THE WALTER STREET TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1528, 26 August 1912, Page 4

THE WALTER STREET TRAGEDY.

GAS POISONING. THE CAUSE,

Circumstances surrounding the recent tragedy at No. 18 Waiter Streot, whereby Miry Ann Norman and Edward Marshall met death on Monday last, wero further investigated, before Dr. M'Artliur, district coroner, on Saturday. Inspector lillison appeared for the police, and Mr. 1. Neavo represented tho Wellington Gas Company. Dr. Fyffo (recalled) stated that an analysis 111 respect to each deceased had been made, and this analysis indicated that death had been caused by the inhalation ot carbon mon-'oxide. Ho attributed death to coal-gas, which would causo vomiting.

Dr. M'Latirin, Government Analyst, stated that tii© room would bo & very dangerous placo in tho event of an cs- ; cape of gas. As a whole tho ventilation r was bad, the window being tightly shut . and the room very small. The Hat abo,vo ! tho grate was also shut. There was a . gas burner in tho centre of tho rooiu, and • a gas meter in tho adjoining room. . Frederick Wallis, gas-meter inspector, j stated that ho knew the house. Tlicro , was a shilliiig-in-the-slot metor in it, . and on August 3 he (witness) had cleared . this. No gas had been loft from tho former tenants' payment, but, on calling again on August 23, ho found a shilling 111 the tax ami 160 ft. cf gas had been used. Sri far as he noticed, tho pipes amf everything elso in connection with tho meter were in good order. Tho gas could only have escaped through the burner in tho centre of the room. Inspector Ellison: Supposing that a person went to light (he gas, found that there was none at tho burner, and left it turned on while he put a shilling in tho meter, would the putting in of the shilling causo the gas to escape P Witness: Yes, if the sexvico pipe wero turned on. Mr. Neavc: There are three things to be dono before a light con bo produced— first.tho insertion of a shilling, next tho turning of a handle ot tho 'meter, and finally tho turning on of tho tap ut tho burner. Is that not so? Witness: Yes. Mr. Neave: Tho two deceased would necessarily have to put n sliillihg in hefore they obtained a light, because (hero was 110 gas left in the meter when they came ? Witness: Yes. Tho presence of the shilling in tho slot that you discovered on August 23 explains the escape of gas?—" Yes." Senior-Sergeant Rutledge said that when ho visited the house after tho tragedy he noticed that, with tho exception of the bed, tho deceaseds' effects lmd not been unpacked. A verdict wag returned to tho effect that tho deceased met their deaths through poisoning by ■ carbon-monoxide.. Tho coroner was of the opinion that Norman and Marshall went into tho hov.se, and, finding tlijit, tho gas was not available, they put ti shilling ill tho slot, and . subsequently by tome misadventure left 1 the gas burner turned on. 1