A POISON MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 8, 9 January 1914, Page 9

A POISON MYSTERY.

TOWN TRAVELLER'S DEATH. (By Teleiraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. An irritant poieon, the nature of which has not yet been ascertained, apparently responsible for the dea.th of Rioiiard "jloetyn Hoope, of Oriental Terrace, who w-ae employed as Wellrngton town traveller for a wholesale chemical firm. The late Mr. Hoops was taien ill suddenly on Tuesday, and died in the afternoon soon a.fter the arrival of a doctor. The circumstance of chief significance tip to the present has been the discovery of a bottle of opium pills in the room occupied by t.he deceased, but at the inquest this afternoon the medical evidence, although pointing to death by poisoning, thiew no light on the source of the irritation which lesujted fatally, and the proceedings vere adjourned until a report iis received from the Government AnaJTst.

Dr. H. L. Steol jrare evidence that when te visited the house the deceased ■Was very blue, and he couJd not feel tbc pake. He eornmenced artificial refipiration, .bnt very shortly afterwards the man died- The blue a.ppea.runce of tlie b°&T suggested pcris&n. iI.TS. Hoope pointed out a little bottle of opium pills ■wlen witness was searciinjr the room for possible poisons. He did not think at the time that Hoope died from cupiu-m, for the condition of the deceased was not consistent with opium .poisoning. It ■wee very difficult to suggest what poison? would have caused ileatli with the symptoms that the deceased had, out the only preparation that would eeem to have caused the condition would be chloroform. That was only a S u«w----u , dili not Ttatiee any snie-11 of Chloroform in the room. Dr. Hani f Hon Gilmer ye evidence M io flinng ma j e an examination of the body, Dr. Steel aloo being present. The body w,wd] nourished, and b ore no but th.re were si , ?n9 ta some