A DEATH PACT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 61

A DEATH PACT.

THE LYALL BAY TRAGEDY.

VERDICT OF SUICIDE RETURNED

WELLINGTON, January 17. Suicide by gas poisoning was the finding of Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., to-day when he conducted the coroner’s inquest upon the deaths of the 17-year-old girl, Ivy Wilton, and Harold Wilson, aged 50,, who were found in a house on Sunderland road, Lyall Bay. last Saturday. James Alfred Wilton, an arc w’elder, residing at Otaki street, Miramar, gave evidence that the deceased girl was his daughter. She had been keeping company with Wilson, who worked at the same place, and witness had objected to this, and had told Wilson of it. The daughter’s relations with her family hao not been altered by the fact that she was still in touch with Wilson. He had not had the slightest suspicion that she was corresponding with the man. The giri had been in good health, and had not quarrelled with anyone. Constable Anderson, who is stationed it Lyall Bay. said that he had been called to the house at 6.15 p.m. on the Saturday. Rubber tubing was running from the gas stove to the pantry and on to the bedroom. The windows had been opened, but the place still smelled strongly of gas. The two deceased were in one another’s arms. Ihe bodies had been discoloured, and death seemed to be due to gas poison ing. He thought that death must have taken place 56 hours before. The evidence in this case shows it to be one of those tragedies which sometimes occur in a, community,” said the coroner. there is no evidence to show why they decided to commit suicide, but from the letters, to relatives and others there was a clear intention to do so. The man was considerably older than the voung woman, and I have no doubt that he dominated her to some extent. However, it is needless to make any further comment. The bs that the deceased died at Wellington on January 15 from gas poisoning, self administered.”

SEQUEL TO THE TRAGEDY.

WILSON'S FIANCEE COMMITS

SUICIDE

. ELLINGTON, January 19. The inquest in regard to the death by gas poisoning of Florence M’Mutrie, aged 26, in a house in Tasman street on Tuesday, showed a direct relation to the Lyall Bay suicide pact of Harold Wilson and Ivy Walton last Saturday. Miss M’Mutrie was the daughter of a farmer at Kimbolton, who last saw her four years ago.

Jessie Gladys Pemberton, with whom she had lived for a year, stated that the deceased had been engaged to Wilson, and was to have been married this month. At 9 o’clock on Monday night she was in good health, but seemed upset, and told witness she did not think she would go to work. Next day, following an inquiry from Miss M’Mutrie’s employers, witness went to the house, but found it locked. A neighbour looked through the window, and from what he saw the police were summoned, and the deceased was found dead in the kitchen with a gas tube near her head and the gas turned on. Witness had no doubt from a note left addressed to her that Wilson’s suicide was the reason for the deceased taking her life. The Coroner (Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M.) remarked that Wilson, from what they knew of him, appeared to have been a scoundrel. He not only committed suicide himself, but had wrecked the lives of these two women. He returned a verdict that the deceased died from gas poisoning, self administered, while suffering from depression.