THE PAHIATUA POISONING CASE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4019, 23 January 1892, Page 2

THE PAHIATUA POISONING CASE

laauflst oa tho Viotims. ".. •AaOpeaVorUot (By Our Special Reporter.) _The adjourned inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Peter Diokßon, was held at tho Public Hall, Pahiatua, on Thursday, the 21at inst, at 6 o'clock p.m., before Mr 0. Hall, Coroner, Inspector Thompson conducted the proceedings on behalf of (he police, and Mr Tosswill appeared for the deceased relatives. Mr W. Skev, the Government analyst, and Detective Herbert were also in attendance.

Before commencing the evidence the Coroner intimated that'the jury en tlio inquest into the oaseof Joseph Moore would probably be wanted at 10 o'olook p,m, Inspector Thompson produced" and read the official analysis of Mr Skey, The foreman of the jury here rose and asked the Coroner if ho had read the articlesin theWoodville Examiner and the New Zealand Times bearing upon the subjeot of the poisoning, and pointing at one individual as the perpetrator, He considered it very reprohetisible. The Coroner .said he bad not read the articles referred to, but would now read them if produced and required by Ihejury. Inspector Thomson and Mr Tosswill also spoke at some length on the subjeot, condemning the. praotice of newspaper comment subjtidice. Wm, Skey, analyst at the Colonial Laboratory, Wellington, deposed :- I examined theatomach and intestines of the late Peter Diokson, which Constable Cooper handed to me, I found arsenic in very sensible quantities; enough to cause death, I also examined the liver, I found traces of arsenic there and also the vomit on the sheeting und quilts. I also examined the artioles of food in the schedule read by the Inspector, 1 went twice through each article, but found no trace of arsenic there except in the" Rough on Kits," which is a purely arsenical production, with a little coloring. I had rubbed two and a half gvaiuß of arsenic on a lump of meat eight square inches, but it did not shew perceptibly, Examined by Mr Tosswill;-I couldn't observe particularly in what form the poison had been taken. It, appeared to be in a liquid form, judg-<| ing by the appearance of the vomit,' but could not say definitely, The arsenic had not been, rubbed into the meat. I think it must havo been observable to anyone, except after a lapse of some time, in which ejection [ have not experimented at all. it would then perhaps sink, or the gravy would rise above it. I do not think that the deccisod could have tasted it from the quantities taken by him. It has no flavour, Icculdnot tell from the box of "rough on rats" handed to me whether >'t lud been used recently or not, • To a Juror: I did not consider that by rubbing in for a minute it would be possible to put in enough arsenic to kill a man without being observable on the meat itself.

To Inspector Thompson: I could hardly say whether there was enough moisture in a slice of lamb out for Bay two hours to absorb arsenic sprinkled on it. It would have a sensible effect upon the poison, I think arsenic is tasteless, To Mr Tosswill: 1 do not think that you could sprinkle enough rough on rats upon a plateful of lamb without being noticed to kill a man say ten hours afterwards, It is not as powerful as ordinary arsenic, If it were a juicy joint, and the pieces cut were afterwards minced up and turned over the arsenic might become absorbed,

A, C. Milne, medionl practitioner, of Woodville, deposed ! I was sent for on the 27th December to attend some persona here suffering from poisoning, I started away about 7orß-p.m. On arrival here I first visited the Sedcole brothers and ono patient named Lundon. From their appearance and from their symptoms I arrived at the conclusion that they were suffering from the effects of an irritant poison. I saw Mrfiidd's (Chemist) medicines there, I told him to diet them with plenty of milk—which is part of the usual treatment in such cases. In the case of indigestion the treatment would bo identical with that in case of poisoning, particularly if the former were of an irritant nature, I told some of the. patients that they had symptoms'olf having been poisoned, but not in sufficient quantities to cause death. I did not consider at tho time that the cases were of so serious a nature as to have communicated with the pojice. It did not occur tj me that it was my duty at tlje tjine. To. the foreman ; I di<} not know thnf Dr Davenport was corning down to take charge of the oases, I came down myself in the morning and found that Dr Davenport had taken over the cases, I did not see Mr Eidd on the Sunday evening after I had visited the patients. TolnspeoiorThomson: I think Mr Eidd did all it was possible in the cases, He administered the proper antidotes, He has told ine since that he knew on the Sunday night that it was a case of poisoning, I anj not sure on the subjeot, but have that impression my mind, .To Inspector Thomson: I did not consider at the time- that tho cases wero of auffiotent danger as to order the vomit to be preserved, My im pression was that a small quantity of arsenic had hsen used in the colouring the ornaments of the bride's cake,

