Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-10

him bit by the time got to the Junction. 0. The gentleman in the light coat sappar- entity did not know where the deceased iiveda A. No; he said it was either in Ackland street or Grey street.
 O. Did you not think that curious?
 A. No; thought he might be club friend of the deceased.
 O. How long did the man in the light coat talk to youa
 A. About five minutes. Q. And during that time you heard no noise in the caba
 A. No; thought the deceased had gone to sleep.
 Q. And after the man in the light coat said good night to the deceased what hap pened3
 A. He lit cigarette, gave me a half sovereign, and walked off towards Mel bourne
 Q. Did you observe if the gentleman in the light coat had his handkerchief with him2
 A. Oh, yes; because he dusted his boots with it. The road was very dusty.
 Q. Did you notice any striking peculiarity about hima
 A. We'll, no; except that he wore dia- mond ring.
 Q. What was there peculiar about that2
 A. He wore it on the forefnger, of the right hand, and I never saw it that way before.
 o. When did you notice thisa
 A. When he was lighting his cigarette.
 Q. How often did you call to the deceased when you got to the Junction.
 A. Three or four times. then got down, and found he was quite dead. Q. How was he lyinga
 A. He was doubled up in the far corner of the cab, very much in the same position as left him when put him in. His head was hanging on one side, and there was a hand kerchief across his mouth. When I touched him he fell into the other corner of the cab, and then found out he was dead. imme- diately drove to the St. Kilda police station and told the police.
 At the conclusion of Royston's evidence, during which Gorby had been continually taking notes, Robert Chinston was called. He deposed:
 I am duly qualified medical practitioner, residing in Collins street East Imade post mortem examination of the body of the de- ceased on Friday.
 Q. That was within a few hours after his deathas
 A. Yes; seeing from the position of the handkerchief and the presence of chloroform that he had died through chloroform, and knowing how quickly that poison evaporates, I made the examination at once. Coroner: Go on sir.
 Dr. Chinston: Externally, the body was healthy looking and we'll nourished. There were no marks of violence. The staining ap- parent at the back of the legs and trunk was due to post mortem congestion. Internally, the brain was hyperemic, and there was a considerable amount of congestion, especially apparent in the superficial vessels. There was no brain disease. The lungs were healthy, but slightly congested On opening the thorax there was a faint spirituous odor dis cernihle- The stomach contained about a pint of completely digested food The heart was flaccid. The right heart contained a considerable quantity of dark, fluid blood. There was a tendency to fatty degeneration of that organ. I am of the opinion that de ceased died from the inhalation of some such vapor as chloroform or methylene. Q. You say there was tendency to fatty degeneration of the heart. Would that have anything to do with the death of deceased? | A. Not of itself. But chloroform admin istered while the heart was in such a state would have decided tendency to accelerate the fatal result At the same time, may mention that the post mortem signs of poison ! ing by chloroform are mostly negative
 Dr. Chinston was then permitted to retire, | and Clement Rankin, another hanson cab man, was called He deposed: am a cab man, living in Collingwood, and usually drive a hanson cab. I remember Thursday last. I had driven @ party down to St Kilda, and was returning about half past o'clock. A short distance past the grammar school was hailed by a gentleman in light coat; he was smoking cigarette, and told me to drive him to Powlett street, East Mel bourne. did so, and he got out at the COT ner of Wellington parade and Powlett street | He paid me hah a sovereign for my fare and then walked up Powlett street, while drove back to town.
 Q. What time was it you stopped at Pow lett streeta
 A. Two o'clock exactly. l Q. How do you knowl
 A. Because it was a still night, and heard the postoffice clock strike 3 o'clock.
 Q. Did you notice anything peculiar abou the man in the light coati
 A. No; he looked just the same as any on' else. Thought he was some swell of the tow1 out for a lark His hat was pulled down ove his eyes and could not see his face.
 Q. Did you notice if he wore ringa A Yes, did. When he was handing m the half sovereign saw he had a diamond ring on the foreanger of his right hand. c He did not say why he was on the St Kiida road at such an houra
 A. No; he did not.
 Clement Rankin was then ordered to stan down, and the coroner then summed up al address of half an hours duration. Ther was, he pointed out, no doubt that the deat of the deceased had resulted not from natura causes, but from the effects of poisoning Only slight evidence had been obtained u to the present time regarding the circun stances of the case, but the only person wh could be accused of committing the crim was the unknown man who entered the ca with the deceased on Friday morning at tn corner of the Scotch church, near the Burk and Wills monument. It had been prove the deceased, when he entered the cab, wa to all appearances, in good health, though i 9 state of into3ication, and the fact that vas found by the cahmAn Royston, after tn man in the light coat had left the cab, wit a handkerchief saturated with chlorofor1 tied over his mouth, would seem to show ths | q IA. gA--.