CHRISTCHURCH POISONING TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4528, 8 November 1930, Page 1

CHRISTCHURCH POISONING TRAGEDY.

NO APPARENT REASON.

Christchurch, Nov. 6. Verdicts that Mrs. Fanny Elizabeth Mary Dunford’s death was due to suicide by poison, and that the death of her son, Rlivll Francis ‘Dunford, was due to poison administered by his mother with intent to procure his death were returned at the conclusion of the inquest concerning: the deaths of Mrs Dunford and her son, who died, the one in her house in Salisbury St., and the other in hospital, on October 21st last.

The coroner was Mr. E, D. Mosley. *t, . Evidence was given by Dr. Arthur Thompson that a young woman, Iris 'Dunford, called at his house and said that her brother was very ill, and that her mother had tried to poison bo'th him and herself. She said her mother had given them medicine consisting' of sulphur and treacle, and that she had noticed 'that her’s was hitter, ami had spat it out. He at once went to the house, where lie found the hoy in a stale of collapse. Mrs Dunford was not in the house. He sent Iris Dunford hack to his house le ring for an ambulance, and shortly after was informed by his maid that the girl had become ill. The two were hurried to hospital in the ambulance, but the boy died within a few minutes of being admitted.

(Witness then communicated with the police, and accompanied by a

sergeant, returned to the house. A shed at the back they found locked. The door was forced and Mrs. Dunford was found dead on the door. In 4he bedroom occupied by the mother and daughter was a cup which had apparently contained a mixture of golden syrup and sulphur. From what he saw of the hov and girl he was of the opinion that thev were suffering from poi-

soning. ilris Dunford said that for some months her father had been working in the country and that for the last twelve months she liad been working in a shop in Merivale. Her brother had also been working. On Sunday, October 19, she, her mother and her brother were together in the house, and on that day her mother seemed to he in perfectly sound health. On Monday morning she and her brother went to work as usual and she came home at about half-past six. Her brother returned at about six. Her mother was at home when she arrived and They all stayed at home that uvening, going to bed at about half-past eight. Her mother was still in her usual state of health, but she was very quiet aud indeed had hardly spoken a word all Sunday and Monday. Witness had had a pain for the previous fortnight and had complained of it to her mother that evening. Her mother said: “Fit give you children some sulphur and treacle in the morning olid that will make you all right.’ She slept so. well that night that although she occupied the same bed as her mother she had no idea whether she was restless or moved about at all. Her mother got up in the morning to get the brealkfast and the iirst time the girl awoke was when she brought her some of the medicine in a cup. The medicine seemed to be sulphur and treacle and the mother gave a teaspoonful to her daughter. Witness took some of it and noticed that it lasted bitter. She swallowed about half of it and then spat the rest out. “I told mother I didn’t like it,” she said, “and that it tasted bitter, and i asked her if there were any salts in it. iSlie said ‘No,’ and it came into my mind that it was poisoned, so 1 didn’t take any more. It was the taste that made me think it might be poisoned, but I had no reason to think that mother might want to poison me,” “Then mother tried to force the medicine on me, but 1 wouldn’t take it, and she came and sat on my bed and started to read to me. A little later I heard a most awful noise from my brother in the other room. I couldn’t help hearing it, and I couldn’t help knowing that he was in pain.” Witness jumped out of bed and went into her brother s room. He was in bed, ami her mother was sitting by the bedside. ’ “His face was blue and twitching, and 1 said to mother: ‘You’ve poisoned us.’ She said: ‘Don’t be silly. He’s only got the stomach ache.’ i \vas sure that it was poison and said I was going for the doctor.” Her mother locked the back door, but witness got some clothes from her bedroom and went out by the front to Dr. Thomas’s, leaving her mother and brother in the house. Witness assured the court that there had been nc recent disputes between herself and her mother, and that her mother never had any money troubles. She did not know that , there had been any poison in the house.