RARE, DEADLY POISON

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 August 1917, Page 3

RARE, DEADLY POISON

MEDICAL STUDENT’S SUICIDE,

LETHAL PHIAL IN HOTEL AREA

An inquest regarding the death of Philip Gordon Kitson, aged 27 years, who was found dead in bed at the Commercial Hotel, Auckland on Wednesday morning, was held yesterday by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., Walter A. Hitchenson, assistant-sec-retary of the Y.M.C.A., said deceased arrived from the Islands last February. He drank heavily, and had incurred heavy liabilities. About three weeks ago he expressed his intention of committing suicide if money did not arrive from Home. On the day prior to his death he had agreed to be prohibited, but the appointment was not kept. Henry Shoebridge, a porter at the hotel, deposed to finding deceased lying dead in bed in his room. Deceased had only stayed one night, and did not drink in the hotel. Constable Hargreaves said he found a tablet and a tumbler with a drain of liquid in it in the room, and in the aerea under the window a tube of poison. Dr. S. A. Stride said death was due to poisoning. A. ,T. Parker, Government analyst, said on making an analysis of the contents of the tube he found it to contain a very rare and deadly poison, the. lethal dose being about l-10th grain. There still,remained in the tube enough to kill about 10 people. The poison was known only to medical men and others connected with scientific matters. In all probability deceased brought it from England, as witness doubted if it could be obtained in Auckland. The glass contained the same poison. No medical man would carry the poison about with him, as if the tube broke there would be extreme danger, even a little on the fingers being sufficient to' cause death if carried to the mouth with food, or on a cigarette. The verdict was that deceased committed suicide by taking poison while in a state of depression.