TERRIBLE CASE OF SUFFOCATION BY GAS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2517, 17 June 1893, Page 3

TERRIBLE CASE OF SUFFOCATION BY GAS.

A very distressing discovery was made last Tuesday afternoon at a house in Courtney street, North Melbourne, occupied by an aged couple named Michael and Catherine Healey. A sister of Mrs Healey, Mrs Peviez, had invited Healey and his wife to dine with her on Sunday last, but the appointment was not kept. On Monday Mrs Peviez called to ascertain the cause. She was accompanied by a Mrs Moorhouse, and, finding the house locked up and no sign of life about they got a young man named Fyans to gain a forcible entrance. The two women then went upstairs, and, opening the door of the bedroom occupied by Healey and his wife, wore horrified to find Healey huddled up on the floor and Mrs Healy on the bo h There was an almost overpowering ninell of gas and one jet was burning The women hurried downstairs, and shortly after the police arrived on the scene. The woman’s body was cold, but these was.a suspicion of warmth in that of her husband. Dr Whittaker tried to reanimate the body, but without avail. The open gas jet was in one of the downstairs rooms ; and the silent evidence of tho house and its furniture and fittings, and entries in account books, and of the copies of the Argus of Monday and Tues day found unopened under the front door point to the belief that Mr and Mrs Healey were poisoned by the gas as early as Saturday night, and certainly nob later Sunday night, and that they lay there half stupefied and wholly unable to help themselves while the house slowly filled with gas. Even on the Tuesday when found th© husband as stated wasuot quite dead.