INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 8118, 18 January 1890, Page 3 (Supplement)

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon by Coroner Carew and a jury of six, of whom Mr R. L. Patterson was chosen foreman, touching the circumstances surrounding the death of Catherine Nicolson. The following was the evidence adduced :

Peter Nicolson, railway employ t', deposed that he resided at North-east Valley. The body shown to the jury was that of his deceased wife, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and had been in New Zealand nearly twenty-eix years. She was forty-four years of age, and had no children. On Thursday morning witness went to work, ?,t the railway, and returned home at ten minutes past seven o'clock. Witness gave deceased a cup of coffee in bed before leaving at 7.30 in the morning, and she then made no complaint of feeling unwell. On the previous evening deceased appeared to be very cheerful. Some months back deceased had a serious attack of inflammation of the bowels, and was then attended by Dr Martin. On returning home on Thursday evening witness found deceased in bed, and there was a Mrs Laughton and a Miss Money in the house. Witness found deceased had been taking some drink. They had a little boy whom they had adopted, who was between ten and eleven years of age, and ho had been for drink. Witness asked where the drink was, and the boy pointed it out. Witness went to take away the drink, which consisted of some brandy in a saace bottle. He spoke to her about her persisting in taking drink, and she seemed to bo offended. A grocer's cart came, and witness and Mrs Laughton went to the door, and whi'eaway Miss Money came to them and told them that deceased was drinking something out of a glass. Witness came in and found her in the kitchen with a glass which he took from her. There was a sediment in the glass. Deceased would not at first say what she had taken, but on getting into the bedroom again she told Mrs Laughton that it was "rough on rats" that she had taken, and she also whispered it to the boy. Mrs Laughton telephoned for the doctor. Witness got mustard and water and gave it to deceased as fast as possible. This deceased was induced to take with some trouble. Dr Macpherson came about half an hour after this. Deceased vomited before the doctor came. Witness did not know that there was any "rough on rats " in the house, but the boy said he had seen it on one occasion some considerable time before. After tplling Mrs Laughton and the boy, deceased admitted to witness that she had taken the " rough on rats," but gave no reasan. Witness believed deoeased did not take the "roqgh on rats" to kill herself, but to frighten him. He had known her to do things to frighten him before, bu"; not dangerous things like that. D .rased said she had not taken a quarter of the box. She never expressed regrtt about the matter, but got very weak and sa.id little. Witness never heard deoeased threaten to take her life. There had been unpleasantness over deceisedtakiDg drink, but otherwise witness and deceased agreed well. About eight days before she had been taking drink. Deceased had often taken fits when recovering from the effects of drink. Witness thought the taking of the poison was the act of impulse when she found thut witness had discovered her with drink. There were rata about the house. Deceased was of an excitable temperament, and on Sunday night promised faithfully not to take any more drink, but had taken it notwithstanding. She was'not intoxicated on Thursday night, but appeared as if a fit might be ooming on. During the time the epileptic fits were on her deoeased talked nonsense, but not afterwards. Witness l thought that the reason deceased sent for Mrs Laughton and Miss Money was that she felt a fit coming on. Witness had cautioned Mr M'Grath not to supply the boy with drink.'

■ Elsie Laughton, residing opDosite witness, said she. knew deceased welj. A m*§sagQ was left for witness that deceased had taken »b,ad turn, and at 6.30 witness went aoros3 to the house. Deceased was in bod, and Miss Money waa in the bedroom. Doceased said she was very ill and had telephoned for her husband and her sister. She asked Miss Money to do this, but Miss Money did not do so. Deceased did not appear to know what she was saying, told witness qhe had had. a bad turn,. Witness d'd not think deceased was out of her mind,, but that she was suffering from the effects of,drjnk, Witness accompanied last witness out to the cart, and on going in to say good night to deceased she said witness would find her a corpse in the morning. Witness was at the door talking to laßfe witness when Miss Money came out and said deceased waa on the vert'ndah. Witness

and Mr Nicolaon returned into the house, and deceased was in front of the stove drinking fiom a glass. Deceased was asked what she had been taking and refused to tell, but afterwards said she had taken "rough on rats." Witness telephoned for the doctor, but before doing so found the empty box of "rough on rat 3" produced underneath the washstand in the bedroom. The doctor came twice, and deceased died before he came the second time. Last witness was not at all unkind to deceased, but told her she wai killing herself with the drink, aud she appeared to be a bit put out. Margaret Money deposed that she Baw deceased standing in the lobby with a glass in her hand. She said to witness "Take this (meaning the glass) ; I havo poisoned myself." Witness did not take the glass, but went and told Mrs Laughton and Mr Nicolson.

Dr Macpherson said he went to the house of Mr Nicolson on Thursday evening, and found deceased in bed. She was sitting up in bed, and had just been vomiting. She said she had taken "rough on rats." Witness proceeded to empty the stomach. Deceased was very sick, and vomited a large quantity of bluish matter. Witness gave deceased an antidote to arsenical poisoning. Witness remained about two hour 3 with deceased, who did not appear to be rational, possibly from the effect of an epileptic fit. She said she did not wish to recover. Witness left deceased in a favorable condition, with instructions that he should be sent for if there were any serious symptoms. At three o'clock on Friday morning witness got a telephone message and again visited deceased, whom he found deud. He was told she had been dead about a quarter of an hour. Arsensic was the active ingredient on " rough on rats." There were indications of arsenical poisoning, and witness had no doubt but that was the cause of death.

This closed the evidence, and the jury, after a brief retirement, returned a verdict "That deceased died from the effects of poison, self administered while under the influence of drink." A rider was added that the publicans should be restricted from supplying children with drink when they were under the age of sixteen years.