POISON IN JAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1935, Page 2

POISON IN JAM.

FOUR DEATHS IN FAMILY. MOTHER AND THREE SONS. A woman and her three children were poisoned at Carroll, a small township near Gunnedah, New South Wales, on the night of January 30. The mother is believed to have administered the poison to her children, and then to have taken her life. The victims were: Mrs. Irene Gladys Taylor, aged 34, and her children, Lloyd Dudley, Noel Edward, and Neil John, aged 12, 10, and 5 respectively. The mother had written to her daughter, aged 16, who was working on a farm some miles away, asking her to come home on the night of the tragedy, but the girl was unable to make the journey. The police say they believe that she might have been poisoned, too, had she visited her home. The woman’s husband, who is a casual labourer, was working some distance away at the time, and knew nothing of the tragedy until informed by the police early next morning. BOYS GASPING FOR BREATH.

The first news of the tragedy reached a neighbour’s house late at night, when the two boys, Noel and Lloyd, staggered into the home of Mr. Wheatley, who lives about 300 yards from the Taylors, and said that they were poisoned. They were gasping for breath and were on the point of collapse. Noel was almost incoherent, but Mr. Wheatley managed to ascertain that the mother had given them, some poison in jam, stating that it was medicine, and although it did not have a nice flavour, would be good for them.

An emetic was hastily administered, but - Noel collapsed and died shortly afterwards. Dr. Anderson, of Gunnedah, was hastily notified, and Lloyd was still alive when he arrived. The lad was rushed to a hospital, where he died next morning. When neighbours arrived at the Taylor’s home they found the child Neil lying on the floor dead. Mrs. Taylor was lying nearby at the point of death, and she died a few minutes later. A bottle of poison was found in the house. About one-tenth of it had been spread over the bread and jam.

The police learned that the woman had given the children the poison late in the evening, and that all had become ill. One of the older boys had then seen the bottle, and had decided to call aid from the Wheatley home, Although they were suffering terrible pain from the effects of the poison they managed to stagger to their neighbour’s house.

NOTE FOR THE POLICE.

Neighbours stated that the woman had been in the best of spirits recently, and seemed to be in excellent health when her husband left for his work two or three days earlier. The woman left a letter addressed to the police. A few lines scribbled on a writing pad were in the form of a farewell message to her husband.

At the inquest evidence was given by a witness that he purchased poison for Mrs. Taylor, who said her husband was going to poison rabbits. Sergeant Kemp said that he found three tumblers in the house. One contained jam and had a spoon in it. A second one contained a red liquid, which smelt of raspberry syrup. Adhering to these glasses were crystals, which appeared to be a certain poison. A third glass contained water and similar crystals. In the note addressed to the police the mother said that she was alone responsible. She said she could not stand life any longer.