TOOK POISON.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19612, 7 May 1929, Page 7

TOOK POISON.

LYTTELTON RESIDENTS DEATH. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. -Mr H. A. VoiHig, Coroner, conducted m inquest at Lyttekon yesterday into Tiio death of David .Smith Dodds, who died nt his residence, London street, Lytteiton, (U ii Saturday night under most unusual circumstances. David Wilson Dodds, son of deceased, said he returned home from Christchurch nt 11.30 on Saturday night. Ho found liis father lying on the floor* fully dressed, except for his boots,, and conscious. Witness asked his father what he was doing there, and his father replied that he was dying. Witness told him to- get up and that there was nothing wrong with him. He said this because his father had often, while under the influence of liquor, carried on in a similar manner. His lather told him that he had poisoned the sugar, tea, butter, and other to'id, and told witness to

•'dump" them. He also asked witness to take over the lease of the shop- in Norwich quay, but witness replied that the shop was of no use to him. Witness sent for the police and Constable Mannix arrived. His father spoke to the constable. Witness had seen his father twitching bis hands. His father had dozens of times threatened to commit suicide. Witness did not know he kept poison in the house. They used to take his father's threats seriously, but got used to them. His father even used to pretend to prepare noison. His father had been drinking tor years, and in witness's opinion had not been sane for years. Poison Over Food. Henrietta Louisa Dodds said deceased was her husband. On Saturday night she was at home with her husband. He had been drinking and was nervous and excited. Witness proposed to go to the pictures, and her husband objected. He said he would accompany her, but witness decided not to go. Ho was restless, walking in and out. Then he came in with th'.> bottle (produced), threw it into the fire, and said it was the end. He went out again and returned. After taking off his boots he fell over. This was about 10 o'clock. Witness sent for the doctor, and showed him the bottle. Witness asked her husband if he had taken poison and he said: "No." She beard him say he had poisoned the food. Witness could see the poison over tho cake and knives and forks and in the tea. He had frequently threatened to commit suicide during tho past eight years. He was always shaky when he was drunk, and did not -appear to be much worse than on previous occasions. He kept denying that he had taken poison. Witness and her husband had been separated for a time, but she took him back three months ago. To the Coroner: Witness did not think he had taken poison when she sent for the doctor, as he had previously complained of heart attacks. Are you satisfied now that he took ncison ?—No. I am not, unless he got it accidentally from off his hands.

"This is the End." Charles Frederick Robinson said be had been living at Dodds's place during the past week. He saw Dodds . frequently on Saturday evening. He was under" the influence of liquor and seemed nervous. Witness saw nun about 9 o'clock with the poison bottle iu His hand. Dodds stood at the door and poured some of the contents or the bottle into his hand, threw the bottle into the fire and walked outside: Witness recovered the bottle. Dodds l-re-turned ten minutes later. Shortly afterwards he fell, and witness saw slight twitching of the limbs. Mrs Dodds asked her husband if he had taken poison and he said "No." Mrs Dodds sent witness for the doctor. Ine doctor remained a few minutes and said he did ■'.ot think ther© was anything wrong with him and thai} he was "onlv putting it on." Later the doctor was again called in, but Dodds was then dead. To the Coroner: When Dodds first fell he said : "This is the end."

Other Testimony. •■> Dr. S. H. Swift said he was at present relieving Dr. B H. Gilmour. At 11.15 on Saturday night he attended Dodds. Ho was on the floor and speaking very excitedly. He told witness there was nothing wrong with him. Witness made an examination. His pulse and colour were good and there was no evidence of spasms. He denied to witness that he had taken poison. Witness said he would get the police to put Dodds to bed. This seemed to make an impression on Dodds because he at once sat up, and witness left. Ho was called in again at 11.55 p.m. and found him dead. If Dodds had taken any quantity of. poison he should have had spasms. He was satisfied now that Dodds had taken poison. If he took it at 9 o'clock witness could have done nothing when called in at 11.15 as the interval was too long. The five sealed bottles produced contained pure poison. One grain would be sufficient to cause death. Constable T. Mannix said he was called to Dodds's residence after 11 o'clock. Witness felt his pulse. It was rapid and weak. Witness asked him if he had been drinking and he said "No." He also denied taking poison. Witness left and returned in about five minutes. Dodds was then dead. Witness was of opinion that Dodds had suffered from delusional insanity for the past four or five years. Constable W. J Irwin gave evidence as to finding the five bottles of poison fit the business premises of deceased in Norwich Quay. The Coroner said he would find that Dodds died from tho effects of poison self-administered whilst of unsound mind.