UNSOLVED MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19149, 15 October 1925, Page 10

UNSOLVED MYSTERY.

POISONING OF A FARMER. ILLNESS AFTER A MEAL. , ■ i DETECTIVES STILL AT WORK, [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT, ] CHMSTCHURCH, Wednesday, How did the poison which nearly caused the death of Mr. Ben. Ferguson, a well-known farmer of the Rangiora district, get into his food on the evening of September 2Z last ? Detectives have been engaged on the case for several weeks but the mystery is one that presents many difficulties. « Milk and other foodstuffs which were on the table at the Ferguson's home for tea on the evening that he became ill have been sent' to Chris tchurch for analysis and the police are in possession of the analyst's report. Shortly after tea Mr. Ferguson went, out to milk a cow, but almost immediately was seized with illness of an alarming character. He was assisted back to the house and doctors who were later called in found him to be suffering from symptoms of strychnine poisoning. All through the night his life was despaired of, but he survived and a week later was well on the way to recovery. It was not long after Mr. Ferguses had taken his tea that a neighbour came in and offered to feet! the pigs, which wers kept on the farm. Some milk from the tea table was put into a bucket and given to the animals. Very shortly afterwards one of the pigs was heard to be squealing in an unusual manner and investigation showed that two of the animals were in a dying condition. Both died within a few minutes. "We are still making inquiries," said Inspector Till to-day, when asked if there had been any further developments.