NOT A SUICIDE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 369, 1 June 1928, Page 9

NOT A SUICIDE

WOKING INQUEST VERDICT DEATH OF ROUGIER (Uyiitcd P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian Press Associationi LONDON, Thursday. At the inquest concerning the death of Hilary Rougier, aged 77, a bachelor, who had a farm at Woking, and who died on August 14, 1926, his body being exhumed two months ago, the jury returned a verdict that he died from the effects of a poisonous drug that was not self-administered. A police constable in his evidence said he had searched the records of several chemists, but could not trace the purchase of the poisonous drug which Lerwill, the friends of deceased, had stated he had made. The coroner in his summing up pointed out that it was wrong for a coroner’s jury to name any person or persons in a finding which involved a criminal offence, unless it was satisfied that there was a prima facie case against the person named. When the verdict was announced Lerwill, who had been present, left the court. At the opening of the inquest on May 23, the case took a remarkable turn, owing to the examination of William Lerwill, a well-dressed man, a little over 30 years old, in whose house Rougier was living when he died. Lerwill in liis evidence admitted that he had received between £5,000 and £6,000 from Rougier by cheques. Other evidence given when Rougier’s body was exhumed was that a poisonous drug was found In the body. Lerwill said he had no idea how the poison came to be there. He had no recollection that Rougier had asked him to get poison for dogs tnat were suffering