POISONED ?

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 230, 28 September 1934, Page 8

POISONED ?

BLACKBALL GIRL.

CHOCOLATES EATEN.

DIED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

PARCEL FROM CHRISTCHURCH

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

Sensational circumstances are said to surround the death at Blackball, 18 miles north-cast from Greymouth, on Monday, of Margaret May Smith, aged 22. a single woman.

Inquiries which are being made in Christchurch suggest that the police believe the girl died after eating pc|soned chocolates, which were sent from Christchurch through the post.

The girl was in good health early on Monday morning, but died later when at work.

The poisoned chocolates, it is stated, were not addressed to the girl personally, but to another person, who handed them round.

One other person was taken ill, but not seriously. Evidently only some of the chocolates were affected.

An inquest concerning the death of Margaret May Smith was held at Blackball "on Tuesday. Her brother, Robert Francis Smith, said then that his sister was employed by a baker. She went to work on Monday morning in her usual good health. On returning to the bakehouse shortly after 10 o'clock he found his sister in pain, and she died almost immediately.

The inquest was then adjourned for a post-mortem examination, the report of which the police are now believed to have in their possession.