The Tumut and Adelong Times 11 Sep 1928
DEATH OF MISS VERA WEEDEN INQUEST OPENED BUT ADJOURNED PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE FUNERAL. The inquest touching the death of Miss Vera Weeden, second youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred. W. Weeden, of Russell-st, Tumut, who died in paroxysms after sucking and swallowing part of a pilule or tab loid found in an opened packet of flaked meal, from which she had taken a handful of its contents to prepare for her breakfast, was opened on Friday morning last, before Mr. R. L. Blakeney, Coroner, and ad journed on the application of Sergt. J. Vallins for further investigation, surrounding the peculiar circumstan ces of the case. An autopsy was carried out by Dr. Clouston, and the contents of the stomach have been sent to the Gov ernment Analyst for his report, and until that is received it is unlikely that the inquest will be resumed. The police are being supplemented in their inquiries by expert assistance from Sydney. The funeral took place on Friday afternoon, a large cortege following the remains to their last resting place, in the Methodist portion of the Old Cemetery. The chief mourners were deceased's parents and sisters and brother, and Mr. A. Merritt (Corrimal), her fiance, all of whom were present, for whom the profound est sympathy is felt at the tragic denth, upon which no light has yet been thrown to account for the sad ending of one of Tumut's brightest and most jovial young ladies, who had not a care nor a single enemy or illwisher. This makes the mystery of her sudden death all the more difficult of solution. Rev. Jesson Fleming (Methodist Minister at Adelong) performed the last sad rites at the grave, and three uncles (Messrs W. F. Weeden of Young, Charles E. of Burrowa, Har old R. of Tumut) and three brothersin-law (Constable A. B. Jones and Messrs A. and R. Johnson) were the bearers. Messrs Fuller and Burt were the funeral directors.
The Tumut and Adelong Times 25 Sep 1928
Death of Miss Vera Weeden. --CORONIAL INQUEST (Evidence continued from last issue) George Septimus Fisher, manager of the Australian Conference Association Ltd, deposed : The association manufactures a breakfast food known as ''San Bran," which is made as follows: — After cleaning, the bran is steamed in a mixture of malt and gelatine, then dried in an oven; af terwards placed into a hopper and passed through steel rollers under a pressure of over 20 tons; it is then taken through and overheated to about 350deg.; afterwards passing into a container which when full is closed down and taken up to the packing department. It is then packed into packets and sealed down ; and placed into containers holding 2doz packets. The containers are sealed down and then railed to Sydney, where they are taken into our distributing de pot, whence they are distributed to the public through Sydney merchants and by our own delivery vans. To the Police: The San Bran packet produced comes from our factory. The little slip in the packet is placed there by the last person that seals it down; girls are employed in this work. There would be at least four girls employed on the same work at the one time, working side by side. No poison of any kind is used in the factory. Have never known of any strychnine to be on the premises, so in my opinion it would be impossible for any poison in any form, tablet or otherwise, to have got into the packets. To Mr. Taylor: We do not make up any commodity of the size, shape or color of the lolly produced. Unless. someone deliberately or surreptitiously put the alleged pink lolly into the packet it could not have got into it. The girls employed in filling the packets are students at an educational college employed at a salary which is applied in payment of their college fees. All the girls employed at the time when the packet was filled were examined by myself and Detectives Thompson and Finley and Special Constable Mitchell, of the women's police, and they all denied having placed in any packet at any time any substance other than the breakfast food in question. There was no girl under dismissal when the packet produced was filled, nor has any since been dismissed. Fixed the week of the filling of the packet by the figures on the slip inside the packet. One girl scoops out the breakfast food into a scale to the extent of 8ozs ; it is then poured into a funnel and passes out of the neck of the funnel into the packet under the eyes of all the girls present. William Ball, superintendent of the Sanitarium Health Food Co.'s bulk store in Sussex Street, Sydney, deposed: It is my duty to receive consignments from our factory at Cooranbong. The San Bran breakfast food comes down from our factory in containers, each holding 2 doz packets. The containers are sealed when I receive them. When orders are received from merchants, storekeepers and our branches I dispatch them according to order received. Amongst consignments sent out was one to Tilloch and Co. of five containers or cartons on June 7 last. Tilloch and Co. have