The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-06 00:00:00

A SINGULAR OCCURRENCE.

In London, on Saturday, the coroner for Central
Middlesex held an inquiry at the "Buffalo's Head,"
Marylebone-road, as to the death of John Maplestone,
aged fifty-one, which had resulted from poisoning by
prussic acid.

Catherine Farrelly, housekeeper to Mr. Alfred
Speer, 13, Park-crescent, Regent's-park, deposed that
the deceased had been butler to that gentleman four-
teen years, and always enjoyed the best of health and
spirits. In October last Mrs. Speer had a trouble-
some cat, and at her request deceased obtained
from a medical friend some prussic acid in a bottle
with the object of poisoning the cat, but it was
put off from time to time, no ot.e liking the task.
On Wednesday evening witness wa,l in the library
when she heard a loud thud of something falling
down stairs. She took no notice or it at the time,
as she thought it was s:lmetbing in the kitchen
among the servants Some time after, on going into
the pantry, she saw deemed lying on his back on the
floor, as if ha had fainted. While attempting to raise
him her attention was attracted to th cat rushing
about the room with its tail out straight and hall-
bristled up as if it had had some terrible fright. The
thought at once struck her that the deceased had been
attempting to poison 'the cat, and that something
serious had happened to him. She raised an
alarm, and Dr. Blott, of Albany-street, was sent
for, and on arrival pronounced the deceased
to be dead. Witness then noticed a saucer on
the table, which had contained sardine oil and prussic
acid. The cat was known to be exceedingly fond
of sardine oil, and it was subsequently discovered by
the vomit about the floor that the sardine oil and
prussic acid had been administered to the oat. On the
shelf was the bottle which had contained the prussic
acid. If the death of the deceased was due to prussis
acid she believed it must have resulted from some mis-
adventure, as he had no cause to destroy himself, but,
rn the contrary, every reason why he should desire to
live. He was on excellent terms with everyone. At
the time of the occurrence none of the servants who
were in the kitchen heard the fall, or knew anything
about it. The doors and gates were all locked by
deceased, and no one could get in without her hearing
it. All deceased's accounts were in correct order. He
had no pecuniary difficulties or love affair that she
was aware of, and she could in no way account for his
taking poison purposely_
- -

Mr. Alfred Speer and Thomas Maplestone, brother
of the deceased, said they knew of nothing which could
induce deceased to take his own life. He had an annuity
on his life, which he had himself purchased, and only
on the morning of his death he had paid a further
deposit into his bank of £25.

Mr. Rayner' the summoning officer, stated that he
had searched the deceased's property and papers, and
could find nothing to throw light on the matter.

The Coroner remarked that there was no doubt of
the fact that deceased's death was from taking prussic
acid, but what caused him to do so was a mystery.
He had frequently held inquests where persons had
committed suicide without any assignable cause.

The jury ultimately returned a verdict "That the
deceased died from the effects of prussic acid poison-
ing self•adminietered, but whether with the intention
of suicide or otherwise there was not sufficient evidence
to show."