POISONING TRAGEDY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 December 1927, Page 5

POISONING TRAGEDY.

THE CORONER’S VERDICT. COMMENT ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. (by telegraph—press association.) HAMILTON, Dec. 16. The inquest into' the death of Allan Cornall from poisoning by drinking beer at Karamu, in whi'h startling was given in the opening stages, was resumed before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., this afternoon. Doris Cheyne, wife of James Cheyne, who was also poisoned but recovered, said Hutt had threatened to poison her about nine months ago. There had been no intimacy between them since Hutt left prison, where he was sent for wife, desertion. Hutt had tried to poison her in the kitchen with strychnine, and as the reason told her that if he could not have her he would not let Jim Cheyne keep her. She quarrelled with Hutt because she found out he was married and had deceived her so much.

Witness denied telling Hutt he was the only man in the world she loved. She had no idea how the bottle came to be in the car. Hutt was her only T enemy in the Karamu district. She knew of no enemies that Cornall had. Witness denied saying she did not care whether her husband lived or died.

Detective Sweeney was the next witness. In reply to the coroner, he said the bottle was not isubmitted to expert examination for finger-prints, hut was .scanned and none were found. Capsules found in the car had been examined for finger-prints also. The detective said he did not examine the car’s windscreen with powder to find fingerprints. as he had none. Witness said he had not found who put the bottle in the car. Mrs. Cheyne never refused to answer any questions he asked. Hutt detailed his movements from Friday till the Sunday night of the tragedy. "With regard to Friday night, he said he was at home alone. Witness was unable to verify his statements on that night. Hutt refused to answer allegations made by Mrs. Cheyne regarding illicit relationship, or that he tried to induce her to desert her family. Referring to the possession of poison by Hutt. the coroner remarked that there was nothing unusual in that, as lie was a rabbit poisoner by occupation. Giving his verdict, the coroner said he had gone fully into the matter because of the very strong suspicion that a crime had been committed. -That suspicion still remained. “I am quite satisfied,” he said, “that -this is not anything accidental. There was no doubt the beer contained strychnine, and there was nothing to lead one to suppose that it was accidental. The evidence -of the car’s occupants was that when the car broke down and the spotlight turned on there were no bottles there. The bottle was not examined for finger-prints. The prisoner may have touched l the bottle. There b no direct evidence that anyone placed the bottle there. The circumstances raise very strong suspicion, because there was one person, if not two, whe had a strong motive for getting rid of Cheyne, and if Mrs. Cheyne’s story is to he believed, Hutt made an attempt to poison her a few days before ,he went to prison for wife desertion nine months previously.” The coroner added that the police inquiries had not enabled him to find anything definite against any person. He could only find that Cornall had been poisoned from drinking beer to which strychnine had been added and, he was sure, with felonious intent.