A PATHETIC TRAGEDY

NZ Truth, Issue 898, 10 February 1923, Page 5

A PATHETIC TRAGEDY

Whole Family Poisoned At | New Brighton The Milk Menace. (By Telegraph — "Truth's" Christchurch Rep) The pathetic tragedy, at Brighton, where a whole family was poisoned and the three youngest children have already died, is exciting much speculation as to the actual form of poisoning and what fopd was responsible for the tragic results. The inquest, opened on Monday, was adjourned after the bodies of the three dead in* fants were identified by an aunt; a sister of the father, m order to allow an exhaustive bacterlaloglcal and chemical analysis of the foods eaten by the family as well as a postmortem examination to be made. The surviving members of the family are: — Michael Cook (61 years of age), milk and ice-cream vendor. ■ Emily Cook (42), wife. Desmond (13). Essie (11). Andrew (10). All are still seriously ill and not out of danger. Those who died are Maud (8), Kenneth (19 months), and Amy, a twin sister. The Cooks were' a hard-working, respectable family, but m poor circumstances. They lived m a small tworoomed shack, or bach, ill-furnished, but bright and neat, whllo the utenBils used lor milk were scrupulously clean. The poisoning is supposed to have been contracted at the evening meal on Friday. The food found consisted of bread, butter, milk blancmange, Btewed fresh fruit and tea. No meat, fisli. or tinned goods were found. The whole family developed serious symptons, due undoubtedly to poisoning, next morning;, and all were removed to the hospital m a critical condition during the afternoon. Konneth and Amy (the baby twins) died during the night and Maud (the next youngest) the following afternoon. The father, Essie and Desmond showed a slight improvement up to Tuesday afternoon, but the condition of tho mother and Andrew is still critical. Tho Health Department state that investigations have established the fact that the fruit eaten was not a factor m the poisoning. Other samples of food are being analysed, whllo a pathologist's examination so far leads to the belief that the tragedy was duo to BACTERIA IN THE MILK used for the blanc-mango. A postmortem examination of the three deceased children Is now completed, but it will probably take a fortnight to develop bacteria and arrive at a deflnlto decision as to the cause of death. Tho parents are still too ill to give any account of the affair. The tragedy is believed to be a case of misadventure, but there is a possibility of more serious developments. Tho first alarm was given by Cook, who went to the neighbors about midday on Saturday. He was then m a state bordering on collapse, and fell at tho door, crying: . "MY QOD. I'M ILL." The neighbor offered tho only meillclno at hand, some painkiller, and Cook 'said he would take It for tho others, but waa persuaded to drink It himself. Ho then staggered back to his home. A doctor was called and immediately ordered- his removal to the hospital. All tho family were conveyed m a motor waggon to | tho Christchurch Public Hospital, whoro they arrived m a very .serious condition. Health officers then searched Cook'H bach and took samples of foods and utensils.