POISON IN CREAM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 941, 7 April 1930, Page 1

POISON IN CREAM

DAIRY FACTORY MANAGER CHARGED FAINTS IN WITNESS BOX From Our Own Correspondent WANGANUI, Today.* The case in which Matthew J>oo Rogers, manager of the Rangiwahia Dairy Factory, was charged with attempting to sell to the Maoriland Dairy Company cream containing bichromate of potash, a poisonous preservative, was abruptly adjourned on Saturday when defendant fainted while undergoing cross-examination. II was explained that he had been up all night in the factory and had had no food on the previous day. Mr. Cohen, for the defence, said it did not rest with the defence to prove how the preservative got into the cream. He said he could prove conclusively that defendant was not a party to putting any preservative in the cream. Preservative was only used in the factory for putting into samples, and was not used at Rangiwahia except during the summer. It was not used during December. The Rangiwahia factory was also 1,800 feet above sea level. a&d it was not so necessary there to use preservative. Cream from two suppliers' of the Rangiwahia factory had been rejected by defendant. In one case there was a distinct flavour of kerosene. It was while Rogers* was being cross-examined by Detective - Walsh and after he had described the sending of the samples of cream to the Maoriland factory that he collapsed in tho witness-box. After a short adjournment it was agreed that it would not be fair to defendant to continue, and an adjournment was made until next Saturday, the magistrate remarking that that was a very fair and proper