Mary Wade Family

LATE ALLAN RAY - SUICIDE VERDICT

The Coroner, Mr. T. F. Cook, J.P., yesterday held an inquest touching the death of Allan John Ray and found that he had died poison, self-administered, from the . affects of strychnine. The evidence was to the following effect.

Sgt. Foley stated , that about 4.30 p.m. on 30th. April he went to the Bushy Bend with Dr. Thompson, who examined the body of the deceased lying near his camp and pronounced life extinct. The body was that of Allan John Ray, a single man, a returned soldier of the 1914-18 war.

Near the body was a small bottle which witness would say contained strychnine. There was also a panniken containing a small quantity of pink crystal. There were marks indicating that a struggle had taken place on the ground - the marks, were like the scratchings of deceased's hands. He was present when a post mortem examination was conducted by Dr. Thompson and certain organs removed, sealed in jars and handed to the police.

These organs were conveyed to the Government Analyst by escort. The report of the analyst showed that the contents of the body contained 0.6 grains of strychnine. The bottle and jug near the body were also reported to have contained small quantities of strychnine. Witness further stated that the deceased ' had lived' here practically all his life.

He had been away from Hay but returned here about a week before his death, suffering the after effects of a drinking bout. From information he had received, it would appear that the deceased had been a sick man for some time and was not quite normal. From enquiries made and his own observations, witness would say that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, and if poison had been administered, he would say that it had been self administered.

The scratches indicated earlier would be consistent with the deceased's own struggling. Dr. Geo. A. Thompson, Government Medical Officer at Hay gave evidence of having examined the body, taken certain organs therefrom and of having sealed them and handed them to the police. He would say that death had occurred in the previous two hours from the time he had examined the body at the Bushy Bend.

Having read the certificate of the Government Analyst he would say that death had been caused by strychnine poisoning; the amount stated to have been found in the organs sent for examination being more than sufficient to have caused death.

Alfred Matthews, pensioner living near the deceased gave evidence of a conversation with deceased on the morning of 30th. April when deceased borrowed his boat to go across the river to see about a job. Deceased returned the boat and informed witness, that he was to start on the job the following day.

At this time the deceased appeared quite normal, and he did so when witness spoke to him about 2 p.m. Witness next saw the deceased lying on the ground near his hut an hour or so later. He went over, put his hand on deceased, and called out 'Allan.'

He did not reply but made a sort of quiver with his lips. Witness, further stated that he had known deceased a good number of years and, never heard him say that he would take his life. He had been away at Carrathool and Narrandera returning about a fortnight before his death.

He was a little bit erratic and had some funny ideas — he was a little bit queer, witness thought. He had not complained to witness of sickness other than that his head was a little dizzy.' To witness' knowledge he had not recently been drinking in Hay but he said that he had been drinking in Carrathool and Naranderra. He put witness in mind of a man who was half in the horrors.

Albert Ray, brother of the deceased gave evidence to the effect that he had had a conversation with deceased on 29th. April when he appeared quite normal and in good spirits. Earlier in the day he had been at the witness' home for lunch and broke off a conversation to say that he could hear the Chinaman talking to him.'

Witness said that - the Chinaman had gone away, and he did not mention the Chinaman again. Witness was under the impression that deceased was recovering from a big drinking bout. He had never heard his brother mention that he might take his life. Deceased had never had any sickness and witness did not know of his ever having attended a doctor other than for repatriation matters — he was -getting a war pension, he thought for gas.

To the Coroner: There would be no reason for deceased to have poison - he did not go out rabbiting. Witness knew of no person who would be likely to poison his brother. On the medical evidence he really thought that deceased took it himself. The Coroner said that from the analyst's report and the evidence before him, it appeared that the deceased died from strychnine poisoning. Apparently his mind had become temporarily deranged as - the result of a drinking bout.

He would find that the deceased died on 30th April at the Bushy Bend, Hay, from the effects of a certain deadly poison known as strychnine, wilfully administered by himself on the same day.

The Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 - 1954) Tuesday 20 May 1947 p 2 Article