ASPHYXIATED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 33, 9 February 1939, Page 9

ASPHYXIATED.

THREE CHILDREN. LEFT ALONE IN HOUSE. «WARNING TO OTHERS." (By Air Mail.) LONDON", January 18. j While a mother -who lost her three j children in a lire lay fainting outside, aj ißromley, Kent, inquest jury expressed! jthe hope that her tragedy would be a; warning to other parents. "It was most reprehensible to leavei such young children alone in a house," said the doputy-coroner. The inquect wa> on John Edward, 1 Turrell. aged 81. David James Turrell.l laged two. and Michael Ernest Turrell.l jaged six weeks, of Link Way, Bromley imnion. They were asphyxiated as they were j sleeping in a lire which broke out while itheir parent,* were out. ! The Last Kiss. The father. Ernest Edward Turrell, a house painter, said that on December 22 he went to Bromley Market to buy food and some Christmas dainties for the; children. i "The last thing I did before I went j jout," he said, "was to go upstairs and i kiss them good night." When he returned he found that his wife and children had been taken to! hospital. The tire brigade had gone. j To his knowledge, he said, the children: [had never before been left in the house : a lone. i The mother said that she went to her; mother-in-law's with some It took her about ten minutes to walk each way in the snow and she was not away more than half an hour. ! The children were sound asleep when she left. J Mother Slightly Burned. On her way home she saw smoke, but idid not realise her house was on fire, 'until, on onening the door, emoke and

flames shot out. She -was slightly burned. ills. Turrell then fainted and had to be carried out of court. Second Officer Rose, of the Bromley Fire Brigade, said that, wearing breathing apparatus, he rescued two of the children. He thought two of the children were dead before being brought out of the house. Frederick John Forrester, living near the Turrelle. said he heard Mrs. Turrell scream and cry, "Save my babies." ] I He tried to get into the house before! the arrival of the brigade, but was driven' 'back. ; Chief Officer Alexander Craig, of the! ;Bromley Fire Brigade, said the fire might, have been due to slow combustion. ! '■ A verdict of accidental death wasj returned. |