FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 275, 3 November 1933, Page 8

FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK

AUCKLAND WOMAN’S DEATH EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, Nov. 2. A verdict that death was duo to an electric shock and fatty degeneration of the heart was returned by tho coroner (Mr F. K. Hunt) at the inquest concerning the death of Caroline Lilian Mason, who died on October 12. Mrs Mason was found lying in the back yard of her home, where she had been hanging out clothes. Stephen Langridge, overseer for the Public Works Department, said that he examined the premises occupied by Mrs Mason. In the back room he found a small wireless set fitted with headphones and arranged for connecting with the lighting socket by a length of flex and a lamp-holder adaptor. Direct connection with a cotton-covered wire had been made between tho clothesline in the back-yard to the terminal part of the wireless set. This terminal was also connected to tho end of the flex cord and the lamp-holder adapter. The full voltage was obtainable between the clothes-line and the earth when the adapter was inserted in tho lighting socket. A neighbour, Effie Cant, said that when she went to Airs Mason’s assistance she received an electric shock through touching the clothes-line and her arm ached for a considerable time afterward s. David Kennedy, a baker’s agent, said that he found the deceased lying on her back with a wet blanket hanging front the clothes-line partly across her arm. When he touched the elothcs-line he received a shock. Dr. Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, said that he found two burns on tho deceased’s left arm. His opinion was that death was caused by an electric shock and fatty degeneration of the heart. The coroner said that he did not think there was any need for him to add a rider, as sufficient publicity had been given by the authorities and the Power Board concerning illegal interference with electric equipment. He added, however, that he was given to understand that at schools there were classes conducted by social welfare people at which pupils were instructed in the art of making model aeroplanes and wireless sets. He expressed a strong hope that pupils would be severely cautioned not to touch or interfere with electric-lighting plant iu any way.