THE WRONG GLASS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 495, 2 July 1932, Page 22 (Supplement)

THE WRONG GLASS.

* CLASSROOM FATALITY. MASTER DRINKS POISON. TRAGEDY OF SCIENCE “LAB.” How a science master drank poison in front of his class of boys was described at an inquest in Liverpool, when a verdict of accidental deatli was returned. The victim of the accident was Mr. James Foote, aged 50, of Chapel Avenue, Orwell Park, formerly science master at Hie Walton Junior Technical School. Mrs. Foote, the widow, who was iu a state of distress, gave evidence. She said that they had.buried her mother a few days before, and added that her husband had told her nothing about being in financial difficulties, or about having had trouble regarding his educational qualifications.

The Deputy Coroner (Mr. R. Mills Roberts): Did he threaten to harm himself?—No, llCltT. Was your husband a Doctor of Science? —I do not think so. John Shaw, a laboratory boy employed at tlie school, who said that he knew Mi*. Foote as J>r. Foote, stated that- on the morning of the tragedy Mr. Foote mixed some crystals of cyanide of potassium iu a glass beaker and put it on the side bench. “Some time in the early afternoon there was a science. class in the laboratory, and Mr. Foote asked me to get him a beaker of water, 1 did so. It was a similar beaker to the other one, and he drank the water. He asked me to refill it, and I put the beaker, at his request, by the side of the beaker containing the cyanide of potassium.” Dennis Scroggie. another student, said that lie went to ask Mr. Foote a question. Mr. Foote took a drink from one of the beakers, and immediately said, in a hoarse voice, “Oh, my Clod, I have taken the cyanide.” Scroggie added that cyanide of potassium smelled strongly of almonds, and that most people would have noticed the smell before they drank from the glass. Sports Funds Accounts. Enoch Morris Jones, metalwork master at the school, that Mr. Foote was treasurer of the sports fund. At 2.30 on the day of the tragedy he saw Mr. Foote, who agreed to let him have his accounts that afternoon, so that he couhl audit them. He hud since examined the accounts and found that there was a deficiency of £22. Mr. Lloyd: Deficiency is a hard word •to use. Do you suggest that he could not pay the £22?—No. “You may have accounts muddled by various masters,” observed Mr. Lloyd, “but our ba,nk-book shows that the money was there.” Mr. Francis Rawlings, a chemistry master at the school, said that not more than 25 per cent of people with a normal sense of smell would detect the peculiar almond odour of. a glass containing a mixture of cyanide of potassium. Mr. C. Cr. Mbit, the Director of Education for Liverpool, said tiiat Mr. Foote was an able and efficient teacher. With reference to Mr. Foote’s qualifications, Mr. Mott said: “I wrote to Mr. Foote asking him to call and set; me. He called two weeks ago, and I told him that 1 had an unpleasant duty to perform in asking him to produce evidence of liis “Mr. Foote said, T have not got the papers with me, but I can produce them/ I showed him a letter and told him that Glasgow University knew nothing about him. He replied, that lie could clear the matter up, and it was arranged that he should get liis documents and call upon me.” Mr. Mott added that an appointment was made, but Mr. Foote did not keep it. “L communicated with the school/’ lie added, “to make sure that Mr. Foote was there, but the next thing I heard was that he was dead.” A verdict of accidental death was then returned, the jury being absent about 20