DEATH BY POISONING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 13 June 1924, Page 9

DEATH BY POISONING.

■premeditated suicide, . An Inquest touching upon the death ■of Michael Patrick Anglaud, a married man, aged 34 years, was held before the Coroner, Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M.i-at the Timaru Courthouse yesterday. afternoon. Senior Sergeant Fahey conducted the proceedings for the police. Mayy Angland, wife of the deceased, deposed that on Tuesday, June lulu, her Jiusband returned from the country, at about 11.30 a.m., and went to in Buchanan. .Stj-eet, Their relations of late had 'not ; beentoo. and it had /been 'll#*!' iqfcQ&fcioJ*; to apply for a separation order against him kt the sitting of the Court that day.';"Deceased asked her to withdraw the ’ Application, but witness •.. refused;. Her husband said that if she went on with the case, he would execute liis threat; which she thought, meant Ins going' away out .of thq .country. ,JIo pulled':a /bottle...out"of liis-Ipocket- .and poured somo white po\yder . into... hjs hand. "Witness caught liolch" of' his ■hand, and prevented him- taking it. He poured it back i nto the’■’bottle- arid said that to save any trouble ho would do it elsewhere. Deceased said goodbye, and after kissing the boy, went aivay.. Witness called liiin' back, and told him not to go away with that thought in his head. He said that the thought had been- in liis: head for three, or four weeks, and he could not help it. It was then about two o’clock. Witness consulted a neighbour, and was advised to communicate with the police, which sho did.' Deceased was 34 years of age, and at the time was rabbiting. There were three children', aged 11, 8, and '3 years.' '' Mrs M. Speirs, a. married ■ woman, living with her husband in Heaton Street, stated that on • Tuesday afternoon, deceased called at her \ house about 3 o’clock. Ho sat down and said that his head was bad 1 . Witness asked him to have an a.spro. but deceased refused. He said he" had not been drinking, but had taken some poison. He took a cup and had a drink, and asked if he could lie outlie sofa in the front room. When he lay down, he was twitching a little. He told witness to leave him and go for a walk. Witness wanted to ring up for a doctor, but he said that he had not taken enough poison. Witness went back to the kitchen, until she heard hint groaning. He still refused assistance, and again asked her to go out for a walk. Witness tried to give him some milk, but could not keep him still enough to take it. Witness went out, but could not see anybody about, so went over to her sister, who rang for the doctor. When she returned she felt his heart and thought that he was dead. Deceased had been m her house about, fifteen minutes before be died. Witness did not see him take any poison. _L B. James gave evidence as to deceased purchasing strychnine from liis shop. Ho had stated that other rabbiters were getting better results’ from poisoning, and asked for some strychnine. Ho was supplied with half an ounce, which he signed lor in the usual manner. There were four drams in the bottle, which now only contained two drams. He considered that one grain was sufficient to kill a (1. H. Usshcr, medical practitioner, stated that at about 3.15 P-m., on Tuesday, be proceeded to Mrs Spier s residence, in Heaton Street, in response to a message received. On arrival lie found deceased lying on a couch. Life was extinct. The bottle produced in Court was iound in liis inside pocket. The following day, ho made a post mortem examination ot the body, which was that of a welldeveloped man. Tlie organs were all healthy, and death had obviously not resulted from natural causes, in view of the evidence, and the state of the organs, ho would consider that death was a result ot strychnine poisoning. A verdict was returned that .deceased met Ins death as a result of strychnine poisoning, self administered. The Coroner stated that lie was imablo to say that deceased’s mind had been unabalaneed when ho committed the act. Letters that he had left behind showed plainly that ho was fully aware of what he was about.