SUSPECTED POISONING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13606, 28 May 1908, Page 6

SUSPECTED POISONING.

THE .SYDNEY CASE. Press Aiaociation-By Telegraph-Copyright SYDXKV. May 27. At SEtc- inijtiest i>» the body of Alexander IJiown, the (Jovi i nmeut Analyst dtp*;fci.d that lie had found distinct traces fit' arsenic iti IJruwrt":i kidneys, and one fifth of ,e grain tri the liver. TLz.analysis was not yet complete. but what he hail found wou[d indicate shut a ijnantitv ».f arsenic had b. ptc>. :it in the body. I>r. O'X ill iK'po.-.-i tin:, t: • it "i treated iJrowi. tor intiu.n/.a. when left on ;i visit to friends at Stanntore. Might day* at'u r he again vi.-ited J Jr. O'Xeill. and complained of diarrhoea. a, bitter tai-t;* iti tin 1 mouth, and ntiinbn--. Att r t a, few diiy» he apptartd to b> better. In I reply to » quest ion the doctor said that : l!r«nvn'> symptom-, on hr.v !a>t visit were ' consistent with neurit i> or at.-.nical ; poisoning. Dr. t"heniwll «!)*|w-r»'ti that he ;»ti-*««I'-*| lit own at Mr« BaikieV. fiotve af Stanmoic. His .symptoms m r - general low ~i po«,r. vomrtmg and niuiilin-s o!' the iitisb.-. As he fait.d t:. improve and (he r;ue appeared an obscure one. h > jug? «p| a coir.Miltation. Brown kept putting the «-oivt;i:-it-i«n «"tf. In the ni-antim.* failing to account for Brown*- jymptoms- satisfactorily, he a.sked if titers- was any prison abont the house. lloih Brown ami Mr.--Baikie •said there was n>>'t. From other inrjuiricv-i he discovered that Mrs Baikie had purchastd t-.rX[>enity-wort'!i of poison with the express intention of killing cats. After this discovery, and hss failure to obtain a consultation, he declined to take

further r-esnir»il>i 1 ity for the rase, iiml ordered Brown's removal to tin- hospital. Th-- fluv after Br»wn\-> death Mrs Haikie saw witness. In tiie course of a conversation ••>lic mentioned tli.it- Brown had an accidcnt iiLsitraiit't* policy. hut the money was not obtainable unle>v> it could be shown that death lesulkd from an accident. The impression conveyed to his mind by her was that the payment of his ft e>- depended upon obtaining this insurance money. Dr Cliennall deposed that- he declined Mis Baikie's suggestion to give a certificate that lirnwn'h death resulted from an accident.