Took Poison When Police Approached

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 894, 11 February 1930, Page 1

Took Poison When Police Approached

DEATH IN HOTEL MAN WANTED IN SOUTH Evidence that death was due to poisoning was given before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., coroner, this morning, when the inquest into the death of John Walker was concluded. Walker collapsed and died in his room at a city hotel when interviewed by detectives. A verdict of suicide was returned. The inquest was opened on February 6, the day after Walker’s death. Detective Moon then said he and Constable Bowman had interviewed the man in his room, as warrants were out for him from Wellington and Dunedin. There were allegations that he had committed an offence at Gisborne and that he had passed a valueless cheque in Auckland. Walker had been interviewed in the morning, the detective had continued. It was while dressing in the presence of witness that h v had- collapsed. Dr. Peter' Mqir had been called but Walker had died while witness had been out calling an ambulance. A quantity of white powder found on the table had been sent to the Government analyst. When the Inquest was resumed this morning a report from the analyst was put in. The white powder referred .to was fgund to be cleansing powder containing -no poison. Walker’s stomach, however, had contained a large amount of an alkaline cyanide—considerably more than the minimum fatal dose. A jar labelled potassium cyanide, also submitted -to the analyst, was found to contain that poison. The report of a post-mortem examination of Walker’s body was submitted by Dr. D. N. W. Murray, who said the stomach showed signs of an irritant poison. Death, in witness’s opinion, was due to poisoning. A verdict of suicide was returned.