DEATH FROM GIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7720, 1 June 1903, Page 2

DEATH FROM GIN.

HVE-.pAR,Q(,D ttlilVS FATAI

MiSTAKJS.

The extraordinary story of the death of a little 4vd-yearrold . girl iratn dvinWngf g»» V*B told An inq^t at Oajcfor^, Devon, The gMV father, Jpmto Sfcjnjwr, who h»d Qbtn,ine4 H»or6 remunerative employment afc Oakford, moved his household effects from the little cpttdgo homo at Rackenford on- n. waggon, hig wife and children — the latter, the little five-year-old girl Bessie, and a little boy ftbowt six—'■riding with the furniture. The heterogeneojiß qoljeot|on. usually to be asKopiafcedj with this kind of flitting, included in this case a pint bottle of giltUnfortunatuly, thi* vr&B placed reach of th« children', who were eaua-ttipg in the reaar of rlie waggon out of (?lght ot the mother.

The father tramped alongside, blieefqUy uwoneolous that tbe chJld>e» were fcejning themsdyeß to the gin. The Uttle cm^s were certainly very quiet during the greater part of the ten mil«», and» ft* the mother said ,witb xears in b;«r eyes, " I thought< they wer^ asleep. I was astonished at th* journey's end to find t9uey bad bpeni at the gin. Ifardly q. drop remained. We pub the ioWldrepi, to b,ed at once and sent for a- doctor."

The girl wa# barely conscious, and tine boy was unable to «t»nd, WbJen the doctor arrived the girl was unconscious, and the boy -was without a doubt wtpxicated, and both fimelfc of ibe spirit. ' Bessie never regained consciousriees, and died from alcoholic poison, jog. .