STRYCHNINE IN MEAT

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 July 1932, Page 2

STRYCHNINE IN MEAT

CANTERBURY FARM MYSTERY.

[per press association-]

CHRISTCHURCH, July 27. Strychnine rubbed into meat from which a family were to make a meal nearly caused the death of a, brother and sister, Charles Topp and. Marj Topp, residing on a small isolated farm at Hawarden. They were violently ill, after eating some of the meat, but fortunately, a bitter taste revealed that something was amiss, and they ate very little, and soon recovered. The meat was cut from a forequarter of beef kept in the dairy. The family had had meals from the beef four days previously, and the meat was all right. After they- had eaten the beef on the last occasion, the remainder of the meal was thrown, out. Four dogs ate it, and all four died. The unused portion of the beef in the dairy was analysed, and it was found to be impregnated with strychnine. Since this occurrence, on July 10, the police have been investigating, but apparently are unable to discover the perpetrator of the crime. From the available evidence, it seems that some person must have gone to the farm on the night of July 9, entered the unlocked dairy, some distance from the house, and rubbed powdered strychnine into the meat hanging there. There was no strychnine on the fai;m, so that accidental contamination seems impossible. Charles Topp, when interviewed, today, said there seemed little doubt that some person who had a grudge against them, had rubbed the poison into the meat, but he had no idea who his enemy was.