ALLEGED HORSE-POISONING

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2056, 17 April 1907, Page 4

ALLEGED HORSE-POISONING

At the Hamilton Police Court a young man named John Solomon Taylor was charged with administering arsenic to a horse, the property of Albert John Senile, of Frankton. The complainant stated that he kept a boardinghouse, and that the nccused lodged with him. Witness owned a horse which was troubled with worms, and on March 22nd he asked accused to get a drench from Mr. Man ling, chemist. On Marcli 23rd witness administered half of the drench to the horse, and noticed a white powder at the bottom of the bottle. He subsequently gave the animal all of the medicine, on the recommendation of accused, who said Mr. Manning advised it. The horse died that dav. He noticed a white powder on the ground near the stable, and preserved seme of it.

Mr. Lyons, M.R.C.V.S., who conducted a post-mortem on the horse, said he found the stomach and intestines highly inflamed and ulcerated. The cause of death was inflammation and shock, the result of an irritant. James Alexander Pond, colonial analyst, said he analysed the contents of the stomach of the horse, and tho white powder submitted. Ho found the latter to bo arsenic., and isolated some 44 3-5 grains. Messrs A. S. Manning, chemist, and Roche, chemist’s assistant, gave evidence as to tho composition of tlio drench supplied to nccused at Manning’s siioji, turpentine and linseed oil only being used. Carl Schillings, laborer, deposed that on March 23rd, between 8 and 9 a.i11., ho saw accused washing two bottles, one colored and one white. Ho had another bottle resembling a lavender water bottle, and was shaking the bottles up and down and pouring the contents of one into the other. Witness noticed some powder of a yellowish color in tho bottle. Sergeant Hastie deposed that Messrs Searle and Lyons came to the station on March 23rd, and handed him two bottles, one containing part of tho contents of the stomach and part of the stomach. Accused, who reserved his defence, was committed for trial, bail being allowed, himself in £2OO, and two bondsmen in £SO each. Mr. H. Gillies appeared for the defence.