POISONED CHOCOLATES

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1935, Page 6

POISONED CHOCOLATES

ALLEGATION OF MURDER DEATH OF GIRL AT BLACKBALL. LONG INVESTIGATION BY POLICE. ABOUT 60 WITNESSES IN CASE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night An inquest into the circumstances of the death of Margaret May Smith, who died at Blackball On September 24 as the result of eating poiSoned chocolates which had been posted to her will be resumed at Greymouth on July 29. Simultaneously with the inquest a man will be charged with the murder of Miss’Smith and with the attempted murder of Miss Ethel Bragg and Mias Jean Clark, both Of Blackball. About 60 witnesses, including experts, will be called from as far north as Auckland and as far south as Otago; The hearing is expOcted to last four to five days. It is understood that the man charged will be brought from south of Dunedin. The inquest was opened on September 25 last year, but after Robert Francis Smith, a brother of the victim, had given evidence of the nature of his sister s death in the bakehouse of Dumpletons bakery, where she was employed, it was adjourned sine die. On the morning of September 24, Misses Clark and Bragg, both agad about 20 and popular residents of the mining township of Blackball, received through the mail a box of chocolates addressed to them jointly and containing a cryptic Dote signed “Jim.” Neither was aware of the identity of Jim, but,, thinking that the box was an innocent or at the worst a practical joke, they opened the chocolates. OPENING OF THE CHOCOLATES. Miss Smith, who was employed in an adjoining shop in the main street of Blackball, was present when the chocolates were opened. By the merest chance she was the only one to partake of any quantity. Almost immediately, Miss Smith' became violently ill and, although attended by a doctor, she died within an. hour. The nature of her death pointed to poisoning and foul play was immediately suspected. The police were called in an® the chocolates were forwarded to an analyst. It was later announced, that the chocolates contained strychnine. . The police were faced, with; a real enigma, lack of motive for the . crime being the first and paramount difficulty. Detective-Sergeants. T. D. Holmes, •Christchurch, and H. E. Knight, Gteymouth, were assigned to the case. These two officers have not relaxed their efforts in the intervening period. Ah idea Of the enormous amount of work dOne by the investigating officers may be gained from the fact that almost 1000 statements have been obtained in all parts- of New* Zealand in connection with the case. ,