MAN TAKES POISON.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19611, 6 May 1929, Page 15

MAN TAKES POISON.

♦ DEATH AT LYTTELION. FAMILY NEARLY VICTIMS. What would have been a wholesale tragedy involving a Lyttelton family was only averted when David Smith Dodds. shortly before he died from poisoning on Saturday night, warned his family that he had poisoned some of the food in the house. Dodda, who was a married man witn three children, waa a dyer and cleaner, and resided in London street. Late on Saturday night he showed his wife « bottle of poison, part of a stock which he had formely used for rabbit-poison-ing. Pouring some on to his hand he said, "Well, this'U end everything, and went outside, returning in a few minutes with the almost bottle. As Dodds was said to have made similar threats on several occasions, his atatement that he had taken the poison was not at first believed. He stood talking in front of the in A' TO ? m *£ > for a few minutes and suddenly said, "Throw all the tea away and J * cake. I have poisoned all the food. Almost immediately he-collapsed. Medical .aid was summoned, bnt Dodds expired shortly afterwards The poJ»» took charge of » I the eatabbm the house, and a close «» min £'°* in r £ vealed that much of it coo"" 1 ** pofson. An inquest will be held today. 1