CORONER'S INQUESTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3629, 3 October 1890, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUESTS.

'My of Patrick OowiW' ■ ' An inquest on tho body found in tho Kopuaranga rivet on Wednesday last, ■wbioli, by the way, lias beon identified as that' of Patrick Cowan, was hold; before Coroner Roberts and a jury of six (of whom Mr G. Guuderson >vas ' chosen foreman) at Mauriceville yesterday. Tho body, baying been roviewod, tho evidenco of several" persons was taken, but nothing was shown as to bowitho came to bo iuthe river. , The olothes on tho body were identified.as,'those ofii'atrick Cowan,' --■• The jury; after a short. retirement, returned. •:a verdict ■ of ; "'Found Dro|ne'di")j jC? ' ' Tho Lato 'W'xlll&m An inquest on the remains of the kte William 'Duiican Cameron was lieldjin the old Cdurthou?e tliit- : morning before Coroner Roberts and a jury ,bf six, of whom Mr JUseph Williams was chosen foreman,

. Tlie usual charge haying ' been rqad.Hhe jury'proceeded to view the body!

Mr Pownall appeared to watch tho proceedings on behalf of the" Relatives of deceased. :

. Donald F. Cameron, sheepfarmeiy deposed that deooased was his brother and was a partner of his on /£urikuri station. Deceased was on the station about a week ago and appearedto be very low spirited. Ho had been lowspirited for about six weeks,' The station was very solitary; to wbieh lie accounted partly for bis depression. | Besides, bis brother had left the;,statiofl-. recently,, which made, him mope .arid'becomb lowrsplrlteiL' About a .week ago he sent him inland'vto 1 'rouse -him' up' a little.Deceased' ,was', t.wenty r orie ""years : 'of age last, April. "'Knew; th.ai.t 1 be, was in Masterton. .lieard

liim jduring., the . time;. : . Hp 'was melancholy threaten to tako.bia;lifp. John r CameiMjj eheepfarm'oi', :: • of Palittii, deposed- I ''that 'ho ; linew deceased, who'" was "liia- nephew, Deceased had beeh;with' hiniy.Mnce Saturday i last! /.until; Wednesday,at three' o'olock, -'Deceased; had ■ come down to 'Masterton"for the benefit of his health. Had'-hoticedthe fits 'iof melancholy and;'often - spoke' io decoased, ~ asking'' llim;' to ■ foiise himself. 'Saw deceased last at three o'clock ;on Wednesday, when ho came into Masterton, Mr Pownall j'Did he'eyer threaten to take;his.life before ? Witness ;;Not; 'to -ray knoSvleclgo. Mr Pownall: Was' he' always strong and healthy ? ... Witness: He was always'rather dull, and was worse lately. Mr Pownall: Was thf'ro anything in his ; appearanpe which would lead you to think he would t'ako his life ? Witness: No, To the jury: He was rather melancholy whilst at my house. Constable O'Leary, sworn, deposed that' he received instructions to proceed to Opaki about 11 p.m on the Ist instant. On arriving at the race course, about three miles from Masterton he saw deceased lying on the side of the road. He was quite conscious then, Asked him what was tlio matter, and he replied" I'ye taken poison," He said he hid taken strychnine, which ho had procured from Mr Mason, chemist. He said he told the chemist lie wanted the strychnine for poisoning dogs. Asked him why he took the poison and he said lie-was tired of life. Had him conveyed to Masterton ia a trap belonging to Mr Walker. Took him to Dr Beard's surgery, He complained of haying griping' pains in the stomach, on tho road down but he had no spasms. Some time afterwards lie was conveyed from Dr Beard's surgery to the Club Hotel.' This was about' 1.80.' After undressing him and putting him,.to bed lie received instructions, to, remain with him, Also' received instructions from Dr Beard that if he got griping pains and spasms to immediately call him .'(Dr Beard). Deceased had a drink of water when going to bed, and witness watered his mouth sevoral tirna afterwards. About 4,30 he took spasms, and witness went for the doctor. The doctor attended, but returned to the surgery, He came back again almost : immediately. The spasms continued almost till the time of his death. The man died between five.and six, and JII9 doctor was there till his death, Deceased told him he took the poison in some scones about eight o'clock' in Masterton. He appeared to be perfectly sober, After decoasqd died lie proceeded to the polioo station arid informed the Sergeant, To the jury: Deceased was' conversant to the last, He. would uot think he had taken' poison. When the man was-taken to , the surgery 'first Dr Beard injectod morphia.

