DEATH BEFORE DISGRACE

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1921, Page 5

DEATH BEFORE DISGRACE

TRAGEDY OF A FAMILY. ALL DIE TOGETHER By Telecraph. —Press Assn.—Copyrignt London, Nov. 2. The Daily Mail states that Coates, the victim of the Streatham tragedy, was recently charged and remanded on a charge of misappropriating £l9O. He, his wife and daughter, entered into a eolemn compact to die rather than face disgrace. They resolved that their son should die first. It is believed he knew nothing of the death compact. All/sat down to a last meal of chicken and champagne. The poisoned wine was first handed to the son, who died immediately and ways laid on the bed. Then the remaining three prepared to die by their own hands. The women put on their prettiest night-dresses. The daughter drank first, and when she was dead she was placed by her parents on her bed with her hands crossed. Then the mother laid herself on the bed and drank, and. her husband arranged her in death. She was turned sideways sq that he could take a last look as he was dying. Then he lay down himself and took the fatal drink.

Received Nov. 3, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 2. An important sidelight on the Streatham tragedy was revealed at the Bow Street Police Court, when William Baker Qoldsworth was charged with aiding and abetting Ernest Coates, head of the Streatham household, in misappropriating £209, the property ol Coates and Company. Both Coates and Goldsworth were arrested and bailed. Coates was a brilliant electrical engineer. He laid the whole of the Petrograd underground cables prior to the war. His firm failed last year>and arrest was the outcome of his failure. The police theory is that the step-son. who was incapacitated in the war, was not a party to the death pact and shar- < ed the champagne not knowing it was poisoned. The step-daughter married an Australian named Townshend, who is secretary of a steel company in Canada. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.