MOANA TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 109, 1 February 1919, Page 8

MOANA TRAGEDY

INQUIRY CONTINUED PRUSSIC ACID IN MEDICAL STORES THEORIES AND FACTS Tho inquiry into tho death on the Moana of Dr. Grimm, the ship's surgeon, and Miss Ingsay M. Isbiiter, a passenger, was continued yesterday by Mr. AV. G. liiddell, S.M. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown, Mr. 1». Levi for the Union Steam Ship Company, Mr. Douglas Jackson for the relatives of Miss lebister, and Mr. R, Kennedy for Thomson, Lewis and Co. No Cyanide in Other Bottles. AA'illio Donovan, of tho Dominion Laboratory staff, recalled, said that he had cKamined the contents of forty-nine bottles of soda water, with the result that he found 110 trace of cyanide in any of them. He examined, also, some Californian lemons, and found no trace of cyanide in any of them. To Mr. Kennedy: By the test for cyanide it was ■ possible to detect minute traces, of cyanide if it were present. In his analysis of the remainder of tho drinks he tested for potassium only by •the flame test. Cyanide was present, and it must have been as sodium or potassium cyanide. There was a faint acid trace in the bottles of soda water from the Moana which he tested, due probably to the carbonic acid gas with which the soda water was made. He could not say how much cyauide would have to ilia present to neutralise the acid. To the .Magistrate: If cyanide, h?d in some manner been' spilt on the large block of ice from which the ice for the drinks was taken, it would not spread through the whole block. If cyanide had been iu the water frozen to make the ice, the chances were that, although when ice was formed salts in tile water were rejected, a small quantity of cyanide, sufficient to cause death, might liaVe been retained in the ice. He would say, however, that if a whole Woqlc of ice were made of water containing cyanide, and 0110 part of the block of ice were freo from cyanide, the rest of the block would probably also be free. Chief-Detective Boddam gave evidence as to tho metal polish used on the ship. Ho was given to understand that it was tlio same polish as was used by ships all over tho world. John Cleland Frew, of the Health Department, said that ho fumigated the Moana on November 17 last. He used for the purpose a carbolic mixture and formalin. This closed the evidence led by the Crown. The Making of Soda Water. Mr. R. Kennedy, for Thomson, Lewis, and Co., called evidenceProfessor T. H. Easterfield, of Victoria College, made the following summary of his conclusions: "My evidence is given 011 the assumption that, thero has been 110 criminal intent in connection with the poisoning case. such intent is suspected, I take it that it i.? a matter for the police and not for me. My evidence may be summed up ns follows:— "(1) I have analysed samples of soda water from every ono of the five crates impounded by the police. The samples were taken in the presence of the Chief Detective. No cyanide was present in any of them. One part of cyanide_ ot potassium can be detected with certainly ill 250,000 parts of water. The lneres.t trace can bo detected with certainty. "(2) I havo taken several samplon from different crates at the works of Thomson, Lewis, and Co., and found no cyanide. '"(3) I havo carefully examined the plaut employed by Thomson, Lewis, and Co. for muk'ing nnd bottling soda water, and I say that it is a moral impossibility for a-bottle of-.soda water containing cyanide to leave the firm'ij AVellingtoa works. "(1) Tf cyanide wero present in 0110 such bottle it would 'bo present in over 3000 bottles,.since 300 dozen bottles are tilled from one batch of soda water. ''I therefore infer that the cyanide found in the empty soda water bottles in the bar was placed iu the botties subsequent to leaving the works. Finding Prussic Acid. "I obtained permission to visit tho ship and seo the medical stores tho day before yesterday. In tho drug caso I saw various poisons. The only ones of any interest wero two one-ounce bottles of hydro-cyanic acid, or prussic acid. They stood together on a shelf so near to tho door of the cabin that a person entering the cabin could have removed one with ease, had the case been open. Tho bottles had never been open, so that the cyanijlp found in the .emon squash could not'have been taken from either of these two bottles." AVitnes? detailed his analysis of the drops of soda water taken from the almost emptv bottles from which drinks had been filied, and his analysis of tho lcmou sciuash. Both , smelt of prussic acid, and the presence of prussic acid was confirmed by laboratory test, 110 had mado 110 quantitative estimate of the amount of cyanido presont. Professor Easterfield was examined and cross-examined at length on the analysis 110 had made. The effect of all his replies was that in his opinion the cyanide must have been put in the soda water bottles after they were opened, nnd ust in the factory of Thomson, Lewis, and Co. It would be quite impossible ivith I he. cleansing process used by Thomson, Lewis for any bottle having a residue of cyanido to bo fibed with eoda water. But if a bottle came into tlio works containing a residue of cyanido, and was put straight into the fill, ing machine without washing, it must be admitted that the bottle would, still contain cyanide when it was opened again ns a full bottle of soda wfllor. JIo mentioned that cyanide, among its many uses, was a good destroyer of cockroaches or bugs, and cockroaches wero not unknown even in fine ships. Several bottles, woro open in the bar, some of which had been consumed without ill-effects. It seemed lo him that the evidence given did not preclude tho possibility of a bottle having been returned to (lie bar from a cabin, in which cyanido had been put in it for use against cockroaehcs, or for uso in a photographic process. He said that he imd not seen ice made 011 the ship, aiid could not discuss the possibility of tho ice having contained the poison.' On gleaning Bottles. Henry Siinmoncft, works manager for Thomson, Lewis, and Co., said lie had never known cyanide to be used for any purpose in any aerated water factory ot which he had knowledge. He had never seen a better bottle-washing apparatus, or a better bottling plant than at Thomson and Lewis's works. To Mr. Levi: It would not be impossible for a person to take a tin cap off a bottle of -soda water and replace the cap, but it was not possible to clamp oil the cap quite securely without a machine. If the bottle were kept still afterwards the cap might stay 011 after being pressed back by hand, and the soda water would still retain much of its gas. If such a bottle were shaken tlio cap would probably ily off. AVitufss described the cleaning process to which bottles weru subjected, mentioning that an additional washing and sterilising treatment was given to dirty bottles coming from doubtful sources, such as the "marino yards." Bottles alwa.ye went through tlio washing process, and then straight into the filling-mnchine, and so to the labelling machine. Alfred M. Lewis, managing director of Thomson, Lewis, and Co., Ltd., said that in a'year his firm sent out approximately a million and a half bottles of soil?, water. Every order for material for Tfto aorfcs passed through his hands, and 110 order had ever at any time been given for cyanide, lie had, never seen the substance in his lifo. Good Work of Polics Orticer, Mr. Macassey said that ho was sorry that he could present no more evidence, but he desired to take the opportunity of expressing his appreciation of the excellent work done by Cliici'-JJetective Boddam in tho case. Concerning tho doctor, Clu'ef-Detectivo Boddam had found that Dr. Grimm was liked personally- by passengers. 31r. Jackson asked the Magistrate to express in his finding his opinion that

the poison was not self-admiiiMered by tho victims, or given by one to the other. Tho evidence showed that this could uot havo been done. The Magistrate: I am of (hat opinion. The inquiry was adjourned until Monday at 2.15 p.m., to enable evidence to bo brought as to the supply of prussic acid oa' cyanide to tho s.s. Moana.