had consignments previous to this, also since this date. Before leaving the bulk store all containers and packets are sent out intact, and while the containers and packets are in the bulk store it would be impossible for any foreign matter such as poison or sweets to get into the packets. No poison whatever is kept on the premises. A consignment on June 7 to Tilloch and Co. was sent out in the same manner as I received it, and it was sealed down and intact. To Mr. Taylor: The containers are closed in at the top with firm flaps, one from each side, which are glued together, then a tape is glued across the top, and thus it is impossible to get to the inside of the container without one knowing it had been opened. Williams McCole, warehouse superintendent for Tilloch and Co., of Kerr-st., Sydney, deposed: Receive consignments of San Bran from the bulk stores in Sussex-street. Received from the Sanitarium Health Food Co.'s bulk warehouse, amongst other goods, five containers of San Bran, each container holding 2 doz packets. On June 19 consigned, with other goods, one container from this lot to Weedens Ltd. Sent it to Darling Harbor for despatch to Tumut. This container was sent from our warehouse in good order and intact, and was sent in the same order as received from the Health Food Co.'s bulk store, and the consignment note produced signifies it was received by the Railway Dept. in good order and condition. It would be impossible for any foreign matter such as poison to get into it while it was in my company's store. To Mr. Taylor: At times it has been necessary to open this class of container to supply less quantity than 2 doz. To open it it is necessary to cut across the centre and tear the flaps apart which are glued together. Once having been opened they could snot be resealed to disguise the fact that they had been opened. Emma Weeden, sister of deceased, deposed: Am cashier at Weedens Ltd and reside with my parents in Russell Street, Tumut. It was about 8.30 a.m. when I got up on Sept. 6. Deceased had got up earlier. Then I went into the bathroom and while there Vera was pouring out her tea in the kitchen, just across the verandah from the bathroom. Was at the door of the kitchen and saw Vera with a porridge plate on the table. She had a packet of San Bran in her hand and shook portion of it on to the plate. Heard something rattle on the plate and Vera turned the contents that were on her plate over and said "Isn't it funny, Mum; there is a pink lolly in this !" She put it in the palm of her hand and said : "Look, Em, I found a pink lolly in the San Bran." She held it out in her hand and I saw it there. She laughed and then put it in her mouth and chewed it up. She then said, ''Oh gee, Em, that is one I did you for," and as she crunched it she spat out in the ash-tray or the fire and said that it had an awful taste, "it is a good job you didn't get it ; it tasted terrible." She then went to eat the San Bran, but said she couldn't eat it as she could not get the taste out of her mouth. She kept on saying how terrible it was, and mother said jokingly, ''it wouldn't be anything that would kill you it you found it in the San Bran." She said, ''Oh no, I didn't suppose it would, finding it there." She was still complaining, and I said .''Have a drink of tea and see if you can wash it out of your mouth." She drank the tea and said the taste was still there. I had, finished my coffee and toast by this time, and I walked in to the bedroom to get ready to go to work. My sister came with me and said "I can still taste that ; it was in my chest, but it now appears to have gone into my stomach." She gave me a letter and said "Here, Em, don't forget to post this." Then I walked out through the kitchen on to 'the verandah. Vera was with me. Called, out "Goodbye, Vera; see you at dinner time; good-bye mother." They both replied and I went off to work. Was at work about 5 or 10 minutes and my little niece came rnnning over and said to dad, who was in the store, ''Auntie Via is so sick." Dad said to my brother, Keith, ''You run over," and immediately he returned and asked me to ring up the doctor. Rang up Dr. Browne's but he was not at home. Then rang up Dr. Clouston's and was informed that he was on his way to the surgery. Waited a few minutes and then rang again and was informed that the doctor was on his way to our place. Then ran home. Vera was on Keith's bed and I said, "Whait's, wrong, old girl?" She said, "It was that horrible lolly I got in the San Bran,'' and then said, "I feel better now.''At this time the doctor came in. Ran back to the shop as I had not left anyone in my place. Was there for a few minutes and asked the boy to run out and see if Keith was coming back.The boy said "Keith is not coming back ; he and his sister Zillah, are just going in the gate.'' Thought there was something wrong, and I hurried home again. My sister died just as I got to the house. As far as I know my sister never had any worries or troubles of any kind. She had a boy naaned Arthur Merritt who resides at