Coleridge Bidd, surgeon, dentist, ' deposed: I remember being culled ■ j»r|y flrj'fhg 271b December, about 4,36 a, id,, to ae« tho fjecgaseij. On questioning him be informed me that be bad been suffering with diarrhoea and vomiting for about four bours, I was shown his vomit. It appeared to be bile, mixed with a clear liquid. TJie easier vomits and mpliQiiß bad been'thrown way. He. was experiencing gt'eaf jnterni,l painsand thirsts, and bad a small quick pulse, His tongue was coated, indicating fitoniachical derangement, I questioned himastowbat be had eaten. He told me that on the day previous at noon he had dined at Mrs Naylor's, and had partaken of some cold roast lamb, vegetables and plum pudding, also whisky and water. From the tongue I noticed the symptoms similar to (liosoin cases of influenza, added to derangement of the stomach from something being wrong with the food. I thought it unwise to check the vomiting 1 'or diurrboJa". I gaivdhim an alkali, 'some bismuth, a v little ammop,' and' a tini'jiire'of carda'nions.' I directed 'to give birn'sQQiß jsoda water' and-brandy tq allay the thirst, fjn my next visit about 0.30 a,m J fpund he had been unable to retain anythlrig-on the stoisaoh except for a short timeV-,1

administered some chicken broth as nourishment. Dr Davenport took charge of the case on Monday moming, His opinion was on Tuesday that it was a case of arsenical poisoning-

