Strychnine and beer, 1920.

Barrier Miner (Broken Hill) 28th Feb 1920http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45502852

Yet another to add to the list of unpleasant, self-inflicted, deaths.

I know there are a lot of men out there that would do anything to avoid their financial responsibilities when a relationship breaks down, but this guy was taking it to extremes.

Strychnine poisoning is a fairly horrible way to go, that is why it is often the poison of choice for movie-makers. None of this feeling unwell and going to your room for a quiet lie down, never to return. This one is the big theatrical death of spasming muscles and pain, followed by suffocation. Yuck. Although I don’t agree with the shirking of responsibilities, surely a new identity in a new city would have been preferable to that horrible end.

I suppose there were a lot of foxes that were pretty happy to see him get a dose of his own though.