BLACKBALL TRAGEDY

Southland Times, Issue 25311, 14 June 1935, Page 7

BLACKBALL TRAGEDY

POISONED CHOCOLATES. POLICE INVESTIGATIONS TO BE DROPPED. The unremitting efforts of the police over a period of eight months in solving the mystery of the Blackball chocolate poisoning case eventually led to their investigations being extended to the Otago district, states the Evening Star. . . - , , Inspector James Cummings, of headquarters staff, and Detective-Sergeant T. E. Holmes, of Christchurch, made further inquiries recently when they visited Dunedin, and a man who had been working in the Lakes district was interviewed at length by the police. This man had been a resident of the West Coast at the time the poisoned chocolates were posted to the girl, and, although the police returned north without making an arrest, it is understood that following upon the committal of this man to a mental institution the police investigations have now been dropped. Following upon his interrogation by the police, this man went to work in South Otago, and it was while he was there that he became mental and was committed to a mental institution. On September 24 of last year Miss Margaret May Smith, the 22-year-ola daughter of Mr and Mrs R. Smithy of Blackball, met a tragic and agonizing death through eating poisoned chocolates sent by post. The chocolates were intended, it is stated, for two other girls, Misses Jean Clark and Ethel Bragg, also of Blackball. Miss Smith took a chocolate an hour before her.death in Dumpletons bakery, where she was employed. Early investigations proved that the chocolates were poisoned, having been “doctored” with sufficient strychnine to kill six persons.