SENSATIONAL POISONING CASE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7125, 23 July 1888, Page 4

SENSATIONAL POISONING CASE.

(.from our cobresponpßnt.j , • 4 [By Teusgbaph fkom the Bluff.] SYDNEY, July 17. Michael Peter Callings, a young married mau, who was engaged as a wool closser at Botany, died on Monday, v 9jtfi k Wsm suspicious circumstances. The deceased, who was a native of Victoria, 'married the i . widow of a man named Andrews, a few days after the death of her firai hnsbewM . thjrteeu months ago. Both Andrews antf, Collins died under almost' precisely 1 similar circumstances. Collins had been ill lor about two months with a bad cough or cold, but he did ' | not consult a doctor until the 28th June, when h$ caftecfc in Dr* JtfarehalV The deceased complained of pains in the stomach and vomiting; and t» he ooritinoei ■ to get worse certain circumstances came ta light which caused the doctor to eußpec* that an irritant poison had been admini* , tered. Collins continued to get worse, and died as s>fcafced« The inquest having been adjourned to allow of &B analysis of the contents ot . to*. stomach, the analyst made his repon - to the Coroner" on, Friday. •Hβ: foMMU among other things, a sufficient quantitj of arsenic to cause death. The immediately directed the police to arreri ■ Mrs Collins. The Coroner has also gi«* the necessary warrants for the exhumatioJi of the body of' Andrews, the first huebe*» of the prisoner, and her infant child, bj " her second husband, which died on Januarj 19th very suddenly. The circumetaneef, attending all three deaths, v< 316 v ® t ' similar, and the suspicion, is entertained that Andrews, Collins, and" the child all met their deaths by poisoning. The inquest on Collins was resumed today, wnen Mm Collina wa* present u» . custody. The most important evidence was that of the Government Ofxeijm :who stated that he found nearly 2Xni grains of arsenic in the stomach « • the deceased, the membranes of which t presented every appearance of aretttc poisoning. Hβ also found 0.G4 of a flFraf , <tf arsenic in the vomit of the deceaeea «»» traces of it in other fluids which had pasqeSj through Collins. About a tenth of a graiß of arsenic was found in some milk and egfg which Mrs Collins told the police she had been giving ' her husband. Some other fiuids which were found i* the houae ba*« not yet been analysed. Medical evidence was given to theeffect that from tvfo to tbiw grains of arsenic is a fatal doee, and that tM deceased had died from arsenical poiaonr ing. When the police took possession <% the medicines and* other liqnida in w9 house after the death of Collins, Mnl Collins became very excited and triea_w escape from the house, and. when <W tamed by the police declaref that sue would not live after next day, that she was tared o< life. The »■. quest ni adjourned until Monday am