MYSTERIOUS DEATH

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1931, Page 3

MYSTERIOUS DEATH

PARTRIDGE BELIEVED POISONED. London, June 21. A suggestion that death was due to strychnine poisoning was put forward at the inquest yesterday at Camberley on Lieut. H. G. Chevis, of the Royal Artillery, a son of Sir William Chevis, of Boscombe, Hampshire, who died in hospital on Sunday. He had been taken ill the previous night, following a dinner which included partridge. When the inquest was opened, the coroner (Mr. W. J. Francis) took the unusual course of asking witnesses to leave the court while he outlined the case to the jury. He explained that Lieut. Chevis and his wife wefe dining at their residence, D Hut, Aisme Bungalows, Blackdown Camp, Aldershot, their meal including two partridges, which had been in cold storage until delivered earlier in the day. He understood that the doctors believed that death was due to strychnine poisoning. Certain organs, together with articles of food taken from the house 'by the police, had been sent for analysis, and evidence regarding them would be given at the adjourned inquest. The birds served to Lieut, and Mrs. Chevis were Manchurian partridges. Before leaving the wholesalers, he understood, the whole consignment had been dusted, with flour. Captain W. J. C. Chevis, of' the Royal Engineers, said' that Lieut. Chevis, his brother, was 28, and had been married about six months. They were very happy and had no financial trouble.

Gunner Nicholas Bulger, the batman, said that after Lieut. Chevis had eaten a small portion of the bird he said, “Take this bird away; it is the most awful thing I have ever tasted.” Bulger took it to the kitchen where the cook ■burnt it. Mrs. Chevis, he said, had eaten rather more bird than her husband. The remains of her bird, were also burnt. He ■took the two birds in on one dish and they were served by Mrs. Chevis. Dr. E. F. Bindloss, of Farnborough, who was called to the house, said that Lieut. Chevis’ symptoms led him to the conclusion that* he was suffering from strychnine poisoning. He was conscious and told Dr. Bindloss that they had a. brace of partridges for dinner and said that he had never tasted, anything so horrible.

CHLOROFORM GIVEN IN CAR. Dr. Bindloss, continuing, said he telephoned for a Dr. Murray to come at once and bring chloroform, but before Dr. Murray got there Mrs. Chevis showed symptoms of a similar illness, and a third doctor, Dr. Cuthbert Attenborough, of Camberley, was summoned. They decided to move the patients to hospital. On the way Mrs. Chevis had very violent convulsions and Dr. Murray had to administer chloroform while Dr. Bindloss ditove the car.

Mrs. Chevis slowly improved, under treatment, said Dr. Bindloss, but her husband got worse. His breathing stopped about midnight and five doctors kept up artificial respiration until 9.50 next morning, when he died. He (Dr. Bindloss) formed the opinion that death was due to strychnine poisoning. Dr. Attenborough, Farnborough, who made a' post-mortem examination, gave evidence that death was due to asphyxia caused by acute poisoning by corrosive acid.

Mrs. Ellen Yeomans, the cook, said she noticed nothing unusual about the partridges. From the time when the oirds were delivered in the morning from a Farnborough shop until she started to cook them anyone could have had access to them, as they were in a meat safe on the wall outside the bungalow. They were served with tinned beans, new potatoes, and bread sauce. She said that after the batman had put the first bird on the fire, he brought out the remains of the second, which were also put on the fire. The coroner asked her if she had instructions to do this and Mrs. Yeomans replied: ‘‘No, but I thought it might meet the same fate as the first one.” The inquest Was adjourned until July 21.