A TRAGIC AFFAIR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 23 April 1907, Page 2

A TRAGIC AFFAIR.

A \OUNU -MAX AI'PItJSUKXIJJi]). Per Prcfg Association. Chvistcliurch, Ajjril 22. < A young man named Alfred James iore'llellyer, who liiul li.'cn i>ni]»to\.h! in Chri.stehftreh warehouse for some lime 'j Hist, was arrested iu Uelfast ye-U'n!ny ■ ' noniing upon a charge of murdering nn llegitiniate chilil of which ho is alleged u ohe tin; father. The mother is a Dun- ' mliu girl, who (Miik 1 up io Christcliurch, '' ivhere llic child was lioni. The necus- ' ■d appeared Ir-iniv lie rate this 5| morning anil was remanded till the 30th. t PltlSONKli TAKES POISON. Pj IX A I)A\OK HO US STATE. | u Per Press Association. ' Chrislcjuirch, April 22. 1 Jlcliycr, ilie young man who wa- ' cliargi'd wilii child murder this nmniin!;, was suddenly la Ken il! this afternoon ai the police cells at the Hereford si reel depot, whither lie hail 'been removed from the Court. It was al once apparent to chose in attendance I hut his condition was in the extreme, and ( l)r Nvines was hastily summoned. lie found the prisoner Mitrcring acutely, rind ill a very grave coudltioli. The symptoms pointed to poisoning, protutldy with prussic acid. The doctor ordered Hie palieiit's l'eiiiovai to tile hospital, and a .stretcher being hastily requisitioned, the patient was conveyed to the institution as speedily as possible, arriving there a few minutes before three o'clock. A careful search of the eell was then made under the direction of lnsp"ctor Gillies. A few small .fragments of some kind of whitish tabloivl were found. Cyanide of potassium in times put up in this form. Ais understood that similar tabloids bad been noticed ill the possession of the prisoner anil he lnul explained that lie itßed them us a remedy for toothache, from which he said he hail been suffering. ACCI'SHD DEAD.' Latest. Alfred ,Tames llellyer, who was char.red with child murder at the Magistrate's Court this morning, and who was taken suddenly ill ill the police cells durin" the afternoon, and removed to the hospital, died shortly before eight o'clock to-night, presumably from posinning. It appears that llellyer, when I searched the previous day, was found to i be in possession of a phial containing | ■ white tabloids or crystals, which, with : his other belongings, was taken from him in the'usual way. Early yesterday 1 mnvning lie asked Constable W the 1 watclihouse-kecper, to give him the phial, explaining that he wanted to use the contents for the purpose of deaden - ill" toolache pains, from which he said > he" was then suffering. The constable i complied with the reipiest, and gave the I man the. contents, retaining possession - of the phial. It is presumed that the a phial contained a form of cyanide of potassium, but nil iiiuilysis of tlic stomach t. is being made with the object of ascer- :- taining definitely what caused death. j- llellyer was a young man of about 25, t anil had been employed at a local warehouse. He had come to Christchurch from Dunedin, where his people live. 1 The police are still .searching for the . body of the child, which is alleged to have been murdered by llellyer, but so „ far without success.