MOANA TRAGEDY

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 27, 31 January 1919, Page 7

MOANA TRAGEDY

CORONER'S INQUIRY CONTINUED

IMPORTANT EVIDENCE TAKEN

PRUSSIC ACID IN SHIP'S MEDiCii

STORES,

Further evidence was taken to-day by Mr. W. a. Riddell, District Coroner, in the case of the recent tragedy on the R.M.S. Moana, when Dr. Grimm, the ship's surgeon, and Miss Ingsay Isbister, a pa6senger, lost their lives through partaking of lemon drinks which contained poison. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown, Mr. V. Levi for the Union Steam Ship Company y Mr. D. Jackson for the relatives of the late Miss Isbister, and Mr. R. Kennedy for Thomson, Lewis and Co., cordial manufacturers.

Willie Donovan, analyst at the Dominion Laboratories, on being recalled, said lie had received 49 bottles of soda water for analysis, and found no trace of cyanide in any bottle. He also handled Californian lemons which he obtained from the Moana, and there was no trace of cyanide in them. To Mr. Kennedy: The test for cyanide was an exceedingly d&llcate one, and the merest trace cotild be discovered: He did not, in the articles analysed by him, find the slightest trace of cyanide. The soda water he analysed was faintly acid, but he coTfld not say what quantity of cyanide of potassium would be required to neutralise the acidity. Had a bottle been found acid at the time it was opened would jsou have expected it to be alkaline when you received it at your laboratory, that is, assuming that a bottle containing cyanide to be acid?—No, I would not. To the Coroner: Assuming that cyanide had been found in the ice used for the drinks, or had got into the block of ice in any other way, it would not penetrate the whole block.

Assuming that cyanide had got on to the ice, would it be consistent with the amount of cyanide found in the drinks? —I think a small amount would be retained, sufficient to injure anyone. Even if theie had been cyanide in the water from which the ice was made?—lf only a skin was frozen, the bulk of the cyanide would be in the water below the skin of ice.

Witness added that he thought if one part of a block of ice were free from cyanide, the whole block would probably be free from it.

To Mr. Macassey : He had not yet had time to analyse the contents of the tin. of metal polish"handed to him.

BRASS POLISH AND FUMIGATION.

Chief Detective Boddam said he had found oiv-^nq'uiry that the brasses on the Moana were cleaned with a> preparation known as E. W. Bennett's Brilliantshine Metal Polishing Paste contained in solid form in tins. It was in use all over the world and could be pur--chased at any ironmonger's shop. John C. Frew, employed by the Public Health Department, gave evidence of having attended to the fumigating of the Moana on 17th November last, Bell's fluid and formalin having been used, the former being a liquid something like J.e'yes fluid.

Mr. Macassey intimated that this concluded the evidence he proposed to call.

PROFESSOR EASTERFIELD'S

INVESTIGATIONS.

Professor Thomas H. Easterfield was the next witness, and he stated: "My evidence is given on the assumption that there has been no criminal intent in connection with this poisoning case. If such intent is suspected I take it that it is' a matter for the police. My evidence may be summed up as follows:—I have analysed samples of soda water from every crate impounded by the police. These samp'»s were taken in the presence of the cuief detective. ' No cyanide was present in any of them. One part of cyanide of potassium can be detected with certainty in 2,500,000 parts of water. The merest trace can be detected \yith certainty. I have taken several samples from different crates at the works of Thomson, Lewis, and Co. and found no cyanide. I have carefully examined the plant employed by Thomson, Lewis, and Co. in making and bottling soda water, and I say "that it is a moral impossibility for. a bottle of soda water containing cyanide to leave the firm's Wellington works. If cyanide -were present in one such bottle, it would be present in 3000 bottles, since 300 dozen bottles are filled from one batch of soda water. I therefore infer that the cyanide found in the empty soda water bottles in the bar was placed in the bottles subsequent to leaving the works.

PRUSSIC ACID IN MEDICAL STORES.

