DEATH BY POISONING.—SAD OCCURRENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5397, 5 March 1879, Page 3

DEATH BY POISONING.—SAD OCCURRENCE.

Ax inquiry was held yesterday beforo T. M. Philsou, M.D., into the circumstances of the death of Alice Maud Turner, who died on Sunday night, under circumstances already stated in this journal. James Polyblank King said he was a chemist and druggist, in Queen-street. The deceased came into his shop between 10 and 31 o'clock on Saturday morning last. She obtained some laudauum and chloroform. She paid Is 2d for tho laudanum and Sd for the chloroform. The laudanum was tho ordinary tincture of the " Pharmacopceia," Witness had known deceased and her family for many years, i She said she was in the habit of rubbing the opium into her head and face for neuralgia. She also said she suffered from I toothache. Witness told her she must not use j these things too freely. She said, "Nofear; I j am used to thorn." Witness told her she must take care, lest slio poisoned herself. She said, i 44 No fear ; I am not tired of my life just yet." Witness never had any idea that she used laudanum by swallowing it. She seemed a cheerful and healthy young girl. The phials were marked "Poison." Believed deceased was of sound mind. Zilda Pit tar deposed: Deceased was my younger and only sister. Sho lived with me in my house, St. George's Pay Koad. She had suffered from chronic dysentery for the last three years. Sho suffered from toothache. Dr. Haines was her medical attendant. Sho used to take chloral drinks, prescribed for the purpose of procuring sleep. I remember Saturday last. We went into town on Saturday morning. We got into town about 11 a.m. She said she was going to Dr. Haines, to get him to put something in her tooth so as to stop the aching. She went into Sharland's, and I waited out- : side. She was in the place five or ten minutes. When she came out wo went down the wharf to meet my brother. Wc next went up Queen- 1 street, and when coming back she said she felt her tooth aching ajain. She said she would go into Mr. King's to get something for it. I met her at the Post-ofiico, and saw her get into tho i Parnell 'bus. I told her I could not come with her v as I had to wait at Mr. Sharland's for medicine. She was in good health and spirits. She saiJ that Mr. King had given her , sixpence worth of chloroform. She said nothing about laudanum. I never knew that she obtained laudanum. The Coroner (to Mr. King) : How much did she pay you altogether? Mr. King : One and tenpence altogether ; eightpence for the chloroform, and six|)ence for the laudanum. Witness : I saw her when I came home. She was lying on the bed, apparently asleep. She had a small bottle in her left hand. She had a handkerchief and some wadding in the right hand, which was close to her face. X asked her if she was ill. She said she was not well, and that she had toothache again. I observed a curious smell in the room, but it was not the smell of chloroform. I told her my brother wanted her to go to Helens* ville with him. She said she was tired. She got up and fell down. She fainted. She got up again and fainted again. I waited till she came to. When she said I was to let my brother know that she could not come. I went into town to tell my brother, and came back by the same 'bus. I saw her when I came back. She was lying on her back insensible and breathing stertorously. After a while I asked her what was wrong with her. She muttered some words, but I could not understand what she meant. I got back from town about half-past 3. I sent for Dr. Haines about G o'clock. I was not alarmed at first, because I thought she had been sleeping from the effects of chloral. But when she was so long 'coming to' I bccamc alarmed. There was a Fiji girl in the house, who told me deceased had something to cat twice during my absence. She had some fowl, the Fiji girl told me. Deceased also asked for some tea while I was away. It was given to her, bat she did not drink it. The Fiji girl also said she saw the bottle in my sister's hand after X had left for town. I have not been able to fiud the bottle, although I have searched for it. Dr. Haines came about half-past G o'clock. He spoke to her, but she made no answer. Hot water was applied to her feet. She tried to draw her feet up when they were put into hot water. She did not speak. She did not open her eyes. [The witness described the remedies resorted to to restore consciousness.] Dr. Haines went away and came at 3 o'clock on Sunday morning. He said the case was serious, and sent for Dr. Goldsbro', who came immediately. Both medical men applied various remedies. She died at a-quartor to 9 o'clock on Sunday night. She swallowed some wine and some cornflour jelly shortly before her death. She was of a cheerful disposition. She was not melancholy. I have heard her say, when in great pain, that it would be a relief if she were dead ; but I did not attach much importance to it. She had procured chloroform before. X have seen her under the influence of chloroform three times during the past month. I know it by the smell. I asked he? for the bottle on ono occasion. Sho , said the chemist's name was on the bottle, and sho bad thrown it into tho garden. lam positive she had no intention to poison herself. It must have been accident or misadventure. Charles Henry Haines said ho was a legally qualified medical practitioner. Ho wan called to see deceased on Saturday evening. Sho was in a comatose state. Ue tried to arouse her by pinching her, shouting, and other but without effect. Ho suspectcd opium poisoning from the first. When her legs were put into hot water there was a contraction of tho limbs, so much so that ho had to draw them into the hot water again. The pupils of the eyes were strongly contracted. A current of galvanism was passed through her body, and the pupils dilated a little under its influence. He sent for Dr. Goldsbro* when he came the second time. Witness further deposed that he had made a post mortem examination. The stomach was empty, and without inflammation. The heart, liver, and kidneys were healthy. The lungs were much congested. Ho believed that death was caused by opium-poisoning. A person who was suffering acute pain might tako sufficient opium into the mouth to bo fatal, and swallow it inadvertently. Chas. F. Goldsbro', M.D., garo similar evidence. He knew deceased from childhood. Believed she was of sound mind. Attended her in consultation with Dr. Hainos about a month ago. The Coroner summed up tho evidence, and the jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict, "That death was caused by somo narcotic poison, but how administered there was no evidence to shew."