THE FATAL POISONING CASE IN A BROTHEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 67, 21 March 1887, Page 4

THE FATAL POISONING CASE IN A BROTHEL.

The following evidence was taken ou Saturday afternoon at the inquest on the body of William Ayree, who was found Buffering from "Kough on Rats" in a brolliei in Grey streut on Friday. Dr. Philson »as coroner, ami &. T : or

i>.-.-:.f choson fur. roan of the jury, the inquiry bting held at the H',npital. The first witness examined was Or. 0. E. Tennent, '.*ho g;vve evidence eimflar to that published 011 Sa!uida>.

David T. Orr, cnemi-t an 1 druggist, aepistisnt at HendeisonV, Grey street, cie posed thai ho had known the deceased tur nearly five jears. He waa a working jawellor, and was 20years of age. He came to Mr Henderson's shop about 11 o'clock on Friday, and asktii for a box nf " Hough on ?.cro." He eoid ho wentsd k for poioning rat 3, and signed for it in the usual nay. tie appeared to be sane and sobor, and so witness sold it to him. The preparation was ou the list of poieone, and they did not sell it to any person whom they did not knew. Very large quantities of it were sold.

Ellen McGarry, keeper of a brothel in a lane oil' Grey-srreet, deposed that the had known deceased for four years. Ha had come up to her on Wednesday evening and spent the night there, and had been drinking brandy, although not very much. She had sent tor 2s worth of brandy to the Carpenters' Arm?, Grey-street. There was enough for about three drinks. He drank half and she drank half. He went away on Thursday, and carae back again at vine in the evening. He was quite sober then, but eho had heard that he had been drinking. On Friday morning he went out and came back a short time after,and told lnr that he had spent a shiiline, and ehe would find out what for when it was too late. A itness was Bitting in the front room with Mary Lett about twenty minutes to eleven. Mary ran into the kitchen, and called out to witness that "Billy had taken poison." She at once went into the kitchen and caw him leaning against the wall. He Bjid he had taken '"Rough on Rats," and then went upstairs. He had a small box in his hand, and Mary Lett snatched it from him. A neighbour, Mrs Bridget Johnston, came up, and gave him salt and water to make him vomit. Mrs Ayces and Dr. Tennent cams in the afternoon, anddeceased was taken to tho Hospital. Deceased was laughing all the time, and said he was -'only taking a lark out of her." This was the reason sho had not cent for a doctor at onoe. She had been drinking hereelf the same day. Deceased's mother knew that her eon waa in the habit of coming to witness's houee, and had remonstrated with him about it. Maiy Lett was not a prostitute ; she was the daughter of a neighbour. Deceased was about "quarter drunk" at the time, and she had not had a quarrel with him. She was Dot drunk at the time, but was very •' excited."

Mrs Bridget Amelia Johnston, wife of a labourer, living in the same lDne, gave corroborative evidence. When she arrived decoded was standing in tho kitchen trying to "throw off," was apparently in great distress, and had his arms crossed over hie etomach, and kept calling for his mother and tho clergy. Klleu McGarry was lying on the iloor, aua calling out that" W illie waa dead." VVitntee had never seen either deceased or ".Ellen" before. Witness gave him salt and water, and this made him vomit. He then went upstair?, and witness went home. She told McGarry to send for deceased s mother and the clergy, as he was calling out for them ; but ehe only gave her " bad answers." After taking the salt and water deceaaed said his '-heart was being roasted, and he was going to hell." Ellen iVlcGarry wanted to cure him with beef tea.

Mary Lett, aged 14, deposed that she resided with her mother io Albert-street. About 10 30 o'clock on Friday, Ellen McGarry cent for her to come up und help to clean up the house, as she waa tick. Wiinesß went, and caw Billy Ayres sitting on the side oi the bed, crying" McGarrv asked him what he waa crying about ; ho told her to go away, it wae nothing. Witness then noticed that he had a box of ' Rough on Rats" in his h»nd, and ehe snatched it from him and threw it into thu fire.

Abe House Surgeon. Dr. Franklin, de posed that deceased was in a state of partial collapse when brought to. the iusticutibn. Ho admitted to witness that he had taken part of a box of " Kough on Kats,".with eomn cheesecake, of hia own free will. He suid he had no reason for taking it, except that ha was " blind drunk " at the time. The usual antidotea v/ere ireely administered, but witnout effect, and he died at miduight ou Friday in tetanic convulsions. Witness had made a poet mortem examination of the body, and had found the liver and lungs very muoh congested. The heart waa diseased, and he had adherent pleurisy of old. standing, One of his kidneys w»9

also dUetseil. The cause of death wm poisoning by arsenic. When the man waa admitted to the Hospital, constitutional symptoms had set in, and there w&g Do i chance of saving him. If he had been ncnfc up at once, he would have been saved.

Constable Keaney Btated with regard to deceased'? character that he was one of the worst members of the larrikin class, and his father had often complained that he had no control over him. Both deceased and Ellen McGarry appeared sober when he arrived.

After short deliberation the jury returned the following verdict: "That deceased committed suicide while labouring under' temporary insanity." ' - .'