Corrimal. When we were talking in the kitehen just before I went to work it was then mother said "it would be nothing that would kill you." I said ''You don't want to die yet,'' and she replied, ''No, I want to wait and see 'Aussie,' " who intended coming up in about a fortnight. My sister had another boy before she met Merritt ; his name was Cecil Brew. She ceased to keep company with him just after Xmas. She did not seem to worry when she ceased to keep company with Brew; she told me he said they would still be pals, and they remained friends right up to the time of her death. Brew bad brought my sister home on the Tuesday evening before her death. She also had some flowers which she said Brew had given her out of his garden. As far as I know she had no enemies. The lolly I saw in Vera's hand, which she said came out of the San Bran packet, was about as big as a threepence and twice as thick ; was pink in color. I with the members of the family, had been eating lollies in the kitchen the night before the happening. There were some left on the mantlepiece and the next morning I picked one off and started to eat it. Did not finish it, and threw the remains into the ash-tray or fire. It was either pink or white. Could not say how long the packet of San Bran had been in the house. To Mr. Taylor: Vera was the domesticated one of the family. She stayed at home and attended to the house. Went to work about 9 a.m., but before going all I did from the time I got up was first to dress, then made my bed with Vera's assistance ; then went to the bathroom while Vera was in the kitchen ; then joined her and had breakfast ; then went to my room to get ready to go to the store, reaching there at 9. For many months past Vera was the only one in the house to eat San Bran. The washing of the breakfast things was partly done when I returned to the house Assisted Mrs. Johnson, my sister, to complete the washing-up after Vera's death. Saw Vera scrape the San Bran from the plate into a dish on the table that had other scraps in for the fowls. Did not notice the dih when I returned home from the shop. Had only toast for my breakfast and finished itl. Mother had toast and tea and finished it also. Father and Keith had breakfast before I got up and they had gone to work. Do not know what they had. The scrap-dish was a small bowl and there were some scraps in it. At the time when Vera emptied the San Bran into the bowl she was not feeling sick but was laughing and joking. She was not of an imaginative disposition, and was no of a sentimental frame of mind. She used to confide everything to me as far as I know. I think the stove is one known as a Younger. At the time Vera was complaining of the intense bitterness it did not cross my mind that the sweet contained poison. Saw the lolly come out of the San Bran packet. was at the kitchen door when I heard the click. Am certain that Vera did not have both hands in the packet when she was pouring out the San Bran. To the best of my belief she was leaning on the table with her left hand and pouring out the San Bran with the right hand. Mother was either at the fire or at the little table when the San Bran was poured out. As Vera was pouring it out on to the plate she held the packet about four inches from the plate; saw the stream of it coming out of the packet on to the plate. Did not see the pink lolly fall out on to the plate, but heard a clink on the plate and saw the lolly when I heard the clink. (A packet of San Bran containing the quantity that was in it according to evidence of witness was placed in her hand with a porridge bowl on the table in front of her and a pink lolly like that produced to the doctor was placed on the surface and just below the surface of the San Bran, and the witness in various positions poured out the San Bran in the same way as she saw her sister do, but in no instance did the lolly make a click on the plate. The witness states that the lolly may have been in the original packet and notwithstanding that Vera poured out San Bran a number of times from the packet without the lolly coming out, on this particular occasion the lolly may have fallen out first before any San Bran and made a click on the plate). It would have been possible for Vera, when she was pouring the San Bran out in the morning in question to have dropped the pink lolly at the same time into the plate and so have made a click in the manner in which it has been demonstrated. The previous afternoon I went with Vera and others to Adelong and visited Mrs. Cooper's shop and bought some lollies. We frequently have done this. Vera and I were exceedingly fond of sweets. That afternoon we bought some sugar-coated almonds both pink and white, also chocolate bon-bons and some jube-jubes. We did not buy any peppermints. Father had some peppermint lollies in the sitting-room ; they were kept on a little table in the first room to the right as you enter the hall, wrapped up in red paper. On the day Vera died I saw the red packet. Do not know if it is a habit of members of the family when