OVERDOSE OF MORPHIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3911, 26 February 1929, Page 10

OVERDOSE OF MORPHIA.

A YOUNG MAN’S DEATH. AUCKLAND, February 18. Morphia taken in too large a quantity and heart failure were said to have caused the death of Harold Jackson Clark, a young man, into the circumstances of death an inquest was opened to-day in the presence of Miss Beryl Palmer, of Grey Lynn, -with whom he had been keeping company for three years. The deceased died on the evening of January 24. On behalf of the relatives of the deceased, Mr Johnston said that a verdict of suicide was not desired. Counsel suggested there was not sufficient evidence in any case to warrant such a verdict. In order that Dr Murray, the police surgeon who made the post-mortem examination, could be present, the coroner adjourned the inquest. Clark was in business on his own account as an outfitter in the city. “ For about a fortnight I noticed that Harold had been depressed,” said Miss Palmer, who is aged 22. “I often asked him what was the matter, and he would say, ‘Just a little bit of worry. We business men all have our bits of worry.’” She visited him on the evening he died. About 8 o’clock he left the room, but he returned a few minutes later and sat down, taking hold of her hand. The deceased said: “Beryl, if anything should happen that would separate us, you will not think harshly of me?” She asked him what would separate them, and he said: “You never know 7 . There might be some w-orry or other.” He had not been back many minutes when he said he felt ill. He lay on the bed, and at first she thought he had jrzst taken too much liquor, but as soon as he was on the bed he commenced to breathe heavily. Doctors were telephoned for, and people were told of his state. When the doctor arrived he could only pronounce life extinct. Miss Palmer said that a few days prior to that day she had found a small blue bottle under the cover of a table in Clark’s room. Written on the bottle was the word “ Morphia.” The deceased took it from her. She was worried about it, and next day when she questioned him he said it was only a sleeping draught he had got from a chemist. “ In my opinion, death was due to heart failure following an overdose of morphia,” said Dr Murray in his report.