In the course of further evidence Professor Easterfield said he had visited the ship and had seen the medical stores. In the drug case he saw various poisons, the only one of any interest being two lounce bottles of hydrocyanic a«id (prris*sic acid). They stood together on a: shelf,', so near to the door of the cabin that a person entering the cabin could have removed' one with ease had the1 case been open. The bottles had never been opened. So that the cyanide found in the lemon squash could not have beea taken from either of those two bottles.'

SAMPLES AND A VISIT.

Later he visited the police station, and took samples from each of the crates impounded by the police. He also took a sample of lemon squash from the Magistrate's Court; and two drops from an empty soda-water bottle labelled No. 5. The squash, ne from, bottle No. 7. Both of these smelt ol prussic acid, and the presence of prosaic acid was confirmed in the laboratory. He did not consideT it necessary to make quantitative estimations of the amount of cyanide of potassium, the presence of the poison having been proved. The samples of soda waiter contained no cyanide, nor was cyanide present in the samples. which he selected at random from ci'ates in the works. He visited' the works of Thomson and Lewis and Co., to inspect the plant and whole manufacture of soda water.

Witness went on to describe in detail the process of manufacture and produced plans of the Works and plant, suggesting that the Coroner might pay a visit to the Works himself.

The Coroner stated that he-would be satisfied with the evidence given, on the point by Professor Easterfleld.

In further reply to Mr. Kennedy, witness Mated that the presence of cyanide of potassium would interfere With th% acidity of a freshly-opened bottle of soda water. If, cyanide had been present.'in the bottle of soda water opened for the drinks it would have been acid. ,

To Mr. Jackson : He could not say if it would be possible for any person to remove the stopper of one of the bottles of soda water and stopper it up again without interfering With ,the liveliness of the soda water.

lo Mr. Levi: If prussic acid were put into a bottle of soda water it would largely become soda of cyanide. The Coroner: Is cyanide found only in liquid form'■—l>otasisiiii) of cyanide is a white powderi Mr, Levi: TJ B ed commemaUy ?—Yes, ffi gold mines a»d electrical w<a&i jn

, photography; and it is »n exceller* de» stroyer of cockroaches and bed bogs. ... fn further reply to Mr. Lori, witness i said that if opened soda water was left for an indefinite time it would become alkaline if the carbon, dioxide had free i chance to escape. If the bottle was pro- ; perly- sealed up within an_J>our the contents 'would . probably tie foond to be alkaline. CysaSle was a very soluble -•tfbstance, and the- treatment the bottles i received at the factory precluded the ■ possibility of it being in the bottles. I To Mr. Jackson: If 4 bottle whiclrhad [contained joussic acid went to the fac- | tory and was not washed before being put into the filter, and contained suflSi cieni of the «ri3, fatal results might ; folW. '. Evidence was given by Mr. Lewie, managing director of the firm of Thomson, : Lewis, and Co., also bjr his works manager, as to the impossibility of any cyanide i being in the factory or finding its way. • into the soda water bottles. Mr. Macaasey said that be w«e sorry i that he was unable to get farther evidence in the cage He desired to take [the opportunity of expressing hie appreciation of the very excellent work, under difficult circumstances, performed in the case by Chief-Detective Boddam. | A FURTHER ADJOURNMENT, v I Some further mention was made of the | prussic acid found in the ship's medical :■ stores, and it Was decided that another adjournment would be necessary in order to ascertain the amount and nature of medical stores supplied by wholesale chemists to the Moana during the past , two or three years. ! Mr. Kennedy suggested that in the ! meantime the Corouer might allay public anxiety by stating that the evidence given disclosed that the soda water was . not the cause of the tragedy. Mr. Jackson also suggested that the Coroner might state that tie evidence ! showed that the poison had not been selfadministered by either of the deceased. It could not have been. The Coroneri I am certainly of that opinion. Tie inquiry was adjourned until 2.1 c p.m. on Monday next.