THE ALLWOOD CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2679, 8 December 1909, Page 6

THE ALLWOOD CASE.

A MURDERER’S HISTORY

The official statement of tho case of the late inmate of the Avondale Mental Hospital, George Allwood (the author or tho recent Dargayille tragedy) was given to the House last week, by the Minister in charge of Mental Hospitals (the Hon. G. Fowlds), in replying to a question from Mr. Stallworthy. Mr. Stallworthy asked by _wlioso authority, and on whose certificates, Allwood was liberated from the Mental Hospital, within a short time of his committal thereto, and what precautions the Minister intended to take to prevent similar unwise liberations in the future, and, further, whether he would dive the House, the fullest particulars of the condition and treatment of Allwood during his last detention at Avondale together with the certified cause of his death, and the names of the doctors who certified thereto. The Minister, in replying, gave the following epitome iof the case- or Allwood: Admitted to Auckland Mental Hospital, April 12th, 1909, suffering from alcoholic insanity; history previous to admission. Causes: Had in tne past drunk’heavily; was temperate for ten years; started drinking again last year, and continued more or less to the time of his admission; lie suffered from flatulent dyspepsia, which incapacitated him from day labor; lie became a nightwatchman ; he did not like the work, said it depressed him, stated that for two years he had taken painkiller—six bottles weekly; on admission, ho was laboring under delusions and hallucinations of hearing. Progress of case: Eleven days after (April 21) all symptoms of insanity had ceased, and from that time to September 16, when he loft ' the hospital, they never recurred; he continued quiet and well-behaved, and gave no indication of any king whatever of. being dangerous. The short duration of insanity and the > rapid recovery under treatment confirmed the probability of the assigned causes. His dischange could have been claimed as a right long before it was granted. It was postponed as long as it was to improve the patient’s general health. A week before he left two friends appealed for his liberation, and were told by Dr. Beattie, the medical superintendent, that he wished to discuss the case first with the- patient’s wife. Mrs. Allwood came, saw her husband, and then Dr. Beattie, to whom, and others, she :isserted her husband was as well as he had been in his life.. At this time Allwood could not legally bo longer detained. He had then been in the institution five months, during which time, except for 11 days, he had shown no sign of insanity. He was warned against taking alcohol and painkiller, and promised not to do so to Mrs. Allwood, who, also, at Dr. Beattie’s instigation, promised that she would keep the painkiller out of her husband’s way, and appeal to the person who supplied it not to sell it to him. The "etting of those promises, for what they were worth, was a precaution against a second attack. Allwood was therefore discharged in the usual way on September 16, on the authority, of Mr. Kettle, S.M., on the certificate of sanity granted by Dr. Beattie. ' The Minister said /that Dr. Beattie next saw Allwood after the tragedy on the morning following his admission to the Mount Eden prison; 'and noted that Allwood, gave lum the impression bf-a'person recovering from a drinking bout, but the doctor had no evidence to prove it. Allwood was readmitted to the mental hospital on- October 6, suffering from hallucinations of hearing, when, , from his own statements, and evidence from other sources, it: was found that lie had started drinking on .the day of his discharge, and was known to have been drunk at Newmarket on one occasion. He had been to Rotorua for a week, and on his return from- there was seen by two witnesses who know him intimately and judged that he was sane. His wile considered he continued sound until two days before the tragedy. Allwood was physicall- strong and healthy on hi® second admission; and so remained till November 22, He was ..then .in an extreme state of nervous apprehension, due to the approaching trial, - and diarrhoea supervened. He was put to bed. and almost at onoe his heart showed signs of failure. The condition of preternatural fright continued. and his heart failed on tho night ,qf- November 24. • •. The case, the Minister continued, was nt, once reported' to the Coroner, vrlio was asked to nominate a medical man ■unconnected with the hospital to conduct a post-mortem examination. Tlie doctor chosem (Dr. Milson) was unknown to Dr. Beattie. The post-mor-tem examination was wholly performed by him, in the presence of the Coroner, Dr. Beattie, and! his assistant (Dr. Me Kelvey), and Dr. Horton, of Dargaville. At the post-mortem no possible cause, except heart failure, was discovered. In no case of death in a mental hospital was an ordinary death certificate issued, but a Coroner’s inouest'was held, which was the course followed m this ease. ■