Widnes Examiner. — 1884-06-28 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE INQUEST.  Yesterday morning, Mr. Briimuse, county coroner, held an inquest relutive to the affair at the White Hurt Inn, Sankey-street, Warrington, when the evidence given below was adduced. Mr. T. Hutton was the foretnan of the Jury.. _ . _  _ Michael Neilan, father of the deceased, said that when the miliria broki up about a fortnight ago, his son began drinking heavily, and continued drinking up to shortly before his death. About 1-30 on Wednesday afternoon deceased was sitting near the tire smoking, and the bottle produced Was on the shelf. Witness Saw deceased " grabbing" the bottle, and took it out of his hand. Before witness could. check him he drunk out of the bottle. Witness shouted This is poison," and the deceased said "I'll go to bid now." He went upstairs and threw himself on the bed. tlis mother wont after him, and witness heard him say to her "I can't stand this work, the whole town's running after me." Deceased then ran downstairs and out into the street. and witness ran after him and turned him into the yard. Deceased then vomited, and witness took him into the house, whence he was taken to the Infirmary. After he Was taken into the house he never spoke. The bottle in question had been in the house nearly a year, and contained stuff given to his wife at the Infirmary to rub her leg with.  William Hudson, porter at the Infirmary, said that the deceased was admitted at two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon sufferim,e from poison. Dm. Richmond and Smith cave hint their best attention, but he died shoot 8 30 the same day. Deceased never spoke after being admitted into the Infirmary. The Coroner : It has been given in evidence that Ars. Haan, mother of the person who died, about twelve months ago went to the Dispensary for something to rub her leg with. We believe that bAladonna was given, and that the bottle was simply labelled poison.—Is that the mode at the hospltal ? All that is given out is just labelled wiTh the word" poison."—You did not supply blue fluted bottles to distinguish them from ordinary medicines? We do not supply bottles at all, but use those which people chose to bring.  The Forernln : Anyone mis,ht get hold of a bottle like that thinking that it was a beer bottle.  The Coroner: It is a beer battle. Addressing the jury, the Coroner said that there was no doubt that the the prisoner was poisoned by the contents of the bottle, and the question was whether it was by misadventure, or whether he knew at the time that the contents were poisonous. It appeared to him a very dangerous practice that people ebonld obtain poison at the Dispensary in bottles, say, that 'had been in household use. If the bottle had previously contained something that the people of the house had b,en in the habit of drinking. it alnaoet followed that they might use it by mistake, and thus unconsciously be the cause of their death. In this case Neilan and his wife were unable to read, ard thouzh the tatter had had the bottle for twelve months she did not know what the label signified, and she only thought it wan poison because it had to be used outwardly.  The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily insane. The Coroner: Do you wish any presentment as to the manner in which lotions that are poisonous are dispensed at the Hospital ?—The Forem to: I should like to have a report sent there that they should not turn out such bottles.—l suppose you think that sufficient precautions are not taken to guard people from taking the contents? Yes, because a child might he sent with the bottle, and might take some. Inspector Spinks then gave particulars of a similar case that occurred a few weeks ago, in Warrington, when a man Was given poison in mistake for his medicine, and the coroner instanced a case that had come under his notice in which a mother had been poisoned by her own daughter in mistake.  After some further remarks on the subject the Coroner drew up the following presentment t--4' The jurors suggest that better preciutions be taken at the Infirmary when lotions that ate poisons are supp Led to out-patients. The jarers consider that when poison is put ia a beer bottle, the mere 'fact of putting on a label pejoon is not sufficient."  Oa wednPsday night, at the Duke of Argyll's fishery at Tsverary, a haul of thirty salmon WiA m3de. The fish were I eplendul condition, and a cumber cof. them weighed over 20 pounds each.