INQUEST FINDING.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1924, Page 4

INQUEST FINDING.

A FATAL DRINK, t HBIS’I C IU’BCTI. .Sept. 18. The inquest coineming the death of Alfred John Walker, aged fortv-fonr who died as the result of drinking weedkiller at Ilentlicote on September 9. was resumed yesterday by Mr 11. Y. Whitlow sail. Distric t (Anoner. Arthur Vivian Whitr-l’ai-sbiis, chemist. of Lyttelton, said that the gallon jar of liquid produced had been ordered for the purpose of killing grubs on the howling green. T’lie mixture consisted of hyJro-chloric acid and per chloride of mercury. Both were poisons, the p.orehloride of mercury being a deadly poison. The Coroner said that Walker had unfortunately taken some of the poison, hut there was no doubt that his mates and the hospital authorities had done all that could he done tor him, although his ease was hopeless from the start. The truth of the happenings in the bowling green she would probably never be known because the evidence of the men vs

quite at variance with the statement made by Walker’in the hospital. There was the question as to -whether Walker had taken the fatal drink intentionally hut that could I e dismissed from the mind with safety. Then again, as Walker said in his statement. lie might have thought that lie was drinking lieer or ‘‘slmndy.” The Coroner did not think that Walker’s friends had tried to play a practical joke on him. What probably happened was that ho put the jar to his lips and accidentally swallowed some of the mixture.

A verdict was returned to tlio olTcct that dentil was due to misadventure.