THE LATE POISONING BY TUTU.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 462, 6 February 1869, Page 2

THE LATE POISONING BY TUTU.

COEONER'S INQUEST. On Thursday morning an inquest was held by the Coroner, Dr Giles, at the Occidental Hotel, as to the death of a man named Thomas Dudley, aged about 28 years, and said to be a native of the county of Cork, Ireland. The circumstances under which the body of the deceased had been found, and his death was supposed to have taken place, have already been reported. The following was the evidence received at the inquest:— George Butiment: I am a miner residing at Charleston. I have known the deceased Thomas Dudley, for the last seven years. On Tuesday week, to the best of my belief, I was with the deceased. We were going up the Buller. AVe missed the turning to the ferry-house at the Okika, and forded the river above. After going about three miles we sat down, and ate some black-berries growing there. The deceased called them black currants, and said that he had frequently eaten them before. I don't think either of us had half a tumblerful of the berries. After going about three miles further I began to feel very nervous and ill. We began to pitch our tent there, when the deceased suddenly had a fit. He fell on the ground, and a great deal of froth came from his mouth. I went to get him some water, and from that time I remember nothing more until I found myself in the ferryman's place at the Okika. I believe that was last Saturday. I could not at that time recollect what had happened. My recollection came to me gradually, I haveuo\v:i perfect recollection of what occurred, except during the time that I was in the bush. On Monday last, I went out by myself, and fouud the hody of deceased about twenty yards from the tent. I have seen the tutu in Otago, but I thought what we were eating was a different shrub.

John Price: lam a police constable stationed at Westport. On Tuesday last I went up the Boiler to Hawk's Crag. I found the body of the deceased lying in the water in the creek at the crag. I found no particular marks on the body except a cut over the left eye, and one on the lip. I think those marks might have been caused by the head moving in the water, and coining in contact with stones. There Avas a tent a little above, with a pair of blankets. There were about Sor 9 inches of water where the body was.

Dr Thorpe : I have examined the body. The deceased had apparently been dead several days, and decomposition had set in. It bore no marks of violence excepting a small cut on the lower lip The head, face, and neck were apparently congested, and the tongue was protruding. The deceased was dressed in shirt, flannel, and trowsers. Pie had no boots or stockings on. The clothes had not been torn. This morning, I made an internal examination. The stomach was distended with gas, hut contained no water. I produce the liquid contents of the stomach. I removed from the stsmach, and also produce, certain seeds, which appear to be thoS9 of the tutu plant. There are others in the liquid, apparently reduced by mastication. I believe them to ba the seeds of the tutu plant. I found similar seeds in the lower parts of the small intestines. The larger end of the stomach was blackened, and the mucous membrane softened. It is difficult to say with accuracy how long the deceased might have lived after eating the berries containing these seeds. It would be within six to twelve hours at the least; that is, judging from the fact of finding seeds in the lower intestines. I consider the immersion took place after death. The known effects of the tutu are sufficient to account for death, and I found no appearance inconsistent with death from that cause. The Coroner said that, of course, the only evidence of the actual occurrence of the facts was the evidence of the first witness, who was present at the time, and who shared in the taking of the poison. He (the Coroner) had been rather particular in asking him as to the exact facts, because it was one rather remarkable feature of tutu poisoning that it impaired the memory very much indeed. It did not seem to have done so to such an extent in this case as in others, but it was a very common feature that, even after recovery from the first effects, the want of memory will remain for a few days, and recollection returns only grad-

ually. The witness seemed to have felt something of the sort, and it was, therefore, more necessary to question him more closely. However, he seemed to have sufficient recollection of the circumstances to justify his evidence being taken. There was nothing in the evidence requiring comment. It certainly seemed strange that a peison so long in the colony should eat tutu berries thinking them harmless, but the witness said that the plant seemed to grow differently here from what he had been accustomed to see it. The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased died from the effects of eating tutu berries, in ignorance of their poisonous qualities."