INQUEST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11122, 23 November 1896, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Saturday morning, at the hospital, on the body of Thomas Edward Pearce, who died in the institution on Monday. Mr R. Beetham, coroner, presided, and Mr J. Russell was chosen foreman of the jury. Inspector Broham called Detective Maddern, who stated that shortly after midday he went to deceased’s house to arrest him for stealing a bicycle belonging to Mr Waller. Deceased was lying on the bed, and his father said he had been vomiting during the night, and he thought he was suffering from painter’s colic. Witness took deceased to the lockup in the police van. While he was being searched, the deceased started vomiting, and a box of poison, “Death to Rats,” was afterwards found in Ms coat pocket. The Sergeant-Major directed the deceased to be taken to the hospital, but deceased told witness it was no use, as he had taken it the day before. Witness saw deceased about an hour after his admission to the hospital, and he then said that he had got the poison at Gould’s, that he had mixed some in a glass, but had not taken all of it.

Constable M’Donald, watchhouse-keeper, also gave evidence. George H. Waller gave evidence as to the theft of his bicycle. •John Henry Mayo said he knew the deceased, who, on Wednesday afternoon, asked him to come to a chemist’s shop with him. Deceased bought the box of poison produced, saying that he wanted it to poison rats. Deceased and witness signed the register, and witness then left him. Thomas G. Vangioni, chemist, in the employ of Mr Bishop, Cashel Street, deposed to deceased purchasing the box of “ Death to Eats ” produced. Witness did not know either deceased or Mayo personally, but he had seen Pearce about a good deal. Eobert Pearce, father of deceased, said that his son was employed by a painter, and when he came home on Wednesday evening he was unwell, and witness thought he was suffering from painter’s colic. The next morning he seemed somewhat better.

T. B/ Pike, who assisted Mr Pearce in treating his son, was also examined. Dr Fox, house surgeon at the hospital, said that when deceased was admitted to the institution he did not seem dangerously ill. He, however, died about 1.30 the following morning from the effects of an irritant poison. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased had died from taking “ Death to Rats ” while in a state of temporary insanity, and added a rider that some restrictions should be enforced as regarded the sale of poisons.