NOTICE is hereby given that ALBERT EPHRAIM COHEN, of the City of Auckland, Agent, has this day filed in the Supreme Court, at Auckland, a Declaration of his Inability to Meet his Engagements with his Creditors, under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act, 1867, and the Bankruptcy Act Amendment Act, 1868, and the Bankruptcy Acts Amendment Act, 1870. — Dated this 15th day of November, A D. 1870.
E. A. MacKECHNIE, Solicitor for the said Albert Ephraim Cohen, Wyndham-street, Auckland. -Daily Southern Cross, 16/11/1870.
FEARFULLY SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. A. E. COHEN.
One of those very sudden deaths which have so frequently occurred in this city, forcibly illustrating the uncertainty of life, occurred last evening. The deceased was Mr. A. E. Cohen, formerly engaged as an auctioneer and commission agent, but whose affairs are now in process of liquidation in the bankruptcy. So far as we have been able to learn the circumstances attending his death, they are as follow: —Yesterday evening Mr. Cohen had complained to his wife of being very weary, and went to lie down on his bed, intending, with Mrs. Cohen, to go out to a friend's to tea later in the evening. Mrs. Cohen in the meantime went out for a walk in company with a friend. On her return, in little more than an hour afterwards, she was startled to find her husband dead, and the body getting cold. Deceased was lying on his back dressed, the arms bent at the elbows, and the hands brought over the front part of the chest. There were no marks of violence to be seen, and only a slightly discoloured mark on the centre of the under lip, as if it had been bitten by the teeth. Dr. Hooper was called in, but could render no assistance, life being extinct, and we understand that the doctor expressed no opinion as to the probable cause of death. On the matter becoming known to the police, the body was viewed in the usual manner, and the Coroner communicated with; and there is every probability that an inquest will be held to inquire into the cause of death to-day. We understand the deceased was about 27 or 28 years of age, and has been married over two years. -Daily Southern Cross, 18/10/1871.
ADJOURNED CORONER'S INQUEST.
The adjourned coroner's inquest as touching the sudden death of the late Mr. Albert Ephraim Cohen, was held yesterday, in the Naval and Family Hotel, Pitt-street, before Dr. Philson, coroner of the district. All the jurymen who were in attendance on the previous occasion were present. — Dr. Hooper was sworn, and deposed that, together with Dr. Goldsboro', commenced the analysis for strychnine according to Stas' principle. Strychnine being very insoluble in water, it is necessary to add spirit to dissolve it. I therefore digested a portion of the stomach of deceased with rectified spirits of wine in a water bath — a portion of acetic acid having been first added. The mixture was treated with bicarbonate of potash. Having then shaken the whole well together, the moisture was then filtrated and evaporated. A small quantity of concentrated sulphuric acid was then added to the residue, to destroy any organic matter mixed with the supposed poison. Peroxide of manganese was then added, but the colours which ought to have been produced were imperfectly shown. The result is attributed to the impurity of the chemicals. I do not consider the test mentioned demonstrative of the power of strychnine. The filtered liquor, after being digested with alcohol, had an intensely bitter taste — even the smallest drop. I then administered a small portion of the contents of the stomach, unacted upon by experiment, to two young kittens, to the first kitten, half a drachm of the contents of the stomach produced rigidity and spasms in less than three minutes, accompanied by twitching of the muscles, occasional spasmodic cries, violent protrusion of the claws, violent drawing back of the head, and death in about an hour. Similar results were obtained in the case of the second kitten. I took the remaining portion of the contents of the stomach, and forcibly administered about a wine glassful to a large sized dog. Certain symptoms were produced in twentyfive minutes. There was no vomiting. Death took place in an hour and forty minutes. The character of the convulsions was very marked. From the various experiments made I feel convinced that the deceased's death was caused by strychnine. The matter administered to the animals was taken from the stomach, and had not been acted upon by any chemicals. The matter was administered to the kittens on Saturday and Sunday. No one had access to this matter but myself, and the greatest care was used. The contents of the stomach having been sealed, when taken from the stomach, and never opened until it was opened in the presence of Dr. Goldsboro'. When I first saw deceased the limbs were rigid. In ordinary cases of death rigidity does not usually set in until several hours after life is extinct. Poisoning by strychnine is not usually attended by vomiting. I do not think deceased vomited prior to death. — By Mr. MacCormick: I could not detect any signs of deceased having drunk any ale, but he might have done so, and yet have been absorbed. I am aware that strychnine is sometimes used by brewers. Half a grain of strychnine has been known to produce death. Such quantity would be detected in a stomach by adepts in analysing. The symptoms as those described in my previous evidence were such as I should have expected to find in cases of poisoning by strychnine. The features after death in such cases are sometimes quite placid. — To a juryman: Nothing but strychnine would have produced the spasmodic symptoms mentioned. The strychnine in beer would not have caused them, as a very minute portion of strychnine is sufficient to impart a bitter taste to several gallons. — This concluded the evidence, so far as originally intended, but after the Coroner had addressed the jury and expounded the law in cases of poisoning, it was considered advisable to adduce something further. — Rebecca Marks deposed that deceased was her son-in-law. In most instances her evidence corroborated that of previous witnesses, but she said she knew that strychnine was kept by Mrs. Cohen in the house. Witness had seen, in a drawer of a Chinese work-table, a packet of strychnine. Witness produced what she had found. There were several packets, and each contained a few grains. These packets had not been touched when they were found, and before Alfred Cohen had expired. He did not know the poison was in the house, and the worktable in which the poison was kept was locked. Mrs. Cohen's father purchased the strychnine at Edson's. He had some colonial beer during the day of his death. At this point of the inquiry, Dr. Hooper produced the result of his analysis of the stomach of deceased, which shewed indubitable signs of having been subject to the influence of strychnine. — Detective Ternahan deposed that he had learned that deceased and his wife had been frequently buying poison, and that deceased purchased strychnine in August, 1870, for the purpose of poisoning rats. Again, in May, 1871, he did the same; and in June and July his wife did the same. — After this, the jury went to the residence of Mrs. Cohen, who corroborated the evidence of Mrs. Marks in every respect. — Sarah West was next examined, and deposed that she was aware strychnine was kept in the house. Mrs. Cohen had charge of it, and witness used to cut slices of bread and butter, and Mrs. Cohen used the strychnine to sprinkle on bread and butter to kill the rats. The strychnine was used with the full knowledge of Mrs. Cohen, and witness had at various times used it herself. — This concluded the additional evidence, and Mr. MacCormick, on behalf of the friends of deceased, addressed the jury. He urged the improbability of deceased having committed suicide, and brought forward many reasons to show that he could not have taken poison wilfully. — The Coroner thought the whole thing hinged upon the credence the jury might give to the evidence, and to the analysis that Dr. Hooper might have formed of the contents of the stomach. —After a retirement of nearly two hours, in which seven Israelites and five Gentiles took part, the following verdict was arrived at: — "That deceased, Albert Ephraim Cohen committed suicide by taking strychnine while labouring under great mental excitement." -NZ Herald, 24/10/1871.
Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland.
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