eating sweets to spit portion of them out on to ash tray. Suggest that my father may have spit out portion of his peppermint into the ash-tray because I did the same thing that morning. Cannot say whether I ate more than one sweet that morn ing. The packet of peppermints was not kept on the little table on which rested the writing desk, the only one in that room. There were three tables in that room. As far as I know only papers are kept in father's writing desk ; know by lifting the lid and having seen papers there. It is a very old desk and has been in the house since we have been there. When Vera complained of the bitter taste in her mouth I did not suggest nor did I hear mother suggest to her to go to the bath-room and wash her mouth out. The lollies that were on the mantelpiece on the morning of Vera's death were some that were bought the day before in Adelong; I took them out of the bag and left them there. Mother prepared my coffee and toast. She was getting it ready when I went into the kitchen. Think mother was tilting the milk into the coffee and the toast was in the oven ready. Sat by the fire to have my breakfast. Can see on to the mantlepiece when standing. Vera could have done the same, but not as well as I could. She would have been able to see the lollies left on the mantlepiece. It could have been possible that she could have eaten one before I saw her. Vera broke a pearl necklace, but she did not regard it as an ill-omen. It would not have been possible for anyone to have put the lolly in after the packet was opened because no one knew where it was until that morning. I did not know for certain that the packet of San Bran was in the cupboard in the kitchen. That morning I saw her take it out of the dresser. No one except Vera used the San Bran for a period of at least six months. We always had breakfast together. Have seen Vera on other occasions take the packet of Sail Bran out of the kitchen cupboard, but I never saw her put it back. Having seen someone take a packet out of a cupboard on a number of occasions, but not having seen them put it back again I would think they kept the packet in that cupboard. Notwithstanding my last answer, I still say that I was not certain where Vera kept the packet (Continued on Page 2)
INQUEST ON THE DEATH OF MISS VERA WEEDEN (Continued from Page 1) in that cupboard. Notwithstanding my sister had to open the cupboard to take the San Bran out on a num ber of occasions I never observed any other packet of breakfast food there. It would have been possible, after the packet was opened when in the house, for someone to have dropped a pink lolly into the open packet. The only person that I can suggest that knew where the breakfast food packets were kept is mother. Father may have known where they are kept, and Keith may also have known. They do not take breakfast foods for their breakfast. Think there were several kinds of breakfast foods on the dresser because my sister was staying at home about two months ago and they were required for her use. If I took a bitter sweet into my mouth I would not crunch it up and swallow it, but would spit it out. The bars of the stove fire were down when I was sitting in front of it having my breakfast. Cannot remember, but I may have bitten off half the sweet and thrown the remainder into the ash-tray and have spat out portion of what I had in my mouth, but I may have taken the whole of the sweet into my mouth and spat out portion. The remainder of the sweets on the mantlepiece were given by Keith to the police. The letter produced is the one I handed to the Sergt. on the morning of my sister's death. The lolly my sister took may have been sweet at first; I think that is why she chewed it up, notwithstanding that it looked to be a factory-made sweet. Emma Weeden, mother of deceased, deposed : Deceased, Vera Weeden, was my daughter, 23 years of age, and resided with me. She stayed at home and helped me with the domestic work of the house. On the morn ing of September 6 Vera got up between 6.30 and 6.45, and between then until she took ill she was tidy ing up the house. About 8.30 she commenced to prepare some San Bran for her own breakfast. When pouring the San Bran from the pac ket she tipped some out on the plate and in doing so the lolly fell out on the plate. She said, ''What a funny thing, there was a lolly in that." She picked up the lolly and tossed it into her mouth. She then said it had a horrible taste, and ate some of the San Bran, then said she could not eat any more and tipped it out into the slop-bowl. She took a drink of tea after that and said she didn't want any more. She said she never tasted such a horrible lolly. She asked me, ''Do I look funny ?" to which I replied no. She said, ''I feel funny." Asked her to lie down and assisted her into the bedroom. Noticed when I put her down on the bed that her legs were stiff. Sent my little grandchild over to the store to tell my husband that Vera was very sick and to come home as soon as he could. After coming home my hus band went to Nurse Emery's