NELSON. 19th September.
Dr. Bligh, who recently went into practice with the late Dr. Cotterill, and has had an excellent business, committed suicide by taking prussic acid this afternoon. A letter left shows that it was premeditated, but no cause can be assigned for the commission of the rash act. -Evening Post, 20-/9/1887.
INQUEST.
On Thursday afternoon an inquest was held before the Coroner — Dr Squires — and a jury, of which Mr Haddow was foreman, touching the death of the late Dr J. W. Bligh. After "viewing the body" the inquiry was adjourned to the Courthouse, where the following evidence was adduced: —
Frederick De O. Cornwall, retired captain of H. M. 75th Regiment, deposed: I reside at Wilden Lodge., I knew the deceased John William Bligh. On Wednesday morning, together with Mr Oldham, I went to him to inquire as to his health, when Mrs Scott, his landlady, said she thought he would see us. We knocked at his door, and he answered immediately. He said he was better, and intended getting up soon, and going to visit his patients. I suggested that it would be as well if I saw Dr Boor and requested him to pay the necessary visits. He said he felt so much better that he would go, and he made an appointment for me to go with him at half-past two. He seemed very grateful to me for calling. Between two and three Dr Bligh's trap came over to me and the boy said Mrs Scott sent him because she could not get the Doctor to answer her. I got into the trap and drove as fast as I could. Mrs Scott was in a desperate state. I knocked at the door, but got no answer, and I called to him and said I would take the responsibility of breaking the door open. I tried to force it open with my shoulder, and then with an axe. I then went to the window, but could not at first force the catch. I then looked through the blind, and saw he was lying on his back on the ground, and I immediately broke the window and went in. The first thing I noticed was a small bluecolored phial by his right hand, and there was altogether a peculiar odor in the house. I cannot say whether the stopper was in the phial at the time. I then had a suspicion as to what had occurred. I felt his heart to ascertain if there was any pulsation, and I fancied there was. The left hand and side of his face were much discolored. I got out of the window, re-entered the trap and drove down to Dr Squires as the nearest medical man. I drove him back, got through the window again, and opened the door for him to enter the room. Dr Squires found the paper produced, it was on the chest of drawers: —
"Dear Sclanders — I am awfully sorry that this should happen. My great horror is that my body should be pulled and mauled about. There are a great many things I should like to have asked you. Poor little Dentiss has always been faithful to me according to his light. If at some time or another you can help him — I do not mean pecuniarily — will you do it? Forgive me asking so much.
"J.W.B."
Dr. Squires sent for some prisoners to place him on the bed. Dr. Bligh was my first acquaintance in Nelson, and I knew him intimately, latterly he did not appear in good spirits. I know he felt the loss of the Avalanche very much.
By the Foreman: I had not the slightest cause to suspect he premeditated the act. I don't know that he had any friends on the Avalanche coming to him. The captain and officers were intimate friends of his; he came out in the ship.
Elizabeth Ann Scott, deposed: I reside on the bank of the Maitai. Dr Bligh lodged with me for some weeks he had not been in good health. On Monday he was ill in bed all day, and I only saw him once. On Tuesday morning he seemed very strange in his manner, and three times he asked me the same question, as to any messages. I saw him again at half-past five in the afternoon, he still appeared strange; he had a wild look. I asked him if he would take anything; he said no. He rang about eight o'clock and had the fire lit, and he asked for pen, ink, and paper, he said, would I get a pen with a long handle, for when he had a pen with a short handle his ideas got contracted. I took him in the paper, and he asked me if there was any more news about the Avalanche; he also said, unless there came a particular message, I was not to disturb him. I asked him if he would take any breakfast in the morning; he said no, he would have some beef tea. I left him in the front room, but between three and four in the morning, I heard him in the dining room. At half-past eight on Wednesday morning, I called him. He passed his boots out of the room, but I did not see him. At half-past nine his trap came, after that Captain Cornwall called, and when he left, Mr Jones brought his little boy. He told me to tell him to take him to Dr Williams, but I said he could not walk, and he said he would see him himself, at half-past two; when Captain Cornwall did not come exactly, I knocked at his door to know what was to be done with the trap. I could get no answer, so I thought he had fallen down in a fit, and as the door was locked, I sent for Captain Cornwall. On Wednesday morning, the fireplace in the parlor was full of burnt paper. Nothing he said, or did, led me to think he meant to make away with himself.
James Sclanders, merchant, deposed: I knew the deceased. I have noticed lately that he has been unwell, but nothing peculiar in his manner. I have not seen him since last Thursday. After I heard of his decease yesterday, I received this letter: —
"10 pm. My dear Sclanders, — It seems strange for me to be writing to you now, but your note of this afternoon has struck a vein which I cannot allow to drop. You may think it strange that I should in such an apparently meditated way be rushing into the audience of my Maker. I certainly am, but why? I have been appealed to do so. Some of the Blighs may be bitter and bad, but as far as I know we are not cowards. I have been appealed to appear at Caesar's bar, and to Caesar's bar I shall go. I shall appear there in all and great humility, knowing how greatly and how grievously I have erred in this life, but I shall be able to say that I have more than once risked life and limb to save my fellow-men: This would seem like brag if I said so under other circumstances, but believe me I have stood in the gap for more than one man. I do not know whether I can give away anything in this way, at any rate they are not valuable, three or four photographs, I should like you to have.