: To Mr Pownall: Took the mat; to : .Dr-Beard's surgery about twelve o'plqcfc

Dr S F Beard, sworn, deposed that ha was a duly registered medical practitioner. Bemombered on tbo morning of 2nd October being aroused at 12,20, Attended the deceased, who was brought to his surgery about ten minutes after lie was aroused. Despatched a messonger to Mr Mason's to know what poison he - had sold deceased and he was informed it was stryebniho. He immediately put antidotes together and before he could go out deceased was brought into his surgery and put on tbe sofa, Deceased said he had taken poison. ' Ho was perfectly sensible and; free fimpains or spasms. The only thing lie complained ot was that he was very thirsty. Allowed him to drink- cold water,; which produced no spasms of any kind,. At this; time llior§ was no contractions of spy of the muscles of thQbody, Ho still insisted that he had tajten the poison with four small spongecakes, aboutß,4son tbe even-' iug before. He said he took it at the,, back of the Glub Hotel. Then asked the Sergeant to send down and procure the paper, Also asked the Sergeant to feel his pockets and see if the paper was oil him, Came to the conclusion that as such ft long timp had , elapsed with no ; symptoms he had not taken poison. As a precaution, howeyeiy hejnjected a grain of morphia, The symptoms of strychnine poison show as a rule from a few minutes tb faro hours and a half after being takien. Deceased had stated he had 'only, taken four sponge cakes with the poison, and ho (witness) concluded'the. action of the poison would be rapid. Kept deceased under his observation for about an hour. He left his Surgery about 1,40. During the time lie was in the surgery he complained ot no pains and conversed freely. He had three, or four drinks of cold water. Suggested to the Sergeant that abed be procured at a hoteil, gnd'that the man be put' to liga, which was done. Accompanied him to the hotel, and did qot leaye him tjll l\ej»s quietly in bpd, Asked '{lje Sergeant'to him watched and send t? l|ioi ai qocq

if any symptoms 'prosorited themselves. Eemembeied the Sergeant •asking him'if he was'npt going to give him an emetic, Witness replied that as fou'v hours had elapsed from the time the poison had been taken an omotio would be jMectly useless. Had an emetic prepared on the table, hut it would possibly have done more harm than good.. Ho would probably havo given an emetio' if bo had seeri deceased an hour after the poison bad been taken. But oyen then it' raiglit' have ; been useless.: :":™Th"e *'lonpe*st' period people generally lived after tailing strychnine was six hoursV v lf he bad given him an would: -have ensued, and /he would have died immediately.!"''; Did'not think up till. 2.o'clock the man, had taken poison, as thero'wero.yery littlo symptoms, 'The'constable 1 called him about 4,45 and said he thought the man was dying, as;-he'was very weak. Went at once,, taking. with bim ammonia and ether.'' 1 On arrival he found the man had powerful contractions, of the muscle 3 of the arnis,. : legs und abdomen,'' iHejasked for a drink of water winch witness gave him, and lie swallowed it; spasmodically. Immediately win't ; liome and made .up a prescription, Upoii returning the, .man was dead;' 'Had no doubt'Oas to the cause of death, which was ; Btryobnine poisoning. Even nt deatli Miere was an entire absence : bf the usual:, symptoms of strychnine poisoning in the shapo of contraction of. the face and'back, -. To tbo: jury: Deceased was perfectly sober when ; ho came' to the . surgery. - '

•lo Mr Pownall: Could not accouut for the long „ period the prison took tq; operate,fi;At 12.85 the' poison • couldilot'"hav6 ,been, in the stomachy Any v poisoii: whioli, was; in the.stonijioli anust haye been absorbed before that J tihoooiivul- ; sions did not appear, and ■«on' 'these grounds he concluded .the l ,iliah:-had not taken poison; • Tho. absorbfion of tho poison by j,'man '/of tlio. stvength'ofjdeceased. w6iild.,bQ very rapid;., ..There were no. symptomtf, of convulsions,. du nbg v: the v .tim e/, the man "' 'was-' in'"''tho ' "'surgery., There ; was ; no. ' pmptics after,, cbnyulsions.'iiatf setm Convulsions,'would haye co'mo, on at' any rate, but ho.did not. think'it was any;uso at,all administering emetics'. Had ho administered' an 'ometio'.it might have' brought on a spasm' and caused. sudden • death'.' A'ri. emetic administered after, the abaorbtion pf any poison would be liable to cause spasms. -.Chloroform; administered ajsthetically might' have alleviated pain and spasms, and allowed time for the' poispn.'tp ; be eliminated. If during the time the man was at tho surgery he presented' any signs of strychnine poisoning he might have administered an emetic. He injected morphia, which was apowerful ametio. To Sergeant Price: It was difficult to say whether the man had taken the' ten grains of strychnine. To Mr Pownall: Beeing.that there wero no convulsions, an emetic would not have necessarily brought on spasms. It might not have done him any harm, but it would havo done him no good whatever, There was no powerful antidote whioh cculd have been administered with success, when the man was brought to the surgery. Constable O'Leary, re. called, said he made search for the paper in which the strychnine was* enclosed and found it in the yard at the rear of the Club Hotel, ■

