COAL GAS POISONING

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5647, 20 June 1919, Page 2

COAL GAS POISONING

INQUEST ON DEATH OF CHARLES HOLMES

GAS SELF-ADMINISTERED

An inquiry touching the death of Charles "William Henry Colin Holmes, tho miner whoso dead body was found in bed at his place of residence in Roscmont Road by his stepson, Steven C. Eltriiigham, early yesterday morning, was held before the District Coroner, Jh'. W. M. Wal'nutt, at the Courthouse hist evening. Seivor-Serger.it (VGrady represented the police. • Margaret A, Elfcringham, mother-in-law of the deceased, stated that w'icn - Holmes returned home from work on Wednesday afternoon he complained of face-ache, and owing to the pan he suffered remained indoors. He went to bed at 9 o'clock, and no disturbance was heard during the night. At 6.30 o'clock on Thursday morning her grandson went to deceased's bedroom to awaken him, and almost immediately icturned and informed her that Holme* was dead. Witness went to the room ind found the body, then qvi'te •icW, lying on the. bed. Gas was escaping throughout the house, and cue end of a rubber tube which had been connected from a gas-tap on the bedroom wall to a gas grillcr in the room was lying loose oi»"the floor, close to the bed. The tube had been attached to the gas-tap on Sunday last to convey a supply of gas to the scullery for washing purposes on Monday. As far as witness knew deceased had never threatened to take his life, and had always lived happily with bis wife and family. He had suffered from the after-effects of influenza. The gas meter on Thursday morning showed that no gas remained. Steven C. Eltringham, stepson of deceased, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. Dr Short, in the course of his evidence, said that death was due to coal gas poisoniuj. Tlje Coroner asked if it was possible that the deceased when sufl'e: : ng from neuralgia would .inhale the coal gas in the hope that it would case the pain he was suffering. Dr Short thought that this would be highly improbable, and that it was scarcely credible, that deceased would not be aware fruit the inhalation of coal gas would be dangerous. In answov to a further question witness said that in , many instances influenza, even in a mild ! form, was followed by mental depi'cs- , sion. , Constable T. Keenan, being sworn. , deposed that on entering the house he , noticed a very strong smell of gas; in fact it was almost stiffing. The de- ' (.eased was lying on the bed in his room, and the loose end of the rubber tube, which ran from the gas-tap on ! the wall and was about 20ft long, was [ lying alongside the bod. From its posi- \ tion he was of the opinion that it had , fallen from the bed to the floor. Wit- . ness considered that death was due to ;, gas poisoning.

>j'he Ooronor returned a yeivh'ct to \hv effect that death was caused by poisoning by coal gas, self-administered.