Here a discussion took place between Inspector Thompson and the witness as to the earliest intimation Constable Cooper had received that it was a case of arsenical poisoning. Eventually Mr Eidd slid that he did not see the' constable until after he had seen Dr Davenport on the Monday. When he finally repotted the matter to Constable Cooper he know he had overlooked that important duty before. To the 1 could not say who sent for the doctor from Woodville. ■ Mary Jane Naylor, wife of Edward Naylor, blacksmith, Pahiatua, de-, posed: I remember Christmas Day last. My daughter Annie was married that day to Mr Wm. Sedcole. The wedding dinner took place at my house, Mr and Mrs Dickson were guests and arrived by coach about i o'olook, Mr Dickson had lunch on arrival, and afterwards tea. He went up town for a short time and oame back about 7 o'olook. It was then he had tea. In the evening we adjournal] to the bride's house and had dancing there. Between 10 and 11 that night the Dicksona went away. Before they left I asked them to come again noxt day. I accompanied them to the gate opening on the road, and they said they would come again at about 10 or 11 o'clock noxt day in the forenoon and stay to dinner, As I am rather hard of hearing they naturally spoke loudly. I heard them distinctly. I noticed no one about as I was speaking to thorn. It was a dark night. I next saw them together at my house at 10,30 next day, They had dinner with us about 12.30, There were myself and my husband, Mr and Mrs Dickson, Mr and Mrs Moore, Wm. and Eobert Sedcole, George Lundon, Samuel Naylor and his wife and three children, Wm, Leonard and Agnes Naylor, aud Mrs Moore's three children, and Frederick Brickland sat down to dinner. We had cold roast lamb, potatoes, French beans, and plum pudding. Mr Dickson had seme lamb, Mrs Moore put it on a plate and I took it to him, I supplied liim witlt potatoes and beans, I had some of the lamb myself. All tho gussts did as far as I know. The lamb had been sliced the previous evening and not eaten, There were enough layers of slices to reach about six inches in height, The lamb was sliced about sin the evening and some of it was eaten about 11 o'olook Xmas night, Mr Naylor had some then. After tea on Xmas Day the plate containing the lamb was placed on top of the dish containiug two joints of lamb and the whole covered with a cloth. I i replaced tho cloth after some of the i lamb was eaten at 11 o'clock that night. Besides the meat 1 have : described there was a dish with a 1 piece of ham upon it, also covered by a cloth, They were all upon a bench immediately inside the scullery door, ; When I again saw the lamb it was at 12.35. The cloth upon the plate i had been partly turned back. I then i replaced it, I had been away at my daughter's house at the dance, I had l been there about half an hour. I left , no one in the house except four ' small children, who were in bed. I Previous to leaving I closed the i scullery door, I left a candle burni ing on the bench alongside the meat, When I was returning from my : daughter's and about seven yards i from the scullery I saw a man pass.i ing the side of our house and going , towards the main road. He would ; be about 5 or G yardß from the scullery : door, I pointed these spots to the i police- yesterday and from their i measurement I ascertained the diai tances now given. I addressed tho man. I called him by name" Bill". I said " Hullo Bill, is that you?" I took ■ him to be Wm, Taggart, one of the ! guests at the time. When I returned to my daughter's house I found Tag- , gart still there and was thou satisfied i it could now have been him. The , man took no notice when I addressed . him, If he had spoken I could have ! heard him, He wore a short coat and a round bard hat, I only saw his back, It was immediately after turning from speaking to him and going inside that I found the meat uncovered. -The light was left in the soullery m in the dining room for the guest 3 to help themselves, It first occurred lome a guest had been helping himself. The man in walking away did so quickly. Shortly after this Mr Naylor and I retired, After dinner next day Mr and Mrs Dickson, Mr Naylor aud I went lo Woodville for a drive and returned about 5.80 p.m. They bad nothing to eat at our house on their return, There was scarcely anything left of the lamb but bone. On Sunday morning I let fhe plate outside for the dog. I saw two dogs and two cats eating of it. fjoth dogs a,nd cats have since been affected by it. They were bad for a day or two. I first'felt very thirsty on driving from Woodvilio and continued so all that night, I commenced vomiting next night (Sunday) and had severe internal pains, On Sunday evening I took to ray bed and was confined there for ten days, lam scarcely recovered yet, My husband and chjldren were taken had on the same day. I am of opinion that the man J sjiw pi)d previously described was coining from, the squllery door of ray house,' The engagement of my : daughter had existed for about five y6»VB. As far as I know there was no other lover in the case, There was no motivofor jealousy on the part of ■ anyone as far aB my daughter was concerned, I have no reason to ' believe that either my husband I or myself have,any enemies in I the place, We havo never been ' threatened in any way, I have I reason to . believe that Bomo of i ray guests had been threatened. I < refer tR Mrs Dickson. She com I municated this to ite. Besides tbjs { \ remember a threat being made nso of < in my presence about three weeks 1 before the wedding in Mr P, Clark's ' house- Miss Maggie Clark was the < other person present, We were alone, < Miss Clark was talking to nie about t Mrs Djckspn, and she mado use of « tho expression that ,f if 6Jje had a ( chanoe she would poison the old s bitch." She had been telling me 1 about Dickson having had her up to I Court at Masteiton. She appeared to I be very angry whilo speaking, Miss t Clark was not one of (lie wedding ' guests. She was not so far as I know a at my house an Friday or Saturday. 1 I invited her to fie wedding as well o as Mr and Mrs Clark, Neither of o the three attended the wedding. Mrs I Clark said to me that she would not li come if the Dicksons came. I know p of no others of my guests against b whom threats havfrbee'n made besides il 'Mrs Dickson informed 8! me : tbaf Miss" Clark had sent ! 'M'r Djotagn a th'reatenipg letter, bpfc alio & dip) not tell me tbjs nature of'it.. """ tl To a JW; I do not think that any v person could have left my daughter a

