DEATH FROM POISONING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 861, 3 January 1930, Page 1

DEATH FROM POISONING

INQUEST ON DEVONPORT MAN SUICIDE IN BEDROOM Press Association DANNEVIRKE, Thursday. The story of a man’s death by poisoning early yesterday morning, after he had been discovered under a bed in a house at which he had been a visitor the previous evening, was told today at the inquest into the death of Harold James Hay, a commercial traveller for H. F. Stevens and Company, wholesale druggists, of Christchurch. Hay was about 45 years of age. He was married, and had two children. His address was given as Grove Road, Devonport, Auckland. Early; on New Year’s Eve he had been a visitor at the house of Mr. F. T. P. Cotter, a railway clerk. Soon after 9 o’clock Mr. and Mrs. Cotter, with a visitor from Wellington, a sister of ilrs. Cotter, left the house to spend the evening with neighbours. Giving evidence at the inquest, Miss Frances Eileen Stevens, a clerk, who resides in Wellington, said she knew Hay, having met him when working for the same firm in Wellington in 1925. Later she assisted in her spare time in keeping his books. They were friendly, but had little differences. About four months ago, owing to something she had heard, she desired to discontinue the friendship, but Hay persisted in his endeavours to continue it. Hay led her to believe he was a single man. BOTTLE MARKED POISON Witness ‘ said that Hay had previously threatened to commit suicide. About four months ago he went to an office in the city, where witness was working, produced a tiny bottle marked poison, and drank the contents. He went away and rang up the office an hour later, and witness came to the conclusion that he was bluffing. She saw him at the Dannevirke railway station on December 24, witness having come to Dannevirke to spend a holiday. She did not speak to him, but he called at the house of her brother-in-law, Mr, Cotter, where she was stopping, on Christmas Eve. She gave him tc understand she did not want his company.

About 9 p.m. witness and Mr. and Mrs. Cotter went out for the evening Hay accompanied them to their friend’s house and then left. After detailing her return home and finding Hay under her bed, witness said she told him that if he would leave quietly she would let him go. This he declined to do, and she called her sister, witness going into the kitchen. Hay was then asked to leave by Mrs. Cotter, but went into Miss Stevens’ bedroom. He sat on the bed, took a small bottle from a pocket, and said, “I’ll take this.” He swallowed the contents and lay over on the bed. Subsequently he was put outside by Mr. Cotter, who was not aware that he had taken poison, ami Hay was later found dead. Cotter said he was aware that Hay had an infatuation for Miss Stevens;, and also that he knew his advances were being resisted. He did not know that Hay was a married man with a wife and two children and was separated from his wife.

A verdict that Hay died through taking a dose of poison was returned.