Poisoned Family

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 169, 7 October 1927, Page 13

Poisoned Family

Poignant Story Revealed

Tragedy on Karaka Farm

STRYCHNINE was the cause of the death of Mary Minnie Blackwell, aged 36, and her two daughters, Marjorie Doreen, aged 14, and Muriel Mercia, aged 11, who died after a midday meal on September 6. The tragedy involving these deaths occurred at the home of Mrs. Blackwell, Karaka.

• i TRAGIC story describing Mrs. 3 Blackwell's troubled state; o£ ra ni was told to the coroner, Mr. f K. Hunt. S.M., when an inquest on the Tictims was held this afternoon. Mrs. Blackwell, who was distressed oral domestic affairs, told her husboiid and a maternity nurse that she intended to commit suicide. Hdt.a Lena Dryland, a maternity nurse, said that she had attended Mrs. Black-veil on occasions. When Mrs. Blackwell consulted witneßs about two months befor-3 tne tragedy she was very distressed. Sue complained of the hardrcss of her life and the poorness of her surroundings. She threatened to fdli herself and take the children with her Frel Wright Yates, manager of the Yates farm, said that the hoy Blackwell called at the farm house with a note from his mother asking that the

doctor be sent for. Later in the day he saw Blackwell, who told him that, during the previous two weeks his wife had threatened to commit suicide. About 12 months before, Mrs. Blackwell had taken strychnine from the farm to her house, and she told witness that she had mixed it with the family dinner, but later, coming to her senseis, had thrown the dinner away. Herbert John Blackwell, husband of the dead woman, said that on several occasions his wife had threatened to commit suicide, but he had always managed to pacify her. There was no poison in the house to his knowledge. Kenneth M. Griffin, Government Analyst, said that the stomach contents of each of the victims contained a fatal quantity of strychnine. There was no trace of poison in the food.