WEDDING PARTY POISONED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 309, 31 December 1891, Page 2

WEDDING PARTY POISONED.

FULLER DETAILS,

(BY TEJjEfinAVlt.—

-i'iliWS ASSOCIATION.)

• Wellington", this day. The "Post's/ , .Mastcrlon correspondent s encl3 the following details of the lamentable poisoning- case ab Pahiatua :— On Friday last, Christmas Day, Mr W. J Secole, , of Pahiatua, was married to Miss Naylur, of the same township, and a large number of guesta, nearly 30 in all, were invifced to partako of the wedding breakfast, includitiflf friends from Masterion and surrounding districts. Tiio iestivities of the day being over, the company dispersed in the usual jovial munnor, and those who lived in the neighbourhood retired to thenhomes. A number of guests, however remained in the house of the brides lather, and on the afternoon of the following day (Saturday) partook of- refreshments, slightly different to those.used at the wedding breakfast. . 'All went merry as a inarnage-boll unul early on Sunday morning, when the whole of tho guests ot Saturday were attacked by intense vomiting,.abdominal pains, fnghbful purging, cramps, and a peculiar taste in tho mouth. A3 the symptoms appeared to be thoso of poisoning, Mr AidJ, the local ■chemist, was communicated with, atsU e--M-essod tho opinion' that the symptoms veto those of biliousßOi-s, resulting from »l-t> footing of the previous day, and prescribed accordingly. As the pains, however, becamo more intense and the vomiting increased, the matter was «>iw™eit to the police, who sent tv Wuodvillo ior a (lector. ~ -, •'■ o'. his arrival, Dr. Davonporb. discovered Btroue symptoms of arsenical poisoning, and administered emetics, which afioruod temporary roiief to several. The poison had, however, by this time gob a good nold ou tho systems of its victims, the jaws ot Bomc of whom became quite rigid. On Tuesday morning.■ inosb alarrnnig symptoms presented themselves, ana ..Ir Kifl.-l 'chemUt; sent an urgent message to JDr Uosking of Alaeteiton, requesting him te'eomo hi. at once. The doctor readily JSejSl, and leaviiia" by the nve o'clock tran, arrived in Pabiatuaabuut nine .He first visited Mrs Peter Diclwon, of Worton, and found her in a convulsion* having sob in. he did a. that w-isir hi" power to al'ofd relief, anu was afterwards to the bodSe of Mr Dickeon, whom ho ound m a dytr condition. He wad quite unconand had tetanic convulsions, lho firctor had been in the room ot;ly a lew the unfortunate victim gave a ISrHoJS4 a tnent--eaedtotheh rse wai'dono to .relievo, thoui. . . Alth ugh only two Deaths had occurred whe a I)r? Hosking left on Tuesday nipht mos of the victims, between 20 ar.d S altogether, are in a aerioua cond.Uon. Mrs Pickson and several others aro rally- £ but the secondary effects 0 the poison Law yet to be gone through and may prove Se Sr- Hoskine has no doubt ? however that the poison taken was arsenic but how „ cari £0 be in the food w a myrtery. ocularly enough, chose who partook ot oho tooJ on Friday ((jhristmr.s Day) only have escaped wiile of'thoeewho wero Pjeeont on Saturday, with the exception of the b» ide, who ate aotlriny, ell »aye been attacked.

The doctor is of opinion the arsenic might have found its way into some of the confectionery in mistake for baking soda. Its could not, as wag ab first thought, have been mixed >vith the pudding, as some of the pudding had been eaten some days before without deleterious effects. Arsenic could not have been taken in a eoluble condition, otherwise its effects would soon have been felt. No symptoms of poisoning were shown, until after the expiration of twelve hours ; it must therefore have been --'owly digested, and have attacked the stomach. Not less than three grains must have been taken to cause fatal results. None of the victims have slept since the poison , was taken, and they were greatly alarmed. Dr. Hosking did all ho could to relieve the snfferers, and returned to Mfist.erton on Tuesday. He left again yesterday, taking with him as many remedies as possible. So many different foods wore partaken of at the wedding feast that ifc is difficult to trace the poison. How arsenic came to be in the food is a complete mystery. A quantity of confectionery has been handed over to Dr. Hosking, who will make a careful analysis. A profound sensation was caused in Masterton yesterday when ib became known that Mr Dickson had succumbed to the effects of the poison, and that his wife was lying in a dangerous condition. During their residence in Masterton Mr and Mrs Diekson have both become deseivedly popular, and the death of no person in the town could have been more generally lamented than that of Mr Dickson. He was a native of Victoria, and had been a resident in the colony for 17 years, and has resided in Masterton about seven years. Mr Dickson was proprietor of a Jarge drapery business carried on at Masterton, Pahiatua and Danevirke, under the title of the Wholesale Drapery Company, and was a prominent member of the Masonic order, being master-elect for the ensuing year ot the Masterton Lodge, N.Z.C. Deceased, who was 36 yeara of age, leaves a family of four, three girl 3 and a boy. His life was insured in tho Mutual Life Association of Australia for £1,000. Detective Herbert leaves for Pahiatua to assistatthecoroner's inquest into the poisoning- case.