- 1921 deaths in the district of Ipswich, Queensland.
No 5331, 5 April 1921 at Quarry St, Ipswich, Sydney David Smith, male, 22 years 9 months, crane driver. Cause: Strychnine poisoning, heart failure. Medical attendant Mervy Patterson, certifield 6 April 1921. Inquiry held at Ipswich on 26 April 1921.
Son of Peter Smith, engine driver and Elizabeth De Tenor.
Certified by Violey Smyth wife Quarry Street, Ipswich and by J.Stewart Berge, P.M., the magistrate hold the inquiry.
NOTE: Mother's maiden name given here as De Tenor but elsewhere as De Tenon.
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- Queensland Times (Ipswich) (Qld. : 1909 - 1954), Wednesday 27 April 1921, page 7
QUARRY-STREET TRAGEDY. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. POISONED BY STRYCHNINE. A magisterial inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Sydney David Smith, at Quarry-street, Ipswich, on April 5th. was held at the Court House, yesterday afternoon, by Mr. J. Stewart Berge (Police Magistrate).
Senior Sgt. T. Doherty examined the witness. Violet May Smith, widow of the deceased, stated that, on Tuesday, April 5th, her husband was in the Ipswich General Hospital. He left the institution on leave, and had tea with her at her mother's place in Quarry-street. Subsequently she saw him drinking whisky from a flask.
Later he went into the yard, and as he was away a long time witness called to him from the back verandah but received no reply. She told her mother she thought something had happened as she heard a noise like the knocking together of her husband's boots.
Her brother investigated, and found her husband lying on his face unconscious in the wood shed. Dr. Patterson was called, but he said he could do nothing. Life was extinct. The police came and took possession of the flask from which she saw her husband drink, and another which he had in his possession before he died. Witness said she came from Mount Morgan to Ipswich about March 5th, and her husband on March 23rd.
He stayed with her at her mother?s place until March 26th, when he entered the General Hospital. Deceased had told her that he was suffering from a contagious disease, and that he ought to do away with himself. She did not think he was serious, and told him not to be silly.
They had been married about two years and a few months, and had one baby boy.
Until her husband told her what was the matter with him they had lived happily, but afterwards they did not get along too well. It was agreed that the husband should go away and work, and that she remain with her mother in Ipswich. She had heard that the post mortem examination showed the deceased had taken strychnine.
Mrs. Abraanna Jackson, mother of the previous witness, and Robert Jackson, a brother, gave corroborative evidence.
John Eric Boatwright, apprenticed turner, residing in Blackall-street, East Ipswich, said he was a patient at the Ipswich General Hospital at the same time as deceased, who was being treated for contagious disease.
About 1.00 p.m. on the 5th April deceased was preparing to leave the hospital for two hours? leave, and witness said to him: ?What are you going out for; some stuff to fix yourself up?? Deceased said, ?Yes; some strychnine. That will fix me up.?
Witness replied: ?There?s plenty of poison here without going out for it,? and deceased, said: ?That won?t kill quick enough. It takes too long to kill.? At the time witness looked on the whole matter as a joke, and did not think deceased had any intention of poisoning himself.
Const. J . Quodling said he examined the body on the night of the 6th April, and found no marks of violence on it. He attended a post-mortem examination by the Government Medical Officer next morning, and produced a certificate of analysis of the contents of the deceased?s stomach from the Government Analyst, showing the pretence of strychnine, and a copy of the certificate of the cause of death (strychnine poisoning and heart failure) from the Government Medical Officer.
He had made inquiries from all persons in Ipswich who would be likely to sell strychnine, and he had not been able to find that any had been sold to deceased or any of his family. The inquiry was then closed.
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1897 - 1921 (23 years)