place opposite and asked her what to do. Nurse Emery came over as soon as she dressed. Everything was done by the doctor and nurse, but my daugh ter died soon after. There were no differences or discontent in the fam ily, and Vera did not at any time express discontent with her life. Vera was the only one who used the San Bran out of the packet and she used it as a medicine. Have no idea how the lolly got into the packet. Vera had no enemies and I knew of no person that would wilfully do her any harm. Did not know that my husband kept strychnine in his desk. The place is always locked up when we go to bed, and always lock the doors when we are absent for any time from the house. It was a small round pink lolly— just an ordinary looking lolly. Do not know of any strychnine having been used as baits about the place. Vera was no different in her manner that morning. It would not have been many minutes from the time she ate the lolly till I helped her on to the bed and noticed that her legs were stiff. There were other packets of breakfast meal in the cupboard with the San Bran. We had been living in our present home eight years. During that time I have never known of any baits being laid to poison animals. Knew that Mr Weeden handed to the police a bottle of strychnine which came from a desk in his room. Did not know before that it was there. Know the desk contained my husband's papers as I have seen him open it and take papers out. The desk was not locked. Have not asked my husband since the death of Vera why he had the poison there. We have talked over the whole affair with him and the children. He did not say to my knowledge why he had strychnine in the house. Of the four packets of different kinds of break fast food in the cupboard only the San Bran had been used lately. Do not remember when the other break fast foods were used. No one but myself ever prepared the breakfast food in the kitchen with the excep tion of San Bran, which my daughter Vera prepared for herself. No one else other than the members of my family used the breakfast food ; refer to my husband, myself, Vera, Emma and Keith. My husband has not taken porridge or breakfast food for 8 years, and I have not had any myself for some years. It is over 12 months since any breakfast food was made for Emma, and since the winter of 1927 Keith has not had any. The packets of breakfast food have been in the cupboard for over 15 months, and I have never bought any breakfast food other than San Bran since Keith gave up eating it in the winter of 1927. It would have been possible for other members of the house hold other than my self and Vera to have known where the breakfast foods were kept if they went to the cupboard. Think there are some members of the household that did go to the cupboard to put things away and could have seen the breakfast foods there. Vera's sister Emma, suggested that she should drink a cup of tea to take the nasty taste out of her mouth. The tablet Vera took was a little smaller than a three penny bit and twice as thick, very similar to a junket tablet. Am firmly convinced that the pink lolly that was in the dish when I saw it caused Vera's death. Saw Vera pour the San Bran into the porridge dish ; so did Emma see her do so. Emma was sitting in the kitchen near the stove when Vera poured the San Bran out of the packet. I was getting ready for breakfast. Heard the lolly fall into the plate; it made a noise. Was not looking at it when it fell; Vera drew my attention to it and it was only what Vera told me that I knew it came out of the box. There were some sweets left on the mantlepiece from the night before ; they were both pink and white and sugar-coated almonds. Emma ate some of them that morning. There was nothing peculiar about Emma eating them; it was just before she had her breakfast. She did not eat it all and threw the balance in the ash-pan. She did not spit any out that I know of. Went to Adelong the afternoon before Vera's death with my daughters, and bought some sweets — white and red sugar-coated almonds and a sweet branded ''London.'' There were some peppermint lollies in the house on Mr. Weeden's table. Have eaten some of them. Mr. Weeden does not eat many sweets and if a peppermint lolly was found in the ash-tray I do not know how it came there. Cannot account for it getting there. Am quite sure that Vera did not eat any peppermint lolly that morning. Started the wash ing up of the breakfast things just after Emma left to go to business. Vera picked up the towel to help and then complained of feeling so un well. Then took her into the bed room ; this would be immediately after Emma had left. The packet of San Bran alleged to have contained the pink lolly was brought into the house intact and opened by Vera herself. Cannot say whether the pink lolly got into the packet before or after it was opened. Did not know what was the matter with Vera until the doctor told me. Did not associate the eating of the sweet with her illness after Emma had gone to work. Vera had not complained of feeling very ill