ASPHYXIATED BY GAS

Evening Star, Issue 17928, 25 March 1922, Page 11

ASPHYXIATED BY GAS

RETURNED SOLDIER’S DEATH,

Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. (coroner), hold an inquest yesterday afternoon on tho body of Cecil Clifford, a cleric, twenty-four years, who was found dead yesterday morning in tho stationery room of the Lew Zealand Insurance Company’s building with tho gas turned on full. Deceased was a returned soldier, with three years’ service. John Francis Clifford, _ father of deceased, said hia son met with a had motor accident about eighteen months ago which fractured his skull, Ho met with another accident about twelve months ago, and had ono log broken. Since the injury to his skull he had suffered from depression at times. Witness last saw his son about 11 o’clock tho night before at Grant street. Witness then wont home, and his eon left with his young lady. Ho was then in good spirits. He had not suggested suicide in witness’s hearing, and was not addicted to drink. Ho had no monetary difficulties.

Miriam Paget said she was at Grant street with deceased on Thursday night. They had music, deceased playing the clarinet. When they were leaving deceased said ho was not going to sleep at homo that night. Witness asked him what he meant, and he said that whore ho was going he was going alone. They stayed outside her home in Albany street talking for a while, witness having persuaded him to send away tho taxi when she heard what ho said. Ho was quite sober. Witness know he had a holtlo of whisky, and tried to got it away from him, but failed. She asked him if ho was going to do .anything desperate, and ho said:' “Yes; I made up my mind a long time ago, and it is becoming more certain every day. Nothing in tho world will put me off it.” Witness pleaded with him, and ho promised to go homo. Witness gave him time to got homo, and then telephoned to see if ho had arrived. She rang up again about 2 a.m., and, finding that ho had not gono home, told his undo what ho had Raid, hut lie did not eecm to think that deceased would do anything to himself. Dc eased had onco or twice said in a bantering way that he would throw himself over the wharf, and another time he said to her: J‘Oh, well, I’ll bo going away soon.” Witness took this to refer to a transfer. Deceased occasionally complained of his head, and was depreesed at times. _ Tho caretaker gave evidence ns to finding deceased lying dead in the stationery room.—To the Coroner : ‘The building was lit by electricity. The stationery room was lit in tho same way, the switch being just outside. Deceased know this well. The electric light would not _go when witness wont down the stairs in the morning, but it flared up while they were attending to deceased. Some corporation men had since found a fault, but it took them two hours to find it. Witness could not say whether tho light was working between 11 p.m. and 6.30 a.m. Tho gas bracket was about 7ft up. It was never used. Tho tap was stiff, and it took witness all his time to turn it off.

Dr Williams said the body was well nourished, Tho extremities wore cold, but the chest and abdomen were quite warm, and he thought death had ensued about two hours previously. There were no marks on deceased, except some dust stains on, his face and hands. There was cyanosis of both lips and tho tips of the fingers, and the pupils were widely dilated. Witness was of opinion that death was duo to asphyxia from coal gas poisoning. Tho worn was rocking with gas when witness arrived, ami the electric light was working. Sergeant Boulton stated that ho had made inquiries at deceased’s office, and found that everything was right with Ida work there. Tho Coroner said the evidence was clear that deceased had been suffering at times since tho motor accident from depression, and that when he left the young lady ho was in a very depressed state of mind, lie seemed to have formed an intention which ho had carried nut. He ('the coroner) could not possibly see how the gas could have, boon turned on .accidentally. Deceased know the room, and even if the electric light was out of order had his torch. He, could only find thatdeceased committed suicide while mentally depressed, death, being duo to asphyxia from coal gas poisoning.