The Late Suicide by Poison in Wellington.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 11, 13 July 1885, Page 2

The Late Suicide by Poison in Wellington.

THE INQUEST. Dr. Johnßton, tho District Coroner, held an inquest at tho City Morgno this morning as to tho cause of the death of Alioo Bamaby, who died ou Friday morning last at Igoo'a dining-rooma, Lambton-quay, undor oironmstanoea which led to tho belief that she ooramitted Btiioido by swollowinut two dosoß of a bompound known as " Bough on Hats." Mr, "VV. H. Kyre acted as foreman of the jury, Tho following evidenoa was taken :<— Dr. Thomas Cahill deposed that he was oftllod in to see tho deoeasod ou Thursday afternoon at 4.80 at Igoe's rostaurunt. Sho was standing in the inner room. Sho appeared to be more frightenod than ill, aud upon being questioned she said she had takon gome "Bough on Bats." "Witness immediately gave her an emetic, followed by the usual antidote and oopious draughts of water, which acted immediately. After keeping up tho omo'tio aotion- for about au hour, witness asked Alino Bamaby what quantity of the stuff Bho had takon, and she replied she had takon two aopirato doses, ono immediately after aho had purohasod tho poison at tho roaidonoo of a friend (about a teaspoonful), and tho second, a similar quantity, on hor rotarn to Igoo's restaurant. Sho did not complain of pain first of all, nor did she appoar aa if Bho was suffering from areonioal poisoning. Witness remained with her till G. 30 p.m., at which time she had a good full pulse and complained of no pain. Sho chatted f?oely with witness and expressed regret for .having tukou tho poison, end bogged witness not to make the mattor public. Witneas i-etamed about 7 o'olook the same oveniug, when he found that tho girl had boon vomiting during his absence, end sho complained of a slight pain in the stomach. He remained with tho deceased for about ton minutos, and she eaid sho nas all right, and on his retnru in about half an hour he found her on the loougb. She said sho was tired and sleepy and appeared to be very muoh depressed, but did not then complain of gastric pain. Witness became alarmed at the symptoms. The akin_ was slightly cold, and witness aont for Dr. Komp, who, together with uitnoue, remained with the girl for somo timo. Sho talked freely, and apparently again got better. Upon being questioned as to the reason sho had taken the poison, sho said she had got into some trouble. Dr. Kemp and witneas believing that the girl was recovering, and as she showed no symptoms of arsenical poisoning— and judging from, tha oopioua omiais which had taken place, they oon« siderod that all tho nrsonio bad beon eliminated from tho system — loft tho patient and called at tho Polioo Station, vvitness saw tho deceased again lato in tho evening, accompanied byDsteotivo Chrystal, at whioh time she appeared to boprogroesiug favourably. Ho stayed about flvo miuutes, but before he left ho gave over the vomit to Detective Chryistal. A littlo boforo 11 p.m. witness again called and saw tbo deooaßed, who appeared to bo dozing. She complained of being very tired aud Bloopy. ' Hor pulee was full and regular, and tho body was warm. This waa tho last time he saw hor alive. About 3 a.m. on Friday last witness waß called by Mr. Igoo, who came to his houso and said Alioo Barnaby was muoh worso, and as she had been again 'vomiting aud complained of intense pain in tho stomaoh, he feared she was dying, Witness, on his arrival, found lifo to be extinct. Ho made a post mortem examination of tho body on Saturday last. On oponiug tho stomaoh lie fonud it to contain a largo quantity of fluid, the mucous membrane was intenaely inflamed, and there were several patohes of ecchymosiß on tho lining of tho fitomaoh Buoh aa would be caufiod by arsonioal poiioning. Tho witueea described the general appearance of tho etomaoh and abdomen, whioh showed signs of arsonioiil poisoning. Examined tho womb whioh he found had nob been impregnated. Tho oauao of death waa poisoning by arsenic. To Inspector Browne—" Hough ou Pats " was a poißonoui compound, chiefly lnado from arsenic. When Mr. Igoo first called witness in, he had a box and a paper parcol containing "Bough on! Bats" in his hand, whioh he stated ho had taken from deceased. Deceased told witness that sho was in trouble, and that a man had deeoired hor that day. She did not Bay who the man was, and eho was rotioent as to the cause of her trouble. """" George