SOLDIER'S TRAGIC END

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2933, 20 November 1916, Page 7

SOLDIER'S TRAGIC END

Mr. L. G. Beid, S.M., conducted an inquest oil Saturday into the circumstances attending the deatfy on Wed 1 - liesday last of Pte. Murdoch M'lver, of the Nineteenth Reinforcements, ■whose body was found in a house in Thorndon Quay. Dr. W. E. Fyffe_ stated that death was due to some irritant which had been inhaled. Cyanide was present in the body. The use of cyanide was a most dangerous method of fumigation unless carried out under the most careful supervision. Every care should ho taken to keep people away from a house which had been fumigated with this poison. Arthur James Blade stated that he was engaged in fumigating a"house in iThorndon Quay. Aftor carrying out the fumigation with cyanide ho looked up the house, but did not put up a notice as ho usually did. He warned M'lver not to enter the house on any account, as the fumes were deadly. It was usual to have a building locked up for two and a half to four hours during fumigation. He had been using cyanide for the past twelve months, and 1 had never previously had any trouble. A verdict was returned to the effcct that death was the result of misadventure, no blame being attributable to Blade. Mr. Reid added! that too groat precautions could not be taken in eases of this kind.