until Emma had gone. Annie Maud Emery, duly qualified nurse, residing at Richmond-st., Tumut, deposed : — Have been in prac tice in Tumut for about 10 years. Have known deceased personally for many years. Mr. Weeden came over for me on Sept. 6. Went across in about five minutes and when I got to the house Dr. Clouston had just arrived. As the doctor was present I only assisted under his instruc tions. Deceased was at this time quite comfortable and did not appear very ill. Shortly after deceased had a convulsive spasm in which she remained for about 5 minutes. She came out of it and appeared quite sensible. The doctor had given her the injection before she had the spasm, and after the spasm, by in structions from the doctor, I gave her an emetic but she did not vomit. Soon after she took another convul sive spasm which ended fatally. When I went in I asked her what had happened, and she replied that she had eaten a pink lolly out of a San Bran packet. Asked her what it tasted like and she replied that it was both bitter and hot, and she had taken a cup of hot tea to remove the taste. To Mr. R. A. Lester: Had seen de ceased the afternoon before, but did not see her frequently to speak to. Have never noticed any kind of de pression with her. To Mr. Taylor: The conversation about deceased eating the sweet was not in the presence of the doc tor; he was out of the room at the time preparing the syringe for the hypodermic. No other person was in the room at the time. When I got to the house I think it was Keith who showed me where Vera was. Mr. and Mrs. Weeden were not in the bed room when I went in. Dr. Clouston mixed the emetic. Vera told me she partly chewed the lolly and spat it out in the ash-pan. She was quite collected and rational when she made these statements to me. When Mr. F. Weeden called me to go over he asked me to come across as he thou ght Vera was poisoned. Told him to run back at once and give her an emetic; to give her mustaril water. He said she had eaten a lolly out of the San Bran packet. It crossed my mind at the time that the eating of a lolly would not poison a person. Had no other conversation with any other member of the Weeden household about the lolly. Was trained at St. Margaret's Hospital, Sydney, and in all professional ex perience have not come across any medicinal preparation in the form of a pink lolly which contains strych nine of a sufficient quantity to cause death. Mr. F. Weeden was very agitated when he came to call me. Frederick Louis Weeden, father of deceased, deposed : Deceased was born cm Nov. 16, 1904. On Sept. 6, a few minutes after 9 a.m. was called from the shop to my home. My little grandchild came weeping to the coun ter and I said, "Dolly, whatever has happened to you?" and the answer was that Auntie Vera was so sick. Was busy just at the moment and asked my son Keith to run over to the house and see what it was. In the meantime dropped the order I was on and went home. On arrival found my daughter Vera on the bed where her mother had placed her. Her mother said she had had a convulsion previous to my getting there. Spoke to her ; she was quite sensible. Said, ''Vera, whatever has happened ?" and her answer was ''I'll be alright directly, Daddy; I have only eaten a little pink lolly that came out of the San Bran." Left her and went immediately for Nurse Emery, and after leaving nurse who sugges ted that I should give her an emetic of mustard and water, I returned home quickly. As far as I can remember I said to Nurse Emery ''I think she has been poisoned." The doctor came a few seconds after I reached home. He immediately gave her an injection and after that she seemed to rally and made the remark to the doctor that she thought she could get up, but the doctor pre vailed on her to stay where she was. A few seconds after that she took a bad turn and never rallied. When the doctor saw she had the bad turn he said to Nurse ''We will give her an emetic," but she did not take much and died shortly after. Decea sed was of a very bright and happy disposition and had no worries as far as I know. Knew she was keep ing company with a boy about Syd ney and got on well with him as far as I know. Previous to this she was friendly with a boy named Brew. Although she was keeping company with the boy in Sydney she and Brew were the best of friends. In regard to Brew and the boy in Sydney I do not think Vera had any worry concerning them. In the course of my business at the store receive consign ments of San Bran from the agents, and used to take a packet home for Vera when asked to do so. As far as I know there was a packet of San Bran in the house that morning, one of a consignment from Tilloch and Co. received on June 19. It was in good order when I took it home — sealed and intact. Had a bottle containing strychnine in the house and on the morning of Sept. 6 handed it to the police; the Sergt. was with me when I took it out of the desk. Have not used it for a number of years ; the last time I used it was when I laid baits for cats about 7 or 8 years ago. Do