house and passed me on tho track without my seeing him before I got, to ray own house. ' - Emma Moore, widow of Joseph •Moore, deceased, deposed: I remember attending the wedding at Mr Naylor's house on Christmas Day with my husband and children. I remember the arrival ot Mr and Mrs Dickson on Christmas Day. He had some ham, There was also same lamb. The lamb came from our place, and had beeu killed by ray husband. I wrapped it in a table cloth and put it in a flour bug. Tho whole lamb was brought to Mr Naylor's housp, Cinly the two hind quarters were cooked. Mrs Samuel Naylor and myself out up portions of the lamb into slices about 6 p.m.'on Sunday. We use Little's dip on our farm. My husband has nover used arsenic or kept it about the place. No person could have got near the lamb at our place. On >ohnstmas Day I cut some meat and put it on a small plate, but not oh Boxing Day. ,'■.■■

, To Mr ToßStvill; I came.into Mrs Naylor's house on Xmas Day about 11 o'clock. There was no lamb eaten on Xnias Day until tea time about 6 o'clock, My brother and my two children ate some, My brother was taken ill between one and two o'clock a.m. on Sunday. I am not aware that any one else had lamb that day, My brother and my three children were at Mr Naylor's to dinner on Boxing Day.

Edward Naylor, blacksmith, of Pahiatua, deposed: I was present at the wedding of my daughter on Christmas day, Sir anil Mrs Dixon arrived from Masterton about 4 o'clock and had some lunch and later on tea, They left my house for the hotel about 11 o'clock and. slept at the Commercial Hotel, I was present at dinner on the following day. I sat near to deceased. Heatelaiib, beans, potatoes and pudding. I believe that the deceased, J. Moore, ate the same kind of food after dinner, It was well known that deceased was coming to the wedding. 1 was in the bride's house when the dame was going on. At the time Mis Naylor went to our own house from the dance, I could positively swear that Taggart never left the dance during her absence, As far as I knew there was no white arsenic in the house. I knew of the box of rough on rats that was in the house, but it had not been disturbed for two years, I know of no cause of jealousy or enmity against myself or family by anyone.

ToMrTosswill: I had a conversation one evening about three weeks ago with Mr Otark with regard to Miss Clark's law case with the deceased, Clark said Dickson had " not acted square." Ho culled him a d—- soamp, or something of that sort. In regard to Mrs Dickson he said she was "no better than a—." Mrs Naylor and Miss Clark were walking behind us, Both Mr Dickson and Mr Moore had some of the lamb on Saturday for dinner. To the Foreman: The lin-kettlers

went away before the Dickson's left, I am not on bad terms with anyone, in this place. I did not invite my son-in-law's father or mother to the

wedding. I told tho bridegroom to invite who he liked, Mr and Mrs Macdonald were not asked to the wedding, I did not know that Rough on Eats was arsenic, I

instructed my children that it was : poisonous. I ate some bam on the Saturday morning. Ido not know it anyone else had any. It was principally eaten on Friday. To a Juror: My wife told me on Boxing night after we had retired that she thought she saw Bill Taggart leaving the scullery. I expressed myself confident thnt it could not bo bini as I knew he was at the dance the whole time that she jwas away, She did not say that she had missed anything from the scullery. The scullery is 10ft x 16ft, It is impossible for the wind by a sudden gust to lift up the cloth as the bench is behind the door. There was very little lamb eaten on Christmas Day. It was neither under nor over done, To the Foreman ; On the Sunday

morning the forequartere were thrown to the dogs as they were partially flyblown,

