ILL FATED VENTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19742, 15 September 1927, Page 14

ILL FATED VENTURE.

THREE MEN ON AN ISLAND.

DEATH OF ONE OF PARTY

The story of the misfortune attending a project by three men to take up to-bacco-growing on Sunday Island was told yesterday, when an inquest concerning the death of one of the party, Charles Henry Parker, who died on the island, was held before Mr. F. K. Hunt, 8.51 , coroner. The deceased's companions were Alfred Bacon and James Ashworth. Bacon, in evidence, said on November 2, 1926, he and his companions left Auckland by the Government steamer Hinemoa for Sunday Island, where they landed four days later. About the middle of March of this year a splinter from a fern lodged in one of deceased's fingers. The wound had been attended to, b deceased later became ill He developed alarming symptoms, perspiring freely, and becoming partly paralysed. He became weaker and died on the morning of March 23 On April 11 witness and his companion had flown signals in order to attract the attention of the Hinemoa. The steamer had observed the signals and had taken witness and his companion on board. Ashworth gave corroborative evidence Extracts from the diaries of Bacon and the deceased were read. Rr Murray said, after hearing the evidence, he considered death was due to tetanus, following a wonnd on the finger A verdict to this effect was returned The coroner said he thought everything possible had been done by the two men in attending to their unfortunate comrade.