"Dear Sclanders, forgive my being such an ass as to write such trash. "J. W. B."
I conclude he was not in a sound state of mind. I don't know that he had any trouble. I have not seen him since, the news of the loss of the Avalanche arrived. My note to him merely, reminded him that he had not kept an appointment.
Charles Edward Bunny, barrister, deposed: Deceased lived with me since Christmas last. I have noticed nothing peculiar about him lately, except that he has been ill. On Monday he did not get up. I suggested dropping a note to Dr Boor, asking him to see his patients, and, I did get him to do so. On Tuesday morning, just before nine, I gave him some beef tea. He seemed cheerful enough. I did not go home after that I went to Motueka. The news of the Avalanche undoubtedly depressed him very much. I believe he was born in Canada, and that his father died when he was about twelve years old. He was about thirty-three; or thirty-four years of age. He was a single man. I never heard that he had suffered from brain fever.
Mr Sclanders stated that he remembered Dr Bligh telling, him that on the West Coast of Africa he was very ill, and was out of his mind for twenty-four hours.
Leonard Boor, surgeon to the Nelson Hospital, deposed: I knew the deceased, and saw him last about five o'clock on Monday last. He was in bed complaining of suffering from severe cold, and exhaustion from fatigue — as he expressed it, thoroughly done up. He entered into conversation about his patients. I saw nothing peculiar about him beyond what he complained of. I heard on Wednesday that he was dead. I went to his house for the purpose of making, a post-mortem examination. There was no smell of anything particular in the room. He was dressed and lying on the bed, and had the appearance of having died suddenly — that is to say, his face, hands, and neck were livid. There was no smell of anything deleterious at his lips. On examining his brain I found evidences of old disease of the membranes. They were opaque, and adhering to the substance of the brain. The right lung was adherent to the walls of the chest for nearly the whole extent, being evidence of old pleurisy. The heart was small, and rigidly contracted, the cavities all but one being empty. His liver was very extensively diseased, that also being of old standing — that is, he might get about without complaining, but still having old disease about him. His other organs were healthy. In making this examination, I found no smell of prussic acid about the body. I may mention that the blood was in a dark fluid state, but that might be occasioned by any other sudden death. I removed the stomach and analysed the contents today; there was about 6 oz. of a dark fluid. On opening the stomach there was a slight odor of prussic acid. I employed the three usual tests for detection of prussic acid — the first being nitrate of silver, which gave slight indication of the presence of that substance; the sulphate of ammonia test failed to indicate its presence, as did also the iron. From all the appearances of the body, and from the evidence I have heard, I believe he died from the shock causing paralysis of the heart, conduced to, I should say, the old brain and liver disease. I can quite understand that a man in his peculiar frame of mind —meditating suicide — might by the very shock die in the act of raising poison to his lips, in the state of melancholy the evidence shows him to have been in.
By the Foreman — Ten drops of prussic acid would have killed him, but there was no evidence of his having taken that quantity. He was taking prussic acid for stomach disorder. The quantity of prussic acid in his stomach was nob sufficient to cause instant death.to a healthy man. Two tumblers were put in my hand by the police, one in which an egg had been beaten up with wine, the other with the dregs of a fluid. There was no prussic acid in either. I have not tested for any other poison, because there was no suspicion of any other. The appearance of deceased was that of a person who had died of apoplexy.
Evan Prichard, chemist and druggist, deposed: I reside in Trafalgar-street, Nelson. I knew the deceased. On Monday morning early I received a card from him on which was written the names of two drugs — 1/2 oz. nitrate bismuth, and 1 oz. hydrocyanic acid. I sent the dilute prussic acid. I believe the boy called for it. I am in the habit of supplying him with drugs. Dr Bligh never took prussic acid in my shop.
Dr Boor, recalled, said a poisonous dose of prussic acid would kill a person in less than two seconds: in those circumstances the odor of the poison would be detected in the blood, as small a dose as six drops of the strength of the British pharmacopoea might kill a person in ill health. The person taking it would fall down in a heap, doubled up, not at full length. I feel quite certain the deceased did not take a poisonous dose of prussic acid; as I have said, I consider his death was caused by shock.
This closed the evidence, and the jury, after a brief interval, returned a verdict, "That the immediate cause of the death of the deceased J. W. Bligh was paralysis of the heart produced by a shock to the system." -Colonist, 22/9/1877.
The "Avalanche" was rammed by the "Forest" in the English Channel on a dark and stormy night. Rammed broadside, the "Avalanche" sank in three minutes, only three of the crew, and no passengers, managing to climb onto the deck of the "Forest."
IMPORTANT TO MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.
In the Estate of J. W. BLIGH, M.D. deceased.
AUCTION SALE On 21st DECEMBER, 1877.
At Our Rooms, TRAFALGAR-STREET, Nelson.
SHARP & PICKERING have received instructions from the Public Trustee to
SELL BY PUBLIC AUCTION
The whole of the Instruments, Drugs and Medical Works
belonging to the Estate of the late Dr. Bligh
Also, FURNITURE, English Saddle, Buggy, and Harness And,
A capital Black GELDING, broken to Saddle and Harness, and a Fast Trotter.
CATALOGUES will be ready shortly, and may be had on application to the Auctioneers, and the Effects will be on view prior to day of Sale.
Sale to commence at 11 o'clock.
-Nelson Evening Mail, 1/12/877.
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