PAHIATUA POISONING CASE.

Colonist, Volume XXXV, Issue 7227, 25 January 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

PAHIATUA POISONING CASE.

report of Dr. Skey, Government analyst, wag read. It was to the effect that from analyst of the stomach and other organs of the deceased he had come to. the conolasion.that deceased died from the effects of arsenical poisoning. The Foreman of the Jury made very Bevere comment on the nature of the articles which had appeared in the Press relating to the case, and the Coroner also observed that the publication of such artioles was highly reprehensibleWilliam Skey, Government analyist, gave evidence to the effect that he found arsenic in sensible quantities in deceased's Btomaob, and traoes of some poison in the liver and vomit, 110 evi3eno9 of poison could be dis. covered in the articles of food taken from Naylor's house, but one of the parcels consisted of rough on rats. As an experiment witness rnbbed 2£ grains of arsenic into a slice of lamb, but it did not show perceptibly. Arsenic had no flavour, so deceased would not have tasted it in the food. The stomach was empty, so that he was unable to find out in whnt form tbe poison was taken, but in all probability the arsenio&l acid. Dr Milne deposed that when ha was called in on the Sundny he saw that the patients were suffering from the effects of some irritant poison. He informed them that they had taken poiaon, but not in Btiffiuient quantities to canse death. None of the patients appeared to ba iv any danger on Sunday. His first impression was that a small quantity of arsenic had been used in coloring tha bride cake. C. Kidd, chemist, stated that when he was summoned to attend Dickson, he told him that on Saturday at midday he had taken a meal of cold roast lamb, vegetables, and plum pudding. At first he thought it was i case of influenza, added to derangornent of the stomach from something, being wrong with the food, and it \,d,s Monday afternoon before he suspect?"} poisoning. Mrs Naylor, in whose house the wedding party was held, corroborated the statement ' that the dinner on Boxing Day consisted of cold roast lamb vegetables, and plum pudding. Thfi lamb had been cut intc slices \ early on the Christmas eve, but was not par- ; taken of until about 11 o'clock, when Mr ■ Naylor took a few slices for his supper. The ' plate containing the lamb was then put in the ' scullery and covered with a cloth. When \ witness was returning from her daughter's house about 25 minutes to one o'clock on ' Boxing Day morning, and when about seven £ yards from the scul'ery door, she saw a man ' passing the side of the house and going towards the mam road. Witness took the ■* man for William Taggart, one of the guests, c . and cried out " Hallo, . Bill ! is that you?" i but on returning to the dance room she found £ Taggart was still there, and she was therefore r satisfied he was not the person she had seen !j in the yard. The man she noticed near the " scullery door did not answer her query. She could not identify him. On going into the r scullery after this incident she found the r cloth over the lamb had been disturbed, and c was lying back. Witness gave the remainder of the lamb to the cat and dog on the Sunday morning, the animals becoming ill shortly after eating it. Engagement between E her daughter and Sedcole had existed for E about five years, and so far as witness knew r there was no other lover in the case. Sbe J did not know that either her husband or her- " self had any enemies in the place, and they j: had never been threatened in any way. k There was reason to believe that some of the ° guests had been threatened. She referred to ' Mrs Dickson. About three weeks before the "* wedding witness was in J. P. Clark's house, in company with Miss Clark. The latter, *■ who is Clark's sister, was talking to witness ~. about Mrs Dickson, and observed, " that if she had a chauce she would poison c the old bitch " (meaning Mrs Dickson). Miss Clark was telling witness about Mr Dickson having had her up before the Court h lat Master ton, anil this led to the remark Q mentioned Bliss Clark appeared to be in a si very angry mood. Miss CJark was not at the t] wedding, although she, as well as Mr and a Mrs Clark, received an invitation to be pres- fa ent. Mr and Mrs Clark were also absent, 1 Mrs Clark having told witness a few days si before the marriage that she would not come" o if the Dick sons were there. Mrs Dickson b informed witness that Mr Clark had sent ci Mr Dickson a threatening letter, but she did w not tell her the nature of it. n Mrs Moore, widow of Joseph Moore, tha J other victim, gave evidence to the effect that a the lamb partaken of at tbe Naylor's came ti from her husband's place, and bad been t< ' killed by him. Witness wrapped the whole g lamb in a tablecloth and put it in a flour d bag, and it was then takpn to Naylor's house, v Arsenic was never used at deceased's farm, si nor was it kept about the premises. No poison could have got near the lamb at Sl witness' pace. In reply to Mr Tosswill, sJ witness said her brother had some lamb on t< Christmas night, and he was taken ill on v Sunday morning. d WOODYILLE, E January 22. °, Edward Naylor, father of the bride, sajd . that he was in the houee during his wife's " absence on the occasion when she aaw a man c in the yard, a^d be could swear positive'y a th&t T^.pgart nave- left the room. In reply to a solicitor, who appeared for the decens?d's relatives, witness said tbufc in conversation S with Clarke a few woeks bsfora the wedding g the latter referred to Mrs Dickson in very « outrageous terms, and alao expressed an }'■ opinion that Mr Diekson was a damned i' scamp or something of that sort. Witness E admitted that practical joking wag going on c at the time of the wedding festivities. Mi" b Olarke, one of the jurymen, nuked the If coroner how it was that the Key, Mr. £ Saunders would not be called (o give cvi- a dence, as it bad been openly stated that that p gentleman had been drugged at the party, h Inspector Thomson said that this was the r; firat that tbe police bad heard of the t< matter. Constable Cooper deposed that he a had had conversations with the Key. Mr Saunders since the occurrence, but that that v gentleman bad never made mention of a having bsen drugged at Mr Naylor's. In Vi his address to the Jury the Coroner said that a he thought they should have no difficulty in o arriving at a conclusion that p-.ison was tl Oontaintd in the lamb, and that it had been T placed there wi!fu!:y. The verdict returned a was "That we are satisfied from the cvi- f< denca that the deceased Peter Dickson was ti poisoned by arsenic, but how the poison was t administered or by whom there is no evidence i. to sbow.', ii Tbe inquest on the body of Joseph Moore, i the other victim, was taken after Diekson'a b case was disposed of. Only Mrs Moore was i: examined. After half an hours' retirement d the jury returned a similar verdict to that j. arrived at in the other casa, bat added the r following rider : " The jury request the \ Coroner to call the attention of the Minister v of Justice to an article in the ' Woodville Examiner 'of January 2, and an article in the t 1 Ne^ Zealo.nl Times ' of January 21' dealing "\ with the poisoning oases here in a manner J prejudicial to the interests of justice." r

