MAN TAKES POISON

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1929, Page 2

MAN TAKES POISON

DEATH AT LYTTELTON. family nearly victims. CHRISTCHURCH, May 6. Wliat would have been a wholesale tragedy involving a Lyttelton family was only averted when David Smith Dodds, shortly before lie died from poisoning on Saturday night, warned bis family that lie had poisoned some oi the food in the house. Dodds, who was a married man with three children, was a dyer and cleaner, and resided in London. Street. Late on Saturday night he showed his wife a bottle of poison, part of a stock which lie had formerly used for rabbit poisoning. Pouring some on to liis hand he said: “Well, this’ll end everything,” and went outside, returning in a few minutes with tlio almost empty bottle. As Dodds was said to have made similar threats on several occasions, his statement that lie had taken the poison was not at first believed. He stood talking in front of the dining-room fire for a few minutes and suddenly said. “Throw, all the tea away, and the cake. 1 have poisoned all the food.” Almost immediately lie. collapsed. Medical aid was summoned, hub Dodds expired shortly afterwards. The police took charge of all the eatables in the house and a close examination revealed that much of it contained poison. An inquest will he held to-day.