DRUG DEATHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

DRUG DEATHS.

DOCTOR AND GIRL. HYSTERICAL LOYE LETTERS.

' disclosure that death in. each case was due to morphine poisoning was made at St. Paneras at the inquest on , Manathanath Sanyal (30), an Indian doctor, and Gwennyth Rose Lewis (28); of Cilycwin, near Llandovery. The couple were found dead in bed at a Gower Street boardinghouse on July 6. A, hypodermic syringe and a quantity of drugs' were on a table near the bed. The inquest was originally ■ adjourned in order that an analysis might be made. Mr. D. Hopkin again appeared for the young woman's father, •Mr. Davjd Lewis, a Cilycwm schoolmaster. Dr. Roche Lynch, senior official analyst, at the Home Office, said that in the case of the woman he had found alkaloid morphine in the organs. In his view a fatal dose of .morphine had been .taken, and death was due to this cause. Mr.-Hopkin: Dpi you think any of the ,poison, got in by means of the syringe? ■ Dr. Lynch: I cannot say that the poison got in by the syringe, , but I.am of opinion that some, if not all, was taken by the mouth. • Mr. Hopkin: Do you think this poison could have been , given to this girl without her knowing?—lt would be possible to give a hypodermic injection when she was asleep. ' \ ' Dr.-Lynch said that in his opinion the man's death was due to the same cause, and that the. morphine was taken by the mouth. Dr. Lynch added that he had examined two syringes and a tumbler (found in the bedroom), on which thqre was a quantity of white powder." This was found to be' morphine hydrochloride. Sir Bernard Spilsbnry agreed that death in.each case was due to morphine poisoning. " 4 i .. "■' ■ ,' - ■■* iraflrf Moneylenders' Letters.. - Detective-Inspector E. Edwards said that on July S lie went to tbe.hostel for Indian students in Cromwell lload, S.W. He found several trunks iu Sanyal's bedroom. One of'them contained a motor car license issued by the Calcutta police, two moneylenders' letters to Sanyal in reply to applications for a loan—both of recent passport showing that Sanyal was born at Delhi, and a number of letters written by the woman to Sanyal and by Sanyal to her. J These letters were very long. None of them was dated, but some were in envelopes hearing postmarks. One was dated Cardiff, May 16, 1925, and started: "Monty darling." It was addressed from Ware Ward, Cardiff Royal Infirmary. The coroner asked Mr. Hopkin if he had had an opportunity of reading the letters. Mr. Hopkin: They are just ordinary love letters', with occasional hysterical outbursts. , The coroner expressed the opinion that parts of the letters ought to be read, but ■they were very long, and it would take some time. He would adjourn the inquest for someone to identify the- girl's handwriting.