Mcc, chemist and druggist, Lamb-ton-quay, doposed that on Thursday afternoon last tho deceased callod at lu'b shop between 1 and 2 o'clock and asked if ho soldi " Bough on Bats." Witness replied that ho did, and dcoeased then Baid eho, wntod aomo for rats. She purchased a box-full of tho stuff, and at tho same time bo cautioned her to be careful how she used it, aud waruod her not to leave it about. Suspected tho preparation was an' arsenical ono. Had known deoeased for tho last 15 months an an occasional customer. Did not make any entry of tho sale in his poison register, as he cUd not know it oamo under the Sale of Poisons Aot. Deceased spoke quite cheerfully, and witneas had not tho loast idsa that she intended using the purchase en horeolf. No notice had been given him by the police to put "Bough on Bats" through his sale of poison register. Thomas Igoe, restauranfc-keoper, Lambtoa Quay, gave evidonco that ho had known the deceased, Alioe Barnaby, for about 13 months. At that time she lived at Mr. O'Connor's house in MolesworthBtreet. Witness was a mombor of the A.C. Force when ho first becamo acquainted with 'deceased, and was a married man. He wr3 not keoping company with the docoaaed, and went under tho name of Igoe to. tho girl. Recollected when deceased boarded at Mrs. Hallcrowo's house at Pipitca l'oint, after the deceased loft Mr. O'Connor's" BerVico. Witness visited deceased at Mrs. Hallorowe's, and he told deceased to call him 'some othor name, as he did not wish the people at the house to know bin right name. Deoeased know at that timo that witness was married. Mrs. Hallorowe wished witneis to marry the deceased, as she thought he waa a single man. Deceased visited witneis'a home, and knew ho wa» married. Alioi. Bamaby went to the Hotpital at a patient, and witoeßS viti&d her thero several times, but hit wife never visited deceased either" at the Uoipital or at Mrs. Hallcrowe'p. Some time after leaving the Hospital deceased went to service at lira. Sirainson'a, Fitzherbert Terraoe, and he used to walk with her to that lady's house from his own houae occasionally. Hia wife called on the deoeaßod at Mrs. Sw&inson'a on one occision to apeak to the deceased on some aubjoot sho bad heard of that day. Ho did not know that bis wifo went to Mrs. Swainaon's to tell hor that ahe was married to witness. Ho declined to cay whether he waa married to the woman he w«s living with. He did not tell tho deceased that ho would give £50 to the woman he was living with as hit wifo,' and would marry her (deceased). It would bo untrue if the deoeased had told anyone this. Tho girl know that ho could' nob marry hor. Alice Barnaby had told him that she loved a captain of a veiael whom she expoctod would marry her. Deceased had told hia wifo thr she wonld not marry him if he was freo. Sarah Igoe, being sworn, said sho was tb< wife of the last witness. Sho had knowi the deceased for the last 13 months, an. knew her at the timo aho boarded at Mr' Hallcrowo's house, and a.l«o when she waa ' service at Mra. Swainson'a. Hor husbant bo far as she knew, was nover payin) hia addresses to the deceaued, whom he knew morely as a friend. Witness wont on one occasion to Mrs. Swaineon't while deceased was living there, and requestr the girl to give, up her husband. Witnc saw the girl in the prcaence of Mrs. Swet son, and asked her (deceased) if she w* really keeping company with hor hueband* She took this atep as she had heard that hoi was keeping company with the deceased. Both witness and her husband hod seen deceased home to Mrs. Swainson's. She wai legally married to Igoo. Inspector Browne— Than if Igoe declines to say if he is married to yon, what do yon Bay to that? And if there is no entry in the registry as to your marriage, what do you " say? Witness— l decline to answer that. Examination continued-'-Had no words of dispute with tho deceased on Thuraday laat with regard to her htnb«nd. She went out after dinner, and returned about half-past 3 o'clock that afternoon. Deceased on re. turning to the house got a cup of tea, whioh she took into tho sittingrosm. She returned to the kitchen shortly afterwards and rinsed out the cup, but she made no remark, aud it was not till some time afterwards that her husband oamo to witneas and informed hor that Alice had taken poison. She asked deceased if this wab true, and sho said eho bad, but when she saw witness cry deceased told her not to trouble lwwelf . as Bhe hud r.ot taken poison Igoe then went for a doctor, ajtt before he I arrived deceased jmt her arras rounH witness a::d kigjel her and eaid "Good-hy." Deceased did r.ot e«y that she did not blame her (witness) for what had occurred. Thomas Igoe waa the father of her (witness') two

