Page 2 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

PLAGUE OF RATS. BABY EATS THE POISON. Some remarkable evidence as to a plague of rata at London Custom House was given at an inquest held there concerning the death of a child named Challingaworth, whose parents lived at Custom House The evidence of the mother showed that when she took the house the place was infested with rats. She complained to the landlord, who sent a ratcatcher to the premises, and sent some men to open the drains. After this the r.its all cam in the kitchen, and the ratcatcher called uguui. 'inure were several largo rat-holes in the kitchen, and he gave her some poisoned cake to put down these. She did so and went out for a little while. On her return one ot- the children said that the baby had been chewing something he had picked tin near the fireplace. The baby soon afterwards became sick and died before the arrival of a doctor. The jury, in returning a verdict of accidental death, suggested that the sanitary authority should be informed of the occurrence and warned the ratcatcher to bt> more careful how he left bis cakes about in the future.