not think any mem ber of the household knew where the strychnine was kept. Deceased's life was not insured. She had a small amount in the G.S. Bank, Tumut. She left no will. To Mr. :ester : Wished Vera good bye before I left for the shop ; she was then in the best of spirits and showed no signs of worry. She was looking forward with pleasure to a visit from her boy, who has been here since her death and attended the funeral, staying for a week. Had many conversations with him. He gave me no sign that there had been any friction between Vera and himself. There was no friction between any member of the family. Her sister Emma and she were very great pals. She always had her own money and went for holidays when she wished. Know no reason what ever why she would want to take her own life. To Mr. Taylor : Emma had ar rived at the store a few minutes before the message came for me to go home. When I left home the other members of the family were pre paring for breakfast; Keith had had his breakfast before me. When I said good-bye to Mrs. Weeden and the girls they were in the kitchen. As far as I can remember Emma was sitting at the fire, my wife was making toast and I do not know what Vera was doing. The packet of San Bran I took home was perfectly sound taken out of a perfectly sound container holding 2doz packets, and I stacked the balance on a pyramid in the shop for sale. If there were other breakfast foods in the house which I would have taken them from the store. Apart from the San Bran a packet of X.T.C. was taken home last Easter for a married daughter from Albury who was staying at our home. During the last two years I have not had breakfast with my family. Have taken home breakfast foods from time to time as the fam ily wanted them during the last two years, and have done the same dur ing the last 12 months, apart from San Bran. Cannot explain why Mrs Weeden has stated that no breakfast food has come into the house other than San Bran for over 12 months, unless it is due to the fact of her nervous condition at present. When I went to call Nurse Emery I thought my daughter had been poisoned and I also told the doctor I thought it was poison she was suffering from. When I went into the home on the morning of the fatality I went into the bedroom where my wife was with deceased, and my wife told me Vera had had convulsions; but this was said after I had spoken to Vera. Did not respond to my wife's statement, but went across to Nurse Emery's at once. Did not say to my wife that I was going for the nurse. Do not remember my wife saying anything else except that Vera had had convulsions. The telephone message for the doctor was sent from the store. The desk is a movable one with a sloping lid which lifts up. As far as I know the desk contained papers of different kinds such as receipts, tax ation papers, etc. It would have been quite possible for any member of the household to have lifted the lid of the desk and seen what was inside, and any stranger coming into the house could also have done so, and it would have been possible if they had looked closely to find the bottle of strychnine. The baits were made of meat and poisoned with strychnine. Did this for two or three nights. It was not a full bottle of strychnine when I got it. Have never laid any baits in the store nor do I know of anyone else doing so. We stock lollies at the store and know the various kinds on the market. Cannot suggest any lolly on the market that could be treated with strychnine in such a way as to poison a person if they ate it. Vera did not say anything to me about having partly crunched the lolly, and then having spat it out. It was either Mrs. Weeden or Emma who told me about this afterwards, and said that portion of the lolly had been spat out in the ash-pan ; but it is my conviction that Vera spat into the open fire. At last Easter, accompanied by Mrs. Weeden, Keith, Vera and a friend, we went to Albury. Am convinced that the pink lolly re ferred to by Vera was not an ordinary sweet but was specially prepared by some amateur. Think there are doctors and chemists who are down and out who would put up a fatally poisonous preparation for any re muneration. Cannot advance any theory which would account for Vera having eaten the substance which caused her death. It would have been possible for someone to have put the pink lolly into the San Bran after it had been opened, but it is not probable. It would not have been probable for anyone at any time to have put a pink lolly into the packet. Had some peppermint lollies in the house, but do not remember eating any either the morning of Vera's death or the night before. Do not remember spitting any portion of a peppermint into the ash-pan. The Coroner's finding was that Vera Weeden died from the effects of strychnine poisoning apparently accidentally administered by herself, and ''I desire to add that from the evidence I come to the con clusion that it is highly improbable that the tablet or lolly got into the San Bran food during the process of manufacture or packing." |