LYALL BAY TRAGEDY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 83, 18 January 1928, Page 4

LYALL BAY TRAGEDY.

VERDICT AT THE INQUEST. SUICIDE BY GAS POISONING. (Per Press Association., WELLINGTON, January 17. Suicide by gas poisoning was the finding of Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., Coroner, to-day, when he conducted the inquest upon the deaths of the 17-year-old girl, Ivy Wilton, and Harold Wilson, aged 30, who were found in a house in Sunderland Road, Lyall Bay, last Saturday. James Alfred Wilton, arc welder, residing at Miramar, gave evidence that the deceased girl was his daughter. His daughter had been keeping company with Wilson, who worked iat the same place, and he had objected to this and had told Wilson of it. The daughter's relations with her family bad not been altered by the fact that she was- still in touch with Wilson. He had' not had the slightest suspicion that she was corresponding with the man. The girl had been in good health and had not quarrelled with anyone. Constable Anderson, who is stationed at Lyall Bay, said/that he was called to the house* at 6.15 p.m. on the Saturday. Rubber tubing was running from the gas stove to the pantry and on to the bedroom. Mr Holz had opened the windows, but the place still smelled strongly of gas. The two deceased were in one another's arms. The bodies had been discoloured and death seemed to be due to ga-3 poisoning. He thought that death must have taken place 36 hours before. "The evidence in this case shows it to be one of those tragedies which sometimes occur in a community," said the coroner. "There is no evidence to show why they committed suicide, but, from the letters to relatives and others there was a clear intention to do so. The man was considerably older than the young woman, and I have no doubt that he dominated her to some extent. However, it is needless to make any further comment. The verdict will he that the deceased died at Wellington on January 13 from gas-poisoning, selfadministered.