INHALED TOXIC FUMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27213, 17 October 1949, Page 7

INHALED TOXIC FUMES

DEATH OF COUPLE AND CHILD

INQUEST ADJOURNED PA AUCKLAND, Oct. 15. A 29-year-old Public Works lorry driver, Hugh Campbell Kirk, his young wife, and their 18-month-old daughter were found dead in the bedroom of their home near Ramarama last evening. They are believed to have died from the extremely toxic fumes of an acute fumigant such as is used in the extermination of vermin. A partlyempty tin of poisonous powder was found in the closely-sealed bedroom, and a quantity of the powder was spread over the floor and the bed.

Mrs Kirk was in bed, the infant was in its cot, and Kirk was lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. All were in their night attire.

An inquest was opened by the Pukekohe coroner, Mr H. Burrows, this afternoon.

Evidence of identification was given by James Paul Kirk, a brother of the dead man, and by a relative who discovered the tragedy. The Kirks were last seen on Thursday night, apparently in good health and spirits. They were well known and apparently on the best of terms.

Kirk was an amateur apiarist, and had recently bought the fumigation powder to clean up a foul brood of bees for a neighbour.

Police and a doctor who entered the house estimated that the inmates had been dead for about 24 hours. Senior Detectives Fell and Finlay and Dr W. Gilmour, police pathologist, visited the homestead to-day. The inquest was adjourned.