TELEGRAPHIC
Shocking Event.
Mr Alexander Stuart, son of the Rev. Dr Stuart, was found dead in his bed this morning.
Later. Mr Stuart’s death was caused by his taking cyanide of potassium in mistake. -South Canterbury Times, 6/7/1883.
THE LATE ALEXANDER STUART.
It is with regret that we have to record the very sudden death of Mr Alexander Stuart, second son of the Rev. Dr Stuart, of this city. The deceased had been suffering from congestion of the lungs for some time past. On Thursday night he went to bed, as usual, apparently in the best of spirits, and yesterday morning he was found dead in his bed. It is supposed that he took some cyanide of potassium (which was kept in his room) by mistake for his medicine. At the meeting in connection with the Blue Ribbon Army movement, hold in the Y.M.C.A. Rooms on Friday evening, the following resolution was, on the motion of the Rev. A. North, carried by acclamation: — "That this meeting (the first meeting of citizens having the opportunity of doing so) desires to express its deep sympathy with the Rev. Dr Stuart in the severe and sudden domestic affliction that in God's providence has this day befallen him."
An inquest concerning the death of Alexander Thomas Stuart was held in the house of his father on Saturday morning, before Dr Hocken, coroner, and a jury of 12, of whom Mr Duthie was chosen foreman.
The Rev. Dr Stuart, father of the deceased, deposed that his eon was 27 years of age, a native of Northumberland, England, and a surveyor by occupation. Recently he had set his heart upon going to New South Wales, and on Thursday night witness, with a great deal of reluctance, had agreed to make the necessary arrangements for his departure. Deceased was in good spirits, and retired to his room, after family worship, about a quarter past 10 o'clock. Witness happened to awake at 3 a.m., and did not go to sleep again, but did not hear any noise. In the morning Mrs McFarlane, the housekeeper, reported that he was dead, and witness, on going up to his room, found life to be extinct. Deceased took a great interest in mineralogy, which was his hobby, and he kept a number of mineral tests in his bedroom. He had been suffering from congestion of the lungs lately, and was under Dr Coughtrey's treatment, and mending very quickly.
Elizabeth McFarlane, housekeeper, stated that when she went to deceased's room at halfpast 8 on Friday morning she found him dead in his bed. He was lying in an easy position on his right side, the bedclothes unruffled, and it was hard to believe that life was extinct.
Donald McDonald, coachman arid gardener to Dr Stuart, stated that he had spent an hour in the kitchen on Thursday night with deceased, who was mending his rug and chatting pleasantly about his proposed trip to New South Wales. He was telling witness of the game he had shot in Australia, and before he left the kitchen said he would be out. in the morning to inspect a drain witness was making in the garden. They then attended family worship, after which deceased went upstairs to his room.
Dr Millen Coughtrey said he was a great friend of deceased's, and also his medical adviser. He had recently been treating him for congestion of the lungs. On Wednesday evening deceased told witness his tongue and throat were sore, and said he was taking borax. Witness made a post-mortem examination of the body, and found such a quantity of cyanide of potassium in the stomach as would cause death. In deceased's room witness found the phials of borax and. cyanide of potassium produced. They were exactly alike, and he had no doubt that deceased, in taking his medicine, had made a mistake with the bottles.
The Jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased met his death by accidentally swallowing a quantity of cyanide of potassium. -Otago Daily Times, 13/7/1883.
THE FUNERAL.
The funeral of the late Alexander Stuart took place yesterday afternoon, and was attended by several hundreds of people. The cortege was composed as follows: Relatives of the deceased, immediate friends, Session and Deacons' Court of Knox Church, Knox Church Literary and Debating Society, University Debating Society, members of Knox Church congregation, and friends of the deceased and of the family (in carriages). Service was conducted at Knox Church by the Revs. J. Chisholm and W. Will, and prayer offered up at the grave in the Southern Cemetery by the Rev. J. M. Sutherland. The pall-bearers, intimate friends and all of them schoolmates of the deceased, were Messrs William and Donald Stuart (brothers of the deceased), Arthur D. Bell (Shag Valley Station), J. R. Henderson (surveyor), J. R. Sinclair and R. Dick (barristers). The public turned out in large numbers to witness the funeral procession, which was one of the largest seen in Dunedin for several years, and many of the business places were closed temporarily out of respect to the memory of deceased. Two important meetings to have been held during the afternoon were postponed on account of the funeral. .
The deceased, who had a talent for versification, left behind him a manuscript book of poems, many of them of considerable merit. One of these, entitled "Retrospection," written about two months ago, was read on Sunday by the Rev. Dr Salmond in Knox Church, on the occasion of the funeral sermon preached by him.
At the conclusion of the burial the following consolatory address was presented to the Rev. Dr Stuart by the Knox Church Literary and Debating Society: —
Beloved and Venerated President, — In your great sorrow we entreat of you to remember that we sorrow with you. We would ask you to call to mind the years that are past, when we, rejoicing at your presence in our midst, and profiting by your counsels, seemed specially near you. as the loving and familiar sons of the father of our Society. With the gracious recollections of those years, and because your late son Alexander was associated in our membership, we approach you and seek to be recognised as rightful partakers in some measure of your affliction. Never have our hearts been so tenderly attached to you as they are at the present time, and it is with feelings of profound emotion that we tender you our most heartfelt sympathy. We mourn with you aa sons mourning for the grief of a well-loved father, and we mourn for the loss of an associate whose personal relations with us were at all times amiable, and whose great mental abilities we all admired.
May the God you have so long and so faithfully served be very gracious to you in this your hour of trial, and may the words of consolation and hope so frequently uttered by you in the hearing of grief stricken parents return unto you now with mighty power. With the deepest respect, believe us to be, yours in all sympathy and affection. [Signed by the officers on behalf of themselves and members.] -Otago Daily Times, 13/7/1883.
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