AVONSIDE TRAGEDY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 691, 17 November 1933, Page 5

AVONSIDE TRAGEDY

(Press Assn.-

inquest ad4qurnep family apparently hving 4n happy conditiqns M^RRIMAN RECOVERING

-By Telegraph — Copyrlght).

Christchurch, Thursday. The discoyery of the tragedy at Ayonside, in which .Mrs, Merriman, and three children were fo.und dead, frqm gqs poisoning was made by Messrs. G. K. Burton and T- Robson, neighbours. Mr. Burton's. suspicions were qroused whpn he noticed as he passed the house that meat apd bread left b,y tradesmen had not been taken into the house. As there wqs no sxnell of-gas in the bedroom and doors between the kitchep were clpsed, it is considered that Mrs. Merriman must have been carried either dead or unconscious from one room to the other. The children, too, must have been taken from their bedrooms to the kitehen. A tube was 'found leading from the gas stove to where the children were lying on the floor. In all respects the household appeared to be normal and happy. The family had lived in the district for three years and were highly respected by neighbours. • The coroner, Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., inspeeted the scene of the tragedy to-day and will open the inquest t-o-mprrow morning. Reginald Merriman, survivor of the tragedy in Kerr's Road, is still in a serious eondition in the hospital, biit has regained consciousness and is now expected to recover-. An inqpest on the victims was qpened this morning, and was adjqurned after evjdence of identification haj been given by John Holmes Ellis, an uncle of Mrs. Merriman. The funerals will not be held until after the post-mortem.