A SAD CASE CF POISONING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1180, 20 May 1884, Page 3

A SAD CASE CF POISONING.

The residents of Ashburton (says the Mail of last Saturday) were thrown into a state of excitement on Thursday evening on it becoming known that a fatal case of poisoning had occurred nerr Lauriston that day. Before accurate particulars came to hand most exaggerat I statements were abroad, but when narrowed down to the truth, the fact remained that a dreadful accident had occurred, resulting in the death of a fine young man named T, Fahey. Until the inquest is concluded, it would be premature to venture an opinion, but it is our pMnful duly to give the particulars obtained by us after due investigation. It appears that arrangements had been made for a shooting expedition in the bed of the Rakaia river, and on the night of Wednesday last Messrs Larapard, Angus Murray, and R. McKerrow, s ?ed at the house of Mr Mann, of the firm of Mann and McKerrow, at Tiverton. On leaving in the morning for the shooting ground the men above alluded to were accompanied by young Mann, but before leaving the house Mr Mann persuaded the men to lake some grog with them. On their way towards the river they met Mr J. Brown,_ of Highbank, who told them he was just going to Murray’s to get some rams. They returned with him and when the whole party reached the house a proposal w'-s made to tap the bot o. Fahey, who was in Murray’s employ, was there, as was also a man nanr d McEvedy. Each one partook of the grog, and it is alleged Fahey asked for a little more. This was about 10.C0 a.m., and within half a minute after, the Irst mentioned remr rked that he felt something wrong with him, and almost instantaneously Ml those who had partaken oi too the whiskey were taken bad, Fahey, • - the minutes elapsed, being seiz d with dreadful pain, the muscles of his body contracting with the agony he endured. In fact, all of the unforiunat; men were seized with convulsions. Murray, who felt somewhat recovered in the cour oof time, proc Ito Ashburtoa for medical aid, and on the way he me„ Messrs Hussey and Sm.th. Having explained what had occurred the two latter' hurried to tho shocking scene, and on arjivrl administered emetics, and took other precautions to save life. Unfortunately no • s’stance could save the life of the poor fellow Fahey, as he died before the arrival of Dr Ross. It appears that Mr Mann had the whiskey in a jar, emptying some into a jug for the purpose of pouring it into a bottle. Strychnine had previously been in (he jug, and it is suririscd that a quantity must have teen in the vessel at the time, or else the whiskey would not have had such a powerful effect on the men. It seems almost incredible that they did not detect the poison. The appearance of the whiskey is bad enough, but the taste is almost vile. One thing is without doubt, had the men not touched the ‘poison’ until they reached the river bed, it is almost certain all their lives must have b en scrificed. At the inquest on Fahey at Rakaia, John Mann, by the advice of his lawyers refused to give evidence, hut other witnesses showed that he had acknowledged having mixed strychnine with vinegar in a jug some lime ago for the purpose of killing rats or birds, and that subsequently he had thrown the contents of the jug away, but had not washed it, and when taking (he whiskey from the jar to put in a bottle he used the same jug. The medical evidence was to the efiect that if vinegar was weak it would not dissolve crystals of strychnine, which would adhere to the jug, but strong spirits would at once dissolve them. The opinion of the men who drank the whiskey was at first that Mann had played a practical joke on them. The returned an open verdict, and added a rider to this effect ‘ That John Mann was deserving of severe censure for the carelessness shown by him in the use of so dangerous a poison as chniue, and for his heariloss conduct in not going to see the men when ho heard of their dangerous state.’ John Mann, who had be°n arrested on warrant for refusing to obey the summons to attend the inquest, was cautioned by the Coroner and discharg d.