SAD HAPPENING

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 12290, 2 March 1938, Page 4

SAD HAPPENING

TWO CHILDREN SUFFOCATED ALONE IN HOUSE Melbourne, Feb. IS Mysteriously suffocated by smoke from a Are in their bedroom, two small children were found dead when their mother returned home last night at Grovedale. The ill-fated children were Arthur Harry, aged 3, and his brother, Noel, aged 2, the only children of Mr and Mrs Albert Harry, of Tan-nery-road, Grovedale, near Geelong. They died during the temporary absence of their parents. They had been put to bed together and appeared to be asleep when Mr and Mrs Harry left the weatherboard dwelling in darkness at 8.15 p.m. Mr s Harry went to, see a sick neighbour, and Mr Harry went on a Ashing excursion with a party of neighbours. Returning at 10.15, Mrs Harry smelt smoke, and, opening the bedroom door, which had been locked, discovered the kapok mattress of the bed aglow. The air was thick with smoke. The child, Arthur, was lying helpless on the Aoor beside the bed, and Noel, who had apparently been placed on another bed by his elder brother, was huddled up. A doctor who was called said that both boys were ead. .First-Constable Wilson searched the room for traces of matches, but could not And any. The house is not connected with the electric light system. At an inquest which was opened and adjourned tp-day, it was stated that a post-mortem examination of the boys had established that they had died from suffocation.