JKobert' Gant, assistant for Mr Mason, chemist, stated that lis know deceased, who came into the shop between 1 half-past seven and eight o'clook on the evening of October Ist. He told him (witness) (that 1 one of his dogs had been worrying tho sheep and hp intended to, poison it. He asked for a shilling's worth of strychnine. In this there, were .ten gram Gave' the poison to deceased, who signed the book. Labelled;the parcel "Poison. 1 ' The man was perfectly sobel' at the time. To the' jury:. Noticed unusual about the deceased. •To Mr Pownall: Knew deceased pretty we 11... . Ernest E Porritt, bank clerk, deposed to kuowiug deooastd, who lie found lying on the Opaki road on tho night of October Ist.' ' There' wore around him Constable O'Leary and several other persons. Spoke to the deceased and lie < wai quite sensiblb.' Asked him .what he had done and ho said ho had taken poison. He wasnot just then in convulsions. Mr Mowatt, who was with him at the- time, rode down to the doctor's. After somo trouble the deceased was put into tho trap nf Mr. Walker, and convoyed to Mastertoii; He was very stiff and had. a fearful spasm, thou.. This was about 12.25. Was.in Dr Beard's surgery with the man and hoard' the Seigcant question deceased, who answered very freely. Assisted to put the decoased to bed in tho Club Hotel, When ho left it was about 2.45.

To Mr Pownall: Tho man had a fearful spasm on the road. Told tho doctor this, The spasm lasted about threo minutes. Described the apasm to the doctor, telliug him that the man was pei'fe(st]y rigid, Had known tho deoeased for somo time, who was ■ a jolly enough fellow, Did not think he was a likely person to take poison while ho was in his right mind, To Sergeant Price: The man suddenly stiffened out on tho road and they thought he was dead. They lifted up his head and! his whole body was raised. ■ Felt his. leg, which was so hard. ilmt ho did not think they coii'd stick. & ! pjn:into i it.i Deceased \yas quiet at the time. Was not sure when lie ; told, the doctor about the spasm. ' When' the' inan was put into the trap he was per. fectly still, but when lie got to Mastcrtbn he was much better. ■' .;,:' <

Sergeant Price, sworn, stated that on tbo night of tho Ist, after sending Constable O'Leary out lie awaited liis return, Was at Beard's surgery when the trap arrived, in whioh tbore wero Mr Walter, Mr Battes and deceased. Went into the surgery with them, and deceased was placed oh tjiesofa, Tho deceased'was consoious and appeared to him to be a man-who bad nothing the matter with him. Ho asked- for a glass of water which was given him. A bet asking, him several questions as to' where he got the poison. aiid why iio took it,-ho replied that he got it from Mason, the chemists', that he was 1 tired of life, and that' ; : lie "hid taken -it'in the Club cloMin'&me sponge, cakes. Told himlie did iiofc look like a pan who hadtafem.tim grains of %i,i''lpliey tell me the strychnine or have you thrpwp it away!" 'Ho'replied, "I liavo ;? take|' ft," at theaaino timo winking at liim. Previous to this the .doctor had ■ injected' inorphin. Asked tho doctor if ho intended to give him an emetic, biit Jjowplied that if ho had taken the poison it was useless, The

uuuiui ojjuKe io mm iDont Having him • ronioved from tliero either to tbo colls or to a bed, Hesitated a moment and conoluded to take him to ■ the Club Hotel. Instructed Constable O'Leary to take charge of kin. As tar as lie could see deceased was sober and sensible and answered all questions put to him in a free manner,^Tooksliim, to the ClubHotel, undressed him and put him into bed, '. Up/to' thatime be left he . Gould not'think decelsed had taken tlie poison althocgh'-he thought it" strango the morphia., had., not taken < effect. .Gave deceased a glassful -of, water request j^Tbenjbleaifed ; AWw six o'ciootintlie' morning tho doctor; and: the him jc.; the man ' wis dead, Did' not •hear' the conversation' between : 'Porriit' and the dootor.asjo the ppasm,:.?T • To the; Jury: ; Couldmot-sivyif the ' deceased jthe'rhotel from : "ty surgery. He > rein6Ved| liia own M trousers £ v/y j<o bad not, tlie, slightest, -recollection being Spoken'to 1 by.MrPorritt.'' Had tbo. spasin. been .mentioned to -him ha could not have forgotten llie conversation. If the man had had ! a,spasm, the;jolting in the trap,' removal frbni ; bis sofa and .the .drink .oi ' frould 4 have produced aiiptiiGri. ? fj*' ■,. ■; H, Movvatt] ,b^lJe| r '.corrbb6rated• the evidence'of 1 Porritt with' regard ' to the spasmodic.attack.onxthe roadj-; % and heaidj.tbe dbotor inieplyjo?Porritt, that he hoard nothing about anything wbioh lie did not The jury, after a brief deliberation, ' returned a verdict that deceased met liie ■ death' by taking strychnine on tho Ist of October, while in a state of temporary insanity,