POISONED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 13 November 1922, Page 5

POISONED

HEAD OF SCOTLAND YARD BOLSHEVIK EXTREMISTS SU.S PECTED

NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH

(By Electric Telegraph —Copyright.) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, Nov. 11

Sir W. T. F. Horwood,' Chief Com missioner of Police, while dressing for the Lord Mayor's banquet, suddenly collapsed at Scotland Yard. Three doctors were called in and later it was necessary to remove him to ,St. Thomas's hospital. The police announce thai the illness is due to the malicious administration of poison in chocolates. The miscreant is not yet known. Sir W. T. F. Horwood has been repeatedly threatened by Bolshevik extremists, and there is a suspicion that they placed corrosive poison in his luncheon. He narrowly escaped death. Onlv his fine phylsique and the fact that the doctors were near at hand to give repeated administrations of oxygen saved him. His condition is still serious.

Sir W. T. F. Horwood's condition is still dangerous. It is understood the poison was either arsenic or strychnine contained in a box of chocolates posted in London to Sir W. T. F. Horwood. The latter and Miss Drysdale. his confidential secretaiy, partook of the chocolates. Miss Drysdale noticed an unpleasant taste and ate only one. Sir W. T. F. Horwood unsuspectingly ate several and the seizure occurred fifteen minutes later.