BOY'S STRANGE DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 5

BOY'S STRANGE DEATH.

THE WELLINGTON CASE.

REMARKABLE FACTS COME TO LIGHT. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Wellington, Wednesday. Ox the morning of February 4 a boy named Bertie Henry Watkins, nearly 13 years of age, who kid attended the Mitchelltown school, died at his parents' residence after a short illness, in which acute vomiting had played a part. At the inquest, held on February 6, the boy's father stated that deceased had arrived home from school at midday on February 3, and had told his parents that he had been ill during the morning, and had vomited a good deal. In the evening Dr. Faulke was sent for, and he prescribed some medicine, which was obtained at once. The boy continued vomiting during tfo* night, and died about 8.30 in the morning. He had been attended by the doctor for some time on account of tonsil trouble, but during the past year had been in good health. „

Dr. H. 0. Faulke deposed that when he ieas called in he could come to no definite :ouclusion as to the cause of the trouble. V post-mortem examination indicated that ill the organs of the body were healthy, with the 3Xception of Ine stomach, which mowed that there'had been a rare disease, known as acute dilation of the stomach, ivhich is generally fatal in the course of one, two, >v three days. There was nothing to indicate poisoning beyond the vomiting, and the condition of the stomach was sufficient to account for the vomiting without any poisoning. Dr. Henry, who performed the post-mor-tem examination, said . the conditions did not indicate the presence of an irritant poison. He was. satisfied the dilation of the stomach was the cause of death. Tho jury recommended that, an analysis of the stomach should be made, if the police could arrange it, in order to throw further light on the disease, and £> verdict was returned in accordance with the medical testimony. Besides having an analysis of the stomach made by Dr. Maclaurin, the police made a searching inquiry into the case with astonishing results. Inspector Ellison steles that it has been ascertained that on the morning of February 3 the lad had in his possession a email red box, labelled with a skull and erossbones, which ho showed to a schoolmate. The ,box contained a bluish powder, and in showing it to his mate he said, " This is poison. If you take too much yon die." The deceased then placed some of the powder between a couple of biscuits, and proceeded to eat it. When the other boy protested at deceased's folly in so doing, the latter replied something to the effect that he knew all about it.

The report of the analyst was not available, but Dr. Maclaurin has intimated to Inspector Ellison that he discovered arsenic in the stomach; in what quantity was not precisely known. The evidence goes to prove that the bluish powder taken by the lad was the -poison known r.« "Rough. oa rats," and the disease spoken of by the medical men hi their evidence was dilation of the stomach, caused by the irritant poison taken by the deceased.