A Sensational Affair.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 176, 31 July 1888, Page 3

A Sensational Affair.

Sydney, July 17. Michael Peter Collins, a young married man, who was engaged as a wool classer at Botany, died on Monday, 9th, under suspicious circumstances. The deceased, who was a native of Victoria, married the widow of a man named Andrews, a few days after the death of her first husband, thirteen months ago. Both Andrews and Collins died under almost precisely similar circumstances. Collins had Been ill for some two months with a bad cough or cold, but he did not consult a doctor until the 28th June, when he called in Dr. Marshall, The deceased complained of pains in the stomach and vomiting, and as he continued to get worse certain circumstances came to light which caused the doctor to suspect that an irritant poison had been administered. Collins continued to get worse, and died as above. The inquest having been adjourned to allow of an analysis of the contents of the stomach, the analyst made his report on Friday. He found among other things, a sufficient quantity of arsenic to cause death. The coroner immediately directed the police to arrest Mrs Collins. The Coroner has also given the necessary warrants for the exhumation of the body of Andrews, the first husband of the prisoner, and her infant child by her second husband, which died on January 19th very suddenly. The circumstances attending all three deaths were very similar, and the gravest suspicion is entertained that Andrews, Collins, and the child all met their deaths by poisoning. The inquest on Collins was resumed to-day, when Mrs Collins was present in custody. The most important evidence was that of the Government analyst, who stated that be found nearly 20f grains of arsenic in the stomach of the deceased, the membranes of which presented every appearance of arsenic poisoning. He also found 0.64 of a grain of arsenic in the vomit of the deceased, and traces of it in other fluids that had passed through Collins. About a tenth of a grain of arsenic was found in some milk and egg which Mrs Collins told the police she had been giving her husband. Some other fluids which were found in the house have not been analysed. Medical evidence was given to the effect that from two to three grains of arsenic is a fatal dose, and that the deceased had died from arsenical poisoning. When the police took possession of the medicines and other liquids in the house after the death of Collins, Mrs Collins became very excited and tried to escape from the house, and when detained by the police declared that she would not live after next day, and that she was tired of life.