DEAD IN FLAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 237, 6 October 1936, Page 8

DEAD IN FLAT.

ELDERLY COUPLE.

SOLUTION OF TRAGEDY.

CYANIDE FUMES USED.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDXEY, October 2

Last Saturday week a man and his wife were found dc<td in their flat at King's Cross. Edward Summerhayes (aged 09) was a draughtsman, and he and his wife (aged 54) always seemed to be on good terms with each other. Apparently they were not destitute, or even in poor circumstances, and there was no known reason why they should kill themselves or each other. But apparently they had died by poisoning —the indications pointed to cyanide — and the theory first entertained by the police was that the husband and wife had arranged a "suicide pact" and had carried their agreement into effect. However, the entire absence of motive and the strong belief of various friends and acquaintances that suicide, was out of the question caused the police- to pursue their investigation, and shortly they came upon a curious and interesting' fact. Two days before the deaths occurred, a flat opposite to the rooms occupied by the Summerhayes couple had been fumigrated with cyanide, to destroy rats and other vermin, and the police, suspecting a possible connection between this fact and the tragedy, decided to test tTieir new theory by experiment.

Fumigation of Flat. With the assistance of members of the Bonrcl of Health, the 0.1.8. detectives pumped sulphur fumes into the flat that had been fumigated some days before and sealed it up. Within 10 minutes the sulphur vapour was entering the Summerhayes flat, and speedly made it uninhabitable. Further investigation showed that the sulphur fumes had passed between the floor planks.in the first apartment, then through a cavity under a five-foot passageway and so under the Summerhayes flat, passing up through the floor crevices into the room where the dead bodies were found. Here was a clear and simple explanation of what otherwise might have seemed a gloomy and inexplicable tragedy. The use of cyanide is frequent when rooms or buildings have to be cleansed of vermin and professional fumigators often employ it. But the fumes are deadly poison and the rapidity with I which they spread makes their use extremely dangerous. A few months ago an expert fumigator clearing a store of rats, entered a room into which cyanide had been introduced and the draught from the window blowing the vapour back into the room almost suffocated the man, and actually killed his daughter who was assisting him in his work. Naturally, in view of the danger when cyanide is used for fumigation, it is obligatory on those employing it to give warning before hand to others in the house or store. But in flats this regulation is sometimes evaded because landlords and owners are afraid of frightening tenants away. In this case, it is asserted, an attempt had been made to warn Mr. and Mrs. Summerhayes, but as knocks on their door elicited no response it was assumed that they were away from home, and the fumigation began without further delay. It is a sad enough story, but it must be some consolation to relatives and friends of the dead man and woman to know that their tragedy was after all pursly accidental.