The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-26 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS CASE OF POISONING.

On Monday, Mr. G. H. Hull, coroner for the
Western Division of Surrey, resumed an adjourned
inquiry at Wandsworth Prison respecting the death of
George Robinson, chemist, of Walwortb, aged 51,
committed for three months' bard labour by
the magistrate at the Lambeth Police.coutt for an
afsiult on his wife. The deceased was admitted to
the gaol on the 19th ult., in pursuance of his sentence,
which followed a week's imprisonment in the House
of Detention at Clerkenwell. It was stated that while
at the police•court he partook of a meat pie and
liquid refreshment, which were brought to him, it not
being contrary to regulations for friends to supply
prisoners with diet while under remand. The man
died from arsenical poisoning an hour or two after his
admissiln to Wandsworth Prison, and the evidence of
Captain Colville, the governor of the gaol, was to the
effect that when received at half-past five in the
evening the prisoner was very ill incised, and ap-
parently in great pain. The man could not account
for his symptoms, and was treated in the infirmary,
where he died.
The coroner read a letter to the jury received from
the Governor of the House of Detention stating that
while the deceased was there under remand for a
week he ate his food well and made no complaint.
Also that he left the prison to attend the police•court
in good spirits having told one of the officers that
his wife was not going to appear against him. The
wife, however, did appear against him, and gave
evidence which resulted in a sentence of three months'
hard labour. _ _

Dr. Mosso, who was acting for the medical officer of
the prison, deposed that he saw the deceased about
eight o'clock on the night of the 19th ult. He was
then in a state of collapse, and complained of
pains in the abdominal region. He was con-
stantly sick, and had frequent diarrhcea ; his heart
was beating quickly but feebly, and his pulse was
barely perceptible. Deceased complained of extreme
thirst, and his tongue was rdry and parched. He told
witness that he was quite well in the morning,
and that his symptoms came on at three
o'clock in the afternoon. He also said that he was very
ill in the van on the way to the prison. Witness
ordered him to the infirmary, and he was taken from
the cell. A post mortem examination was math hear
days after death, Dr. Winter, the medical cilicer to
the prison, being present. Thc body was well noun
ished. The result of the post mortem was negative—
the organs being all healthy excepting the lungs, and
there being no apparent cause of death. The stomach
contained about 3oz. of dark, bilious looking fluid,
which was preserved in a jar and.afterwards handed to
Professor Stevenson for analysis.
Professor Stevenson, the official analyst appointed
by the Home Office, deposed that be received a jar
containing the stomach of the deceased and the liquid
contents. There was no recognizable particles of food
in either the stomach or the liquid, and no unusual
appearances or signs of disease, except a alight redness
of the inner coat of the stomach. From the fluid in
the jar he obtained a quantity of arsenic—about a
quarter of a grain. It was nearly all in a soluble
form, and he could not detect any solid visible
particles of arsenic or its compounds. There were
also traces of bismuth in the stomach—no doubt
given as a medicine, as deposed to by Dr. Lime. The
vomit of the deceased, which consisted of 104 grains
of dried matter, contained a white powder, which, on
anal y sip proved to be the sub-nitrate of bismuth. The
vomit also contained arsenic equal to more than one-
third of a grain.
By the Coroner; The arsenic found was only the
residue, but no doubt a quantity of the mineral po'son
was absorbed into the blood and ejected from the
system in the vomit and by other means. If a fate
dose had been given, he found as much as he should
have expected to find in the body after deat'a He
actually found about half a tidal dose, and it was
more than equal to six or even eight medicinal dosed.
It was not likely that the bismuth contained arsenic
as an impurity, and the substance must have been
taken or given for the purpose of causing death.
The corcncr remarked that it was a most mysterious
case, and further evidence would be necessary. The
deceased had either taken the poison or it was given to
him by some person. There was certainly no evidence
that he had taken the arsenic himself.

Dr. Stevenson supplemented his evidence by stating
that he found no clue as to the form in which the arsenic
had been administered. He mentioned this because
the sale of such a deadly poison was generally BEE°.
elated with some other compound for the purpose of
identification. _ _

The coroner said that the prisoner was taken to
Lambeth Police-court under remand, ard he was in
absolute custody for a considerable period before his
committal. _ _

------
Dr. Stevenson, in replying to a further question,
stated that the administration of arsenic was usually
followed by fatal results in about an hour. In this
case he actually extracted metallic arsenic from the
fluid in the stomach of the deceased.

The Coroner said that as the inquiry was no doubt
one of an important character, and there was a likeli-
hood of a further investigation before a different
tribunal, it would be most essential to have witnesses
who could speak of the deceased's conduct while under
remand and as to the food of which ho was alleged to
have partaken at Lambeth Police•court shortly before
his conveyance to prison under the magistrate's com-
mitment.

The inquiry was then adjourned for further evidence
to be procured, the police to make their investigations
during the adjournment.