Auckland Poisoning Tragedy

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7070, 1 February 1933, Page 7

Auckland Poisoning Tragedy

GIRL’S STORY OF MAN’S INFATUATION.

Per Press Association

AUCKLAND, Last Night

An inquest into the death of John Pringle Allen, aged 32, who died on his way to the Auckland Hospital on January 11, was made by by Mr. Hunt, S.M.

Annie Florence Goodall, aged 16, said she had known the dead man for about ten months. "I just knew him casually as I knew all the other men,” said witness. "He was always called ‘Curly.’ I know lie was a married man. About three weeks before Christmas on Sunday morning I walked over to the camp to get some meat for lunch. As wc wero walking along tho path deceased told me he loved me and had loved me for a long time. He said Jie could get his divorco and liad good grounds for doing so. He asked me if I would keep company with him. I told him I was not fond enough of him for that, but he said I might get more fonder of him later on. I told him that I would not and that there was no chanco for him.”

Witness said that as a result of deceased’s jealous behaviour at a dance on New Year’s Eve she decided she would have nothing to do with him and she refused to make it up the same evening. She met deceased as she was carrying home tho milk and he was drunk. He caught her by the throat and said: ‘‘l ought to do to you what lam going to do to myself.” Asked what that was he said: "I am going to take a dose of poison and get out of it.”

On the evening of January 10 lie showed her a bottle labelled “strychnine” which ho said lie was going< to take, witness continued. The following morning he had a flask of whisky, a bottlo of wine and a bag of chocolates of which she ate a few. He wanted her to havo some whisky but she refused. Ho gave her brother some port wine and offered sonic to her, saying: “Have this one. It will be the last drink we will have together.” She drank it and he sent her brother to get some messages. As a result of the wine her head felt heavy and she went and lay down. He brought in a glass of wine and she was so frightened she drank it. It was bitter and tasted bitter. He afterwards went into her mother’s room and called out that he had taken a dose of strychnine and was going to die. She went to tho kitchen to get somo salt, and water for him but her limbs were so stiff she could not give it to him.

Witness, continuing, said a little later deceased called her and on entering the bedroom in which _o was lying down ho said to her: “I havo dono what I said I would do. I have taken a dose of strychnine, and I am going to die.”

Later witness and deceased were taken to the hospital and deceased died on the way there.

The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide by strychnine poisoning.