughcer, May Andrews, who deposed to having discovered a box ot u Rough on Rats " in her mother's house a few days bef 01 c the death of tho deceased. She stated that the box contained a powder, a portion ot which appeared to have been taken out. She only saw a similar box once belore, that w as when they lived in another hou«e, and just before her own lather, Andiews, died. Mr Hamlet, (Jovernment Analyst, was then recalled, and stated that the preparation known as «' Rough on Rats '' contained between 96 a nd 97 per cent, of white arsenic.

Numerous manuscripts of Martin Luther arc reported to have been discovered at Konigsberg Univei &ity. Did you ever see a doctor kick an orangepeel off the pavement or tell an acquaintance that he was sitting in a draught ? Donald Dinnie, the Scotch athlete, stood as the model for a statue of Wallace, which is ' to bo placed in the gardens at Ballarat. " Is your husband a member of any club, Mrs Condiment ?" ♦'No, madame, lie is, not. I hold the club." The canned article (hat goes the quickest is a dog's tail. Somoliki, a powerful Zulu 'chief, has arrived at Ekowe. Hope he'll stay there !