VERDICTS AT INQUESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20254, 14 May 1929, Page 12

VERDICTS AT INQUESTS.

RETIRED FARMER'S FATE.

POISON TAKEN BY MISTAKE

Heart failure, following upon burns to the throat and chest from acetic acicl swallowed under the impression that it was castor oil was stated at tho inquest yesterday to have caused the death of .Richard O'Rouke, aged 70, retired farmer, who died on April 29. A verdict of accidental death was returned by Mr. F. X. Hunt, S.M., coroner. Evidence was given to the effect that deceased, who was a widower, came to Auckland from liis home at Te Kokino, near Waipawa. He boarded at the homo of Mrs. Rosetta Elias, in Pitt Street, and while there he accidentally took a drink from a bottle which contained acetic acid, thinking that it was oil.

A verdict that Mrs. Isabella Jane Baker, aged 43, committed suicide by gas poisoning was returned by tho coroner, Mr. F. Iv. Hunt, S.M., at the inquest yesterday. Deceased r.esided with her husband, Mr. Alexander E. Baker, in Titirangi Road, New Lynn. It was stated that sho had been in ill-health for some time, and had been under the care of doctors. On the evening of May 5, Mr. Baker discovered her body in tho kitchen, which was full of gas.

VICTIM OF ILL-HEALTH,

DEATH BY GAS POISONING

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday.

A verdict of suicide by gas poisoning was returned by Mr. Lcvvey, S.M., coroner, at an inquest into tlio death of William Malcolm McCleary, aged 47, boilermaker, who was found dead this morning in the kitchen at his home. Deceased had been in ill-health for 30 years, and lie went to bed early on Sunday in worse health than usual. His wife found deceased lying dead on the floor of the kitchen. Ho held a gas tube in his hand and his head lav on a cushion. It was stated in evidence he had previously threatened to take his life owing to continued ill-health.

WOMAN COMMITS SUICIDE

MENTAL DEPRESSION,

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] CHIUSTCHURCII. Monday.

Ethel Lethbridge, a patient at the Queen Mary Hospital for Women, Hnnmor Springs, committed suicide by hanging on Saturday morning. Deceased, who had been a patient for three months, recently became mentally depressed. At an inquest yesterday a verdict of suicide by hanging was returned.

DEATH BY POISONING

Till; FATE OF A WOMAN

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] A3HBURTON, Monday.

At an inquest concerning the deatii of Dorothy O'Connor, aged 37, wife of John O'Connor, farmer, of Ashton, it was found thatideath was due to poison, selfadministored while in a temporary state of mental depression.