POSTMASTER GASSED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 150, 14 March 1918, Page 9

POSTMASTER GASSED

BROMINE VAPOUR ' INCIDENT AT TE ARO POST ~ OFFICE An unusual case came before Mr. W. G. Hidden, S.M., in the.Magistrate's Court yesterday, when Sharland and Co., Ltd., wholesnlo druggists, were charged,'under section 84 of the Post, and Telegraph Act, that on February 2 they did cause to bo posted at To Aro Post Office a postal package containing a dangerous fluid, to wit bromine, being an indictable, offence. '. Cbjof-Detcctivo Boddain .prosecuted, nud Mr. T. Neave appeared for the defendant company. Chief-Detective Boddam,'in outlining .the case, said that on , tho date in question the defendants posted at Te Aro Post Office a parcel addressed to thn .'Wnnganui Hospital; The dispatch •nlerk, noticing that the parcel was warm, immediately took it to the office ■of the postmaster, who ordered him. to place it on the window-sill, while Jie' communicated with Sharland and Co. While- the postmaster was so engaged the parcel exploded, filling the :room witli fumos, which had a distressing effect on those in the room who inhaled them. , ' ' .• ■James William Sto?re, clerk in Te !Aro Post Office, testified- to receiving the parcel over the counter, and sending it on in the usual way to the dispatch room. '~,.' Egbert John Black, cadet in To Aro Post Office, stated that he was in the dispatch room shortly after : noon on [February 2 getting the mail away. .Among tbo parcels .was the one addressed .to tho Wanganiii ' Hospital, hearing the label , oj Sharland and Co.'j ltd. Tho parcel felt rather hot, and witness immediately took it to the postmaster; who ordered him to place it on the window-sill. Ho went out of ihe office, and was immediately recalled, when .ho found the office full of fumes. ■ He inhaled the fumes, and began to tremble, and felt tho effects mntil about tea-time. ■ ■.■,.'• Thomas Hninp Gibson,.postmaster at Te Aro, said that shortly after' noon ,<m February 2 the kst witness brought in a parcel addressed to tho Wanganui Hospital, with the label of Sharland and Co. attached. In consequence of the parcel being very hot, he directed, that it should be placed on the window-sill, which was done. While witness was in the act of ringing up Sliarland and Go. the parcel exploded, and gave, off a thick black smoke and acrid' and 'suffocating .fumes.' He -inhaled the fumes, and the immediate effects , were violent trembling iu the lower , limbs and forearms, vomiting, and choking pains. The effects lasted for about twelve hours. He com'nuinicated with Sharland and Co.j and the parcol was subsequently sent to thn Chief Postmasfer. , Willie Donovan, ' qiialined analyst, attached t,o the Dominion-Laboratory;' described ■ bromino as a heavy brown liquid giving off a yellow heavy ■ gas when heated.■■ It was a. poisonous,' suffocating gas, and was : .dangerous to health when inhaled. '■ It wquld cause suffocation, and irritation of ..the stomach, but tho trembling described bv tlie last witness lie thought might have been due to shock caused by the explosion. Witness examined the tin sent to him from tho detective office. It contained a bottle and some charred debris, but there was nothing to indicate what the bottle contained. The debris-was examined, and- was found to be organic in nature, probably charred sawdust, and from it there was* , obtained some broniine vapour. To Mr.-'j^eavo: Bromine was obtained from seawater or from salts deposited' by. sea water. "It was"not an explosive as ordinarily understood. Mr. Neavo stated that an,examination of the bottle showed that there was a defect' in it. . Tho bottle was wrapped in corrugated paper, and placed_ in a tin filled with sawdust. Tho tin was wrapped with corrugated paper and with strong brown paper. Witness stated that he would not have used sawdust, as bromine had a corrosive effect on it. He would have usfd pumice. Asked if he would hnve considered tho parcel securely packed assuming the bottle.bad been , sound,, witness stated that he would not have used sawdust; otherwise he thought the package was.fairly safe. .Mr. Neavi!, for. tho defence, asked that the information be amended so as to read "posting a noxious liquid" in order that the case could bo dealt with summarily under section 83. Ho pointed ouf that section '84 was in-, tended to cover explosives such as .dy r jiamite,'. gelignite, etc.,' and bromine was not an explosive. ' His Worship agreed to this course being adopted, and the information was accordingly amended. Mr. Neave said the facts were ad-

niitted,' bufc'thero was no negligence or carelessness displayed; every precautiou was taken in making up the parcel. The firm received an urgent order from the Waii;;anui Hospital for bromine in tubes, which was not in stock, and was unobtainable anywhere elsq in the city. But the firm had a limited quantity of bromino in liquid form, which' had been taken over from the Pcrirua Mental Hospital sonio nix months previously, and had been on the shelf all tho time. An ounco and a huh* of the liquid was placed in a small phial, glass stoppered, and was covered with corrugated paper and placed in a t ; n filled with sawdust. The tin had a close-fitting lid, ami the whole Tas. covered' wit,!) corrugated paper and wrapped in. strong, brown paper. The packing adopted was that prescribed for packing liquids likely to damage other goods, and intended to bo sent by post. Unfortunately, the defect in the i bottle caused the bromine to vaporise. Bromine was not an explosive, as the tiu in which it was packed was not damaged. He pointed out that this was the first time m thirty years that such a thing had happened with a package posted by tho iirm.

The Kngistrato, in reviewing the case, said that altbiugh the defence was a good ono, he thought the firm must be convicted. He imposed a fine of 405., and ordered the defendants to pay.costs.