GAS POISONING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1915, Page 2

GAS POISONING

THE INQUEST ADJOURNED After The Post went to press yesterday the Coroner (Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.) continued his enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Walter Holmes and James Robert Smith (Mulgrave-street), Young Ching, Young King, and Young Wong (three Chinese) (Tin 'kori-road), who were found dead in their beds^on Friday morning, presumably as the result of asphyxiation by gas. Mr. Neave appeared for' the Gas Company, Mr. Peacock for the relatives of Holmes, and Mr. Jellicoe for the Chinese community. In regard to the death of Walter Holmes, Mi?s. Johnston, with whom deceased lodged in Mulgrave-street, said he was a wharf labourer, a single man, 37 years of age. When she got up at 5.30 on Friday morning she noticed a strong smell of gas and found that one tap in the passage was turned on slightly. Sho turned it off and opened the front door. The meter was always turned on. Tho gas was escaping with considerable noise, and she got someone to turn it off. It was "just like the sea roaring." That would he about 7.40. Then she knocked at deceased's door and got no answer. She went to_ Mr. Erskine, who slept in a room adjoining, but he was too sick and could not answer. Going back to Holmes's room she found him lying on j the bed, and it was afterwards found that he was dead. Deceased occupied an upstairs room at the back of the premises ; the gas meter was just inside the front door. His window was nearly half-way open from the bottom. To Mr. Neave : The meter was watered about four weeks previously. Holmes's room was right away from the meter. It had no fireplace. TKe door of his bedroom was slightly ajar. To Mr. Peacock : She had been in the house for two years and eight months. The meter was the same, "but a new service had been installed somewhere about a year ago. She slept downstairs, but smelt no gas when she first got up. On the morning of Holmes's death the gasman came and put about half a bucket of water into the meter. There was still a strong smell of gas. Evidence as to the finding of the bodies of th© three Chinamen was given by Alfred Bowden, who said that when he entered the shop in the afternoon the gas meter was hissing very strongly and the gas vr&s escaping "very thick." After further formal evidence 'had been grventhe hearing was adjourned to tho 10th wsL, at 2.15 p.m.