To a Juror; In the case of persons using Mr Moore's sheep dip (on the farm on which the lamb was killed) they invariably purchased tho dip from Moore, I swear chat Oiark called the late Mr Dickson 'ad—d scamp,' (cannot say why Mrs McDonald, a sister of the bridegroom, was not in« vited to the wodding, There was no other meat but lamb at tho wedding least, If my guests didn't like this they could go without, I am quite certain the poison was in the lamb. I first had obops from it for breakfast on Friday morning, I bad nothing more to eat then till after two. I will swear I did not suggest the water from the pump was poisoned. In the first instance I suggested the poison might have been in the baker's confectionery. I com» raunicated my suspicions to uoue but the police. Practical joking was going on at the time of the' wedding festivities as one of the guests named Stirling placed r packet of Epsom salts in the bag of the officiating clergyman, Here a slight breeze occurred between the Foreman, a Juvyoian, Inspector Thompson and Mr Tosswili as Jo the reasons why tho Rev Mr Saunders bad not been produced as a witness, as it had been openly stated in the town that that gentleman had been drugged,

Ambrose P, Williams, draper, of Pahiatua, deposed: I was manager here for the late Mr Dickson, I saw Mr and Mrs Dickaon about 6.30 on the evenincf of Boxing Day, on their return from Woodville. They had tea with us. Afterwards about 7,80 we went for a walk and returned at 8,30, He appeared to be in his usual Btata of health. We had a gome of cards together. During the gamo he twice went to the water closet, Ho jeft wjth' hjs wife about 11 p.ni, About four in the' tnprping Mrs Dickson called me up to see her husband, On seeing him he complained of having had a very bad night and of great pains in the lower extrerpi' ties. He said : something he had eatpn with him, Mr Bitjd came oyer to see him, ten ho ate some cold ham and a little salad. Between 8 and 7 a.m on the same day Mrs Dickaon was takon ill and has beon ever since, though she ia now much recovered.

' Constable Cooper deposed: When attaching all articles of food in Naylor's house as directed by the Cor. oner's jury, I found a packet of rough on rats in the cupboard as told by Mr Naylor, underneath the staircase, The lid was off the tin,'. Whereas, the powder is a blue' one 'it appeared brown at the time from dust, showing it raußt hdv6 lain there for some c6n„ siderable time.' ■ ' '• ''•

To the foreman.: Tfle little girl Aglies Naylor was ipe'pnjy' one in thebfpe who was cognisant of the whereabouts of this tin, Inspector Thomson-stated this was

all the evideuce. Deteotivo Herbert : had been engaged upon thecaso since the Slab and had examined the books of Mr Ridel, the local chemist, besides ail the chemist's books in the Wairarapa and Wellington, and had failed to discover any cluo to the purchase of the arsenic used, One of the jurymen expressed regret that the. matter, of the packet of 'sailsfound in the clergyman's bag had not been further gone into; : ; The Inspector said the matter was one which had no bearing on thedeath of the deceased.

The Coroner briefly reviewed tho evidence. He said the medical evidence . pointed conclusively to the fact that the deceased had met his death through arsenical poisoning. If, as it bad been suggested, tho poison was obtained by the deceased through the lamb, it appeared to'him it must have been placed there by design. If the jury were satisfied upon this point, and dial the person so placing it there knew the nature of it, they should find a vordict of wilful murder. If, on the other hand, they thought that it was placed there by design (but the person placing it there wss unaware of the nature ot it) and death resulted, they should find a verdict of manslaughter. If it was not apparent to the jury who had committed this unlawful act they could bring in a verdict against some person or persons unknown. The jury retired at 1.30 a.m. to.. consider their verdict. -j In five minutes they returned with~ the following verdict:—•' The jury are satisfied from the evidence that the deceased, Peter Dickson, met with his death by arsenical poisoning at Mr E, Naylor's house on< December 2.6 th, 1819, but how or by whom the poison was administered there is no evidence to show."

Aisimilar verdict was arrived at in the. inquest on the body of Joseph Moore.