THE POISONED MEAT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8148, 20 April 1887, Page 2

THE POISONED MEAT.

‘ FATAL CONSEQUENCES. AUCKLAND, April 6. The sudden and unexpected death of Ihaka Te Hakuene, M.H.R. for the Northern Maori district, took place at Russell to-day. Ihaka and other Natives were attending Synod at Auckland, and dined with Archdeacon Clarke on Sunday, a joint of roast beef and a dish of tinned beef being amongst the things provided. Several Natives, including Ihaka, partook of the latter, and became very ill. They consulted Dr Hopper m Auckland, who advised them to femarn, but Ihaka and two others belonging to the Bay of Islands district returned yesterday, per the Clansman bein" anxious to be with his friends Ihaka, since his arrival, gradually go worse, and expired at five. April 7.' With reference to the poisoning oflhaka Hakuena, ME, Archdeacon Clarke states that on Saturday last a party of Maori clergymen (the Revs Pm ate Hone Papahia, and Pukene Paereta) also Ihaka Tetei, M.H.R., and the Revs G. Walpole and W. Beatty were invited to lunch with hi m at one o’clock. Amongst the food was a beef steak pie. The beef steak was obtained the same morning from the butcher. OnjFriday some compressed corned beet was made into haricot stew, and was eaten the same evening without any ill effects, thus proving that the poisoning was due to defective tinning. The remnant of the haricot was added to the beef steak pie next day. The four Maoris, Mr Walpole, Mr Beatty, and Mrs Clarke (wife of Archdeacon Clarke) partook of the dish. On Saturday night, about nine hours afterwards, all with the exception of Mr Beatty were taken violently ill, the symptoms being purging and vomiting. Mrs Clarke appeared most seriously affected/although Mr Walpole also suffered a great deal. Last night Mrs Clarke was still very ill, although the doctors considered she was nearly out of danger. Mr Walpole is almost well again. Archdeacon Clarke attributes the poisoning to the preserved meat having been twice cooked. The doctors who attended the patients have refused to give information to the Press. It is not known if there will be an inquest. Renata Tongate, the Maori minister, died at Mongonui this morning from the effects of eating tinned meat at Auckland on Sunday last. He was a minister residing at Peria, near Mongonui, for a number of years. Up till this morning Mrs Clarke’s life was considered in danger, and she is not apparently getting better. April 8. Be the mysterious poisoning case through eating of canned beef. Superintendent Thompson has instructed Detective Walker to thoroughly investigate the affair. He has telegraphed to the constables at Mongonui and Russell to urge on the Coroners the absolute necessity of holding a post mortem. He has also impressed on them the absolute necessity for sending the stomach to Auckland for analysis. He does not anticipate any success, as the Natives have very strong objections to inquests, and a still stronger objection to any mutilation of the body. An inquest was to be held to-day at an early hour this morning. The Rev Mr Walpole, although not yet out of danger, is progressing as well as can bo expected. Auckland doctors are divided as to the explanation of the affair. Dr Mackellar thinks that the cause of poisoning was fermentation of the meat, a thing that would be sufficient to account for the symptoms. The tinned meat gotfslightly decomposed before being cooked the second time, and gases would have generated, and being unable to escape owing to the crust of the pie. they would have caused the meat to become poisonous. April 9. The inquest on Ihaka Tetai and Renata was adjourned till Wednesday afternoon, for the post mortem examination. Hone Papatai is still ill, and he has not been informed of the death of his friends, for fear of the consequences. April 11. Rupenc Paerata died yesterday at Russell. He was the third victim of the mysterious poisoning affair. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.! WELLINGTON, April 12. The Evening Post is indebted to the courtesy of the Hon the Native Minister for a copy of a telegram from Mr H. W. Bishop, E.M., of Mongonui, in reference to the recent poisoning cases, which resulted in the death of Mr Hakuene, M.H.R., the Rev Renata Tangata, and another Native, from the effects of food partaken of at the Yen Archdeacon Clarke's dinner-table in Auckland. After stating the facts, Mr Bishop proceeds.—" Ihaka landed at Russell, and Renata proceeded on here, arriving on the evening of April 5. He was very ill and in a state of collapse, and was immediately conveyed to Dr Trimmell’s house, who administered stimulants, Ac., but without lasting effect. He died on the evening of April 6 in the doctor's house, apparently from the effects, as judged by the doctor from the symptoms, of a highly irritant poison. The Natives fetched the body the following day, and conveyed it to Perea. Most unfortunately I was at Hokianga when all this occurred, and did not hear of it until returning home on Friday, April 8. I hurried through, and obtained all possible information, and decided, as Coroner, that a most searching enquiry must be made, and a post mortem held, if possible. 1 there fore proceeded to Perea with Dr Trimtnell, and found several hundred Natives assembled, on Saturday, and the funeral fixed to take place in an hour. Knowing the intense aversion of the Natives to interfere with a dead body, I was not sanguine, and almost regarded the request for the body as already refused. I addressed the assembled Natives at length, telling them what I had come for, and the urgent reasons for granting my request. ’"hey were very stiff, and nothing that I could say would induce them to allow me to open the body, and that it was useless my staying there and talking. I, however, met their arguments one by one, and used all my personal influence to induce them to come round and I could see that I was making an impression. At last they agreed to ad journ the funeral for an hair, and talk the matter over. Privately the result wasthat they agreed to band over the body at the grave to do as I thought fit with it. This I consented to. The doctor performed the post mortem in the porch of the church, removing the stomach and other portions which we have ready to forward to Auck* land for analysis. I swore in a mixed jury for the inquest, and after viewing the body adjourned. The funeral was very largely attended by both Europeans and Natives. The report will be both interesting and satisfactory, I trust, for it is an important precedent in lik6 matters, as in the past it has been quite impossible to induce the Natives to give over a body for dissection."