children, and she had lived with him for six years. To the jury.— Deceased did not appear the least excited when she asked for the tea. Christina Ol«en, formerly Hallorowo, deposed that she kept a boardinghouse at one time at Pipitea Point, and the deceased boardod with her in Ausust last, and during the time deceased lived with her a young man, whom deoeased oalled "Thompson" visited her. Deceased was of tho opinion that this man " Thompson " was unmarried. Witness had freqnently told this man that he ought to marry the girl, as her whole mind "was laid in him." Witnoss told " Thompson" that the deceased was bo fond of him that she would do horgelf some harm if ho did not marry her. Tho man did not answer her, but merely laughed. To all appoaranco, the deceased thought that this man "Thompson," whom ¦ho now recognised as Igoo, would marry the deceased. Igoe always led witness to beliovo ho was a single man. Mrs. Igoe never called at witness' house to soe the deceased. After deceased loft the Hospital she returned to witness* house, and left with Igoe abont two hours afterwards, and on two subsquent ooasions they visited deceased's house in oomptury, and deoeaned told witness that she was soon going to be married to " Thompson." Susan Ashe, a married woman residing in Windsor Place, knew the decoased, and had seen her in Mr. and Mrs. Tgoe's house in Windsor Placo, off Qhuzneo-atreet, whero they resided till they took the restaurant on Lambton Quay. Witness saw hor on Thurs- 1 day last at her house in Windsor Place. Deceased asked for a glass of water, and lifting hor skirt, she said, " I think I will have a fiz, as water is not good to drink." Decoased then emptied a powder which she took from hor pocket into tho water. She put about half a toaspoonful of a white powder into the glass and also put in a little sugar, which ehe stirred in the water but which did not effervesce. Deoeased drank the deoootion off and then went outside and drank two more tumblers fall of wator. When she returned to the room deceased, who was vory lively and jolly, wiped Borne of tho wet powder from the tablo and also carefully wiped the Bpoon with whioh she had stirred the stuff. Deceased only remainod five minutes in witness' home. Lena Morrison statod that she had known the deoeased daring the time they were follow patients at tho Hospital. They had frequent conversations abont tho young man who was keeping company with Alioo and who had promised to maintain her when sho left the Hospital until she obtained a situation. Doceasod said that tho yonng man's name was Thompson, and sho was engaged to be married to him. The man reforrod to oalled at the Hospital ono day, and witness, who saw him, told deceased that his name was Igoo, and that he was a married man, according to what his mother had told her. The deceased appearod to he much affected by this information, and went into hysterics. Detective B rowne stated that shortly after tho unfortunate girl poisoned herself at tho Union Hotel he hod called at all tho ohemists' shops in tho (tity. and had- warned them to put "Rough on Rats" through their sale of poison books. The Coroner, in. snmming up, said that this was the third melanoholy case of poisonIng by " Roiigh on Rats " on the parfc_ of girls which hsd occurred in the oity during the past few months. Yonng girls came out from Homo entirely unprotected, leaving their friendfl and good home influences behind them: These girls speedily obtained good situations and high wages, and if they were in factories they had plenty of time on their hands to knook abont, and thus frequently became tho viotims of designing men. Of the conduct of Igoe he had not sufficient words with which to express his disgust and abhorenoe. Of oourso, this man waa quite outside tho power of the jury to deal with, bnt of his oondtfot they could only hold one opinion. The jury found that the deoeased oommitted Suioido by taking a poison known as "Rough on Rats" whilst in a state of Temporary Insanity. The following rider was also added :— " The jury are of opinion that the deceased had been decoived by Thomas Igoe, and that his oonduct to her was a great oause of tho state of her mind when she committed the rash act."