FUNERAL PUT OFF

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVIII, Issue 6159, 3 March 1921, Page 2

FUNERAL PUT OFF

EMENDS' DOUBT AS TO DEATH. STRANGE CASE AT SYDNEY MORGUE. An extraordinaay scene was witnessed at the Sydney Morgue' recently