THE INQUEST. By Telegraph— Per Press Association. PAHIATDA. January 21. The inquest on the bodies of the victims 'of the poisoning fatality, which will be resnraed at six o'clock this evening, vill j probably be concluded about midnight. Ten witnesses are to be examined. The evidence of Mr Skey, Government analyst, and Mrs j Naylor, in whose house the wedding took place, will have the most important bearing on the case. Arsenio was found In the stomachs of the deceased, but not the slightest trace of poison of any kind was disoovered in the various articles of food forwarded to tbe Government analyst. It should be mentioned however, that none of the lamb supposed to have contained the poison could be prooured for analysis, the remains of tbe dish having been thrown away before the symptoms of the guests became alarming. Evidence will be given to show that a cat and dog which picked up the meat and ate it were attaoked by a severe fit of vomiting, but that they recovered shortly afterwards. Mrs Naylor's evidence will go in the direction of showing that she has reason to believe that the poison was put into the food by design, and that the sad affair was not the result of acoident. The police bave made every effort, bat have been unable to ascertain where the poison was purchased. Mr Skey and Dr Maine, who attended the deceased, Mr Kidd, Mr Loyal, chemist, and Mrs Naylor, who will be called in the order named, are expected to be able to throw most light on the occurrence. Intense interest is taken in the enquiry in the town* ship and eurroanding diatrict. Later. The inquest on Peter Diekson, one of tha. vietimsof the Boxing Day poisoning affair WMtmoimd atJPahiaioa thiflereniog. The