A FATAL MISTAKE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 126, 1 June 1927, Page 10

A FATAL MISTAKE

GAS POISONING TRAGEDY

A tragic story was told at the inquest to-day on Joseph Samuel Lucas, aged 76, who was found dead in bed at his residence, at 9, Waipapa terrace, Hataitai, on 23rd May,'with his wife, critically ill from the effects of gas poi-1 soning, beside him. Mr. W. G. BidS.M., was the Coroner. The first witness, Dr. T. N*. Usher, said that when he arrived at the house in response to a call, ho found tho rooms full of gas. Mrs. Lucas was unconscious in one room, and in another room he found the deceased dead in bed, partially dressed. Witness considered that he had been dead for twelve or sixteen hours. He knew Mr. and Mrs. Lucas to be a devoted couple. To the Coroner: If a gas jet had beonleft on in the kitchen, it would be some hours before the gas would take effect, as the house was a large one, and the bedroom was some distance away from the kitchen. He understood that the deceased had no sense of smell, and in that case he would not notice the escape of gas, but would gradually become drowsy and sink into a sleep from which he would not awaken. Olive Eva aPrker, a daughter of the deceased, stated that her father was alive and well m on 16th May. On 23rd May she went to the house in response to a telephone message, and finding all the windows and doors locked, broke a window, to get in. She found her father dead and her mother unconscious. The house, was .full of gas. She immediately rang for the doctor. ; Her parents were deyoted to each other. Her father had no sense of smell, and it would have been quite possible for him to have turned on a tap by mistake without noticing that the gas'was escaping. The gas stove was not fitted with an exhaust pipe for the fumes. . Lilian Barrance, a neighbour, said that she saw a light in the house at 9 o'clock on 21st May, But not seeing anyone about on the following day or the morning of the netx day, she communicated with Mrs. Parker. Constable B. Hollis aIBO gavo evidence. ■Sergeant Pender, of Kilbirnio, said that he examined • the gas stove and found that the tap to. tho oven was only an inch and a half away from the tap of the jet used for boiling water. It was, therefore, quite possible for tho decesed to have turned on the wrong tap by mistake. He produced tho statement of Mrs. Alice Annie Lucas, taken in hospital, who said' that for some day» prior to 21st May she had been suffering from earache, and had remained in bed. . On 21st May, her husband came to bed about 9.20 p.m., after filling the hot-water bottle. During the night, witness woke up with a terrible pain in her head, and to ease it, she put her head under the bedclothes and remained there. She did not smell gas, nor did she hear her husband get out of bed, although it was' quite likely that he felt something was wrong and partially dressed himself, and was overcome before he left the bedside. Sergeant Pender said that Mrs. Lucas would be in hospital for another month. He suggested that the installation of exhaust pipes for the fumes should be made compulsory with' all gas ranges, and the Coroner remarked that it might be advisable for those responsible for the work .to have their attention drawn to the need for such pipes. A verdict was returned that the deceased died from the effects of gas poisoning, due to an accidental escape of gas. ■■ , I