TRAGIC DISCOVERY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 690, 16 November 1933, Page 5

TRAGIC DISCOVERY

(Press Assn.-

FOUR PERSONS DEAD WHOLE FAMILY FOUND GASSED IN THEIR HOME. . . ;. f: MAN UNCONSCIOUS.

-By Telegraph — Copyrlght). i

Christchurch, Wednesday. I A tragedy is reported from Kerr's Road, Avonsid'e, where four persons- were found dead this morning. They were: — * - - l , Mrs. Merriman (30), wife of Reginald John Merriman, a wellknown messengei*. Her three children, Lois and ' Dick (7) and Helen (6). 1 Merriman himself is unconscious in hospital. The cause of the trag- i edy was gas poisoning. When found the three children j were" in the kitchen, which was I filled with gas. All were in their j night attire. Merriman was unconscious near j the stove, with the tube in his j mouth. . Mrs. Merriman was in the hed- j room dead. j The discovery was made by neigh- j bours, who grew anxious when they j heard none of the usual noises next ! door this morning. | One neighbour, after investigation, i suspected something was wrong, i broke a kitchen window, entered tbe j house and made the tragic discovery. After finding the children on the i floor, the neighbour entered the Merriman's bedroom, and found Mrs. Merriman lying under the bed-elothes dead, apparently also gassed, though there was no trace of gas in this x'oom. Merriman is 31 years of age. He had 14 years' service in the Postal Department as a motor driver. He usualy drove a van, and had frequentyl driven Ministers of the Crown in the official ear on visits. He has the reputation of being a steady-going man. He appeared to be normal yesterday.