POISONING ENIGMA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 628, 3 April 1929, Page 11

POISONING ENIGMA

FRIENDSHIP OF DEATH COUPLE LOCKED IN PUMPHOUSE Only part of the mystery surrounding a perplexing tragedy discovered in a waterworks pumping house could be solved at a coroner's inquiry held at Brigg, Lincolnshire. The two victims, a married man and a girl, who, so far as was known, were merely friends, took with them tcx their graves the secret of how they came to die together in the building from the effects of an irritant poison. Profound sensation was caused among the inhabitants of Brigg by the discovery of their bodies lying on the floor of the pump house," which was securely locked up, although the machinery inside was still working Since the previous night the couple had been missing from their homes under circumstances that completely nonplussed their families. The baffling feature of the tragedy was the fact that a thorough search of the pump house revealed nothing that threw any further light on their daiths than was obtained by doctors during the post-mortem examination. It was in the engine room of the pumping house belonging to the Brigg Urban Council that the fate of the couple, Arthur Cheeseman, 51, married, a plumber who acted as water engineer to the Brigg Urban Council, and Miss Ethel Peck, 27, of Brigg, came to light. Mr. Cheeseman had been very friendly with Miss Peck, who was employed at a fancy goods shop in Brigg owned by his sister. On the night that she was last seen alive the girl visited the home of a friend, and. after spending some time there, went next door to see her grandmother. Her disappearance after leaving this address was noted by her father, as she made a practice of going home for supper, and then returning to her employer’s premises, where she slept. She failed to turn up at her father's house. MISSING FROM HOME At the same time it was discovered that Cheeseman was also missing from home. This gave rise to some foreboding, and a search was begun. The discovery was made by Mr Robert Dent, an employee of Cheeseman’s, who, having been informed that his master had not been seen, visited the pumping station. This place was locked, and a police officer, on looking through the window, saw two bodies on the floor. When the door was broken open the two people were found lying with their feet touching and their heads in the opposite direction. The gas engine operating the machinery in the building was still running. Miss Peck’s wrist watch, it was noted, had stopped at ten minutes to twelve. Mrs. Peek, the grandmother of the dead girl, stated her granddaughter on the night she disappeared seemed very happy an® spoke of the good time she had had at a dance. She also spoke of the part she had taken in a small play at the Women's Institute on the previous night. She impersonated a bridegroom, and was dressed as a man. LAUGHING AND SMILING The old lady added: “As she departed she said to me, ‘I am going home for supper, granny.’ I saw her to the door and she was laughing and smiling when she left. She seemed to be the happiest girl in the world.” Miss Z. White, a close friend of the dead girl, declared that no one could have been more jolly or more cheerful than Miss Peck when she last saw her. “The thought of suicide,” added Miss White, would have been far from Ethel’s mind.” Mr. Cheeseman, who lived with his wife, also seemed perfectly natural in his manner when last seen alive. Only a little while ago he bought a new car. He was discussing a business proposition with a friend in the best of spirits about 8.30 on the night he disappeared. In opening his investigation into the tragedy in a tiny court, the coroner told the jury that though the bodieswere found together, each inquest would have to be taken separately, as it could not be said at the moment whether both deaths arose from the same cause. The jury was accordingly sworn in twice.

Robert Dent, plumber, of Barnetby, who made the discovery, stated that he had arranged to go to the pumping station on that morning.—Coroner: Who ordered you to go there? —Mrs. Cheeseman. —Did she say why?—No. FOUND DOOR LOCKED Dent added that he got there about 9 a.m. and found the door locked. He at once informed the police. Coroner: Why?—l told them there was something wrong. Why?—Because when I prised the door open I saw a body. Do you mean to say you were not curious enough to look through the window? —Yes I do. Dent told how he went back with the police and the door was forced. There was no smell of gas, he declared. It was Cheeseman’s duty to look after the gas engines, which involved his going to the pumping station every night. Witness could not say whether he stayed there overnight or not. He had never heard Cheeseman threaten to take his life. Inspector Davis, who was called to the pumping station, said when the door was unfastened he could see a human head preventing it from opening more than a few inches. Dent opened the window, and on looking through witness discerned the bodies. He eventually forced the door and went in. There were no marks or stains on the face of either, except for froth on Cheeseman’s mouth. NO SIGN OF STRUGGLE Coroner: Were there any signs to ; show there had been a struggle?—i None whatever. The inspector went on to say that he searched the building near the window and found an envelope containing a piece of brown ribbon and a girl’s handkerchief bearing the name “Arthur.” i In the grate lay a red envelope, which might have contained some j small tablets. Inquiries showed that Cheeseman did not go home that night, and the engines were running throughout the night. The inspector added that he failed to find that the couple had purchased any poison. Coroner: Have you searched their homes? —No. —You might do so Immediately?—l will. Replying to a juryman. Inspector Davis said he did not think the couple had been caught bv the driving belt and hurled to the floor. Edith Ch Femro. sister of th" dead | man. io T d ft- * —r-r" s l -- 1 could not i identifv Cm -- 'r* the “nyeiope. | hut the handkerchief was like those I Peck used. She broke down at this

point and could answer no further questions. Charles Peck, father of the girl, stated he did not know of the girl's relations with Cheeseman. Dr. Holme, describing the result of his post-mortem examination of the man, stated he found no marks of violence, but there was froth on the lips, which would indicate that death was due to poisoning. He found no definite trace of poisonous substances. In his opinion death was due to mineral poisoning, probably by potassium cyanide. o Coroner: Are you certain of the cause of death? —I am not absolutely certain it was potass^.m cyanide, but I think it probable. NO SIGN OF INJURY Miss Peck’s body, the doctor continued, bore no visible sign of injury. Her lips and tongue also showed signs of corrosion. Having considered all things, witness was of the opinion that death was probably due to a similar cause. He added he was of opinion that Miss Peck took less poison than. Cheeseman. The signs were not consistent with the takipg of spirits of salts, which Cheeseman could obtain for his work as a plumber. The red envelope could contain sufficient poison to kill two people. The coroner told the jury they had to decide what caused death, irritant poison or cyanide of potassium, and how' and by whom it was administered. The jury returned a verdict of “Death from irritant poison,” but there was not sufficient evidence to show how* or by whom it was administered.