POISONED WHISKY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18995, 17 October 1923, Page 8

POISONED WHISKY.

TRAGEDY AT OPAKI. THE CORONER’S INQUEST, (Pek Unitfp Press Association.) MASTERTON. October 16. The adjourned inquest on the death of William Alexander Watson, horse trainer, who was mysteriously poisoned after drinking whisky at Opaki, was resumed to-day. The medical testimony deposed that the post mortem disclosed symptoms compatible with strychnine poisoning. Thomas Higgins (horse trainer) said that ho and deceased dined at Masterton the night before the tragedy, when a bottle of whisky was produced. Both had a nip. and on arrival at Higgins’s where at Opahi they had two more. When ivatson departed for home witness placed the bottle under a bed between two mattresses. Christoplier M‘Govern and_ Alfred Brown, apprenticed jockeys in witness's employ, were sleeping in the same room. Next morning M'Govem saddled the horses while Brown prepared breakfast, which witness had in bed. Witness later left the wharo for the course, and he was sure no one had touched the bottle since it was “planted.” Witness was the first to return to the whare, and he took the bottle from under the bed and left it on the table for Watson, who was to arrive later. Witness with M'Govern (hen took a horse to Knox, another trainer, a quarter of a mile away, leaving Brown to dress the horses and prepare dinner. Witness and Watson returned half an hour later, and poured out drinks and drank together. Witness remarked: “It tastes bitter, like salts,” to which Watson replied: My God, I'm crook.” Watson struggled to bed, where he lay in agonising pain. Witness was also overcome and collapsed. Brown summoned the doctor, who found I hat Watson was dead. Witness expressed fear of being disturbed, and when the stomach pump was administered he was attacked with violent convulsions. However, he recovered in a few days. To Defective Kemp: Witness said he had two bottles of strychnine in the nouse, inn they had not been used for over a voar.

When (ho police searched the wharo they found only one bottle, and witness could not account for the disappearance of the half full bottle.

a lie Government Analyst’s declaration stated that samples of tbc whisky contained strychnine, but tnere was no trace of any in the sweepings of the table on which Higgins had left the bottle standing, or the sweepings from the floor under and around the fable.

Brown deposed that when he returned from the course he lit a fire and put on the dinner. He changed bis clothes and went to the stable to dress the horses. While at (he stable Ibe bouse was unoccupied. Thirteen minutes later he saw a bottle on the table, but did not touch it. The Coroner found that death was caused bv strychnine poisoning administered by a person or persons unknown.

A sensation was caused at Opaki (three miles from Masterton) on August 23, when it became known that two well-known horse trainers—Alex. Watson and Thomas Hipgins—had been poisoned. It appeared that Watson purchased a bottle of whisky, and with Higgins disposed of portion of it, and tnen planted the bottle under Higgins’s bed in his cottage at Opakt. After training operations at the course had been completed trie two men adjourned for a drink. Higgins produced the bottle from under his bed and they drank together. Watson immediately collapsed, and died in six minutes, .-v doctor, who was summoned, found Higgins prostrated. He administered emetics, and applied a stomach pump. Higgins was rembved to the hospital.