JEW’S DEATH MYSTERY

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1928, Page 12

JEW’S DEATH MYSTERY

ms two wives. Strange evidence was given at an inquest at Leeds, which the coroner said was being held because a complaints had been made to the police that death was caused by the improper administration of some injurious substance. The inquiry was into the| death of a Jewish tailor, Simon M. Yules (77), of Crosslands Street, Hoibeck. The funeral, which had been arranged to take place in a Christian cemetery, was stopped by the coroner. After Dr. Moore had given evidence that Yules’ death was due to bronchitis and fatty degeneration of the heart, he told the coroner that there was no evidence to support the allegations made. The police surgeon, Dr. Hoyland Smith, stated that there was nothing in the postmortem to support the suggestion, but in view of the allegations he had taken and preserved the vital organs for analysis. Mr Wurzal, solicitor, said that it would be more satisfactory to everybody if the inquest were adjourned for the full , analysis of the organs. Albert Yules, a market salesman, said that his father, with whom he had been sitting up for five days and nights, died in his arms, and in the presence of Magdalene Bishop, who called herself Mrs Yules, and • with whom his father had been living for 20 years. On the night before he died his father said, “Albert, what are they doing to me?” At first witness thought ho was. delirous, but. asked him what he meant, and his father added:, “They are trying to poison me. She gets ‘things for the dog and gives them to me.” Witness told him that no one had given him anything at all during the five days he had been there, and his father replied; “No, but during the last twelve months.’’ Asked by the coroner if his father suggested any particular substance as having been given to him, the witness said that he had not, but he talked about sheep-dip and the Pace trial, and said that she had bought the sheep-dip for washing'the dog. The woman showed his brother a tin that she said was for sheep-dip, and he told her to put it away or she would be accused of poisoning. Witness cast no aspersion on her, but they were only testing a dying man’s statement. After the inquest had been adjourned, Mr Wurzal, representing Mrs. Leah Yules, who was present in court, said that he had to make application for the burial certificate to be granted to his client. A similar application was made by Mr H. Middleton for the other woman. On the coroner’s decision, it was pointed out, would depend whether the man would be buried as a Jew or a Christian. Mrs Leah Yules, said Mr Wurzal, was married to Simon Yules in 1873, in accordance with the customs of the Jewish religion, in Leeds. There were six sons of the marriage. ■ In May, 1893, Yules deserted his family, and 'in that year the then Stipendiary Magistrate made an order of maintenance against him. The man fell into arrears, and served a month in prison for not paying. On the same order in 1915 the man was again before the Court. The question of a legal marriage was never disputed at the first hearing, but the man subsequently sued in- London for an order of jactitation of marriage, but .the suit was not proceeded with as he failed to provide a fund for his wife’s costs. He (Mr Wurzal) contended that the second marriage in 1908 was a bigamous one.

It was finally agreed that Mr Wurzal and Mr Middleton should meet the coroner privately to arrange a decision.