ATTEMPTED' sijlClbK AND POISONING.

West Coast Times, Issue 2908, 27 July 1878, Page 2

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND POISONING.

There \yas considerable excitement, in town yesterday afternoon, wheii it was reported that & man named, James Cox had Attempted to poison a girl named Sarah Jacobs, .and, immediately afterwards (had thrown himself into the iiver. The whole i)f the circumstances in. connection with the case will be brought to light at the Resident Magistrate's .Court to-day, as Cox was arrested shortly after the occurrence, and % toe police .are engaged getting tip the evidence. So far as we can ascertaiu of the mysterious affair, Cox, who is between forty and, fifty years of age, had neen paying nig addre3ses to a girl who has been employed as barmaid at tHe Royal George Hotel. His statement is that he was engaged to be married to her, and that li e bad received tier own as well as her father's consent, but that her brother, within the past day or two, had taken some steps to prevent the marriage. Whether this be true or not, it is. beyond do'ibt that C.ox went yesterday forenoon to the shop of Mr Williams, chemist, and by false representations managed to purchase twelve grains of strychnine. He seated to the chemist that he wished to purchase it for a. farmer in the country. An hour or two after procuring the £ poison, he went to the Royal George Hotels where he met the girl, and asked her to have a drink. He went into the.side roojn; and she brought a glass of port wine for herself, aud a little b'r'ati'dy i'ti a iumbrer for Cox. apcording to his order. Mrs Hine saw him enter the room, and immediately went upstairs to dress. She had only been in her room a few minutes wheu she heard the girl Jacobs screaming. On being asked what was the matter, she stated that Cox had poisoned her. Before Cox left the room, the girl asked him what he had put ia the glass, as the wine was very bitter. He shortly made off, and wont tpwarda the wharfj .entering the Belfast Hotel on his way, where he left his watch, pocket , book, and papers with Mrs Houst6ri. He then proceeded hurriedly to the wharf, aud jumped iii the river close by tlie lower wingdam. He swahi about in the, river for some tiine^ until a boat came JLo his rescue. Constable M'jKenna .was tlien apprised. of the fact tb,at a man had jumped into the river, and was on the scene when he landed. The first statement Vnade by Cox to the police was tl.iat it was no fault ' bf nis,. ak Sarah Jacobs had drank out , ?6f the wVong glass. Detective Brow ; ttje&Bhortiy joined QonaVable M'Ke'nha, anqitffl^aring particulars, they arrested Vhe prisoner and drove him to Dr Dermott. In tne meantime, the. friend^ of, the girl had s.'ent for D,r Rtfssetti. Both the niedical ge'ritlemen administered the necessary remedies to tlieir respective ,p alien's,, but notbing was shown to indicate that Cox had taken any ipf the poison. He is said to have vomited after being taken out of the water, but since then, he has shown no signs~ of illness. The.fiiri vomited for some time befiVr'e ail after Dr Rossetti visited her, and thVre is no doubt that she swallowed some of the strychnine, though slie has since recovered, and is pronounced o|it of all danger. In the ttttnbfer out of which Cox drank, or is supposed to have drank, the brandy,, several grains of strychnine were found to the glass. 'I'he wine-glaVs Out of which "the gir^ drank, the , port ,wine, did. not cpntaiu the same ! chVystali3'ed 3pe'cs, but she ; alleges that Cox. wip6d it with his hiindkerchief after "she had drank the .wine. . If this account be true, and Cox drink tlie brandy served him 1 , lie must have evidently intended to poison himself and her. In the meantime the affair J3 one of much mystery,' as it is impossible to tell whether the poison was administered to 'the girl, .and taken. by 'Cos, or whether his statement is at all to be reiied upon, as to her drinking out of his .glass in place of her own. Cox has been well known in tliia district for yeirs past. He was working for many months for the Jackson's Bay Fishing Company, but has for 'mon'thi since, been out of employment. There is no doubt when he jumped into the river he contemplated suicide, but after being a few moments m the water he thought better of it, and commenced swimming for the shore, or towards the boat which was put off t i his, rescue. The purchase of the strychnine In such a large quantity "under tlie circumstances, clearly points that he iatended to take his own or the girl's life. That she swallowed a quantity of the poison is beyond doubt, though whether he also did s6 is very doubtful in the minds of the medreal gentlemen. He has stated, since being lodged iv custody, that he had written a Tetter which would furnish full particulars of the affair, but no such document has yet reached the hands of the police. Possibly a remand will be asked for to-day, Should the said epistle and full testimony not he forthcoming.

The Rev. C. Clark, after a successful tour in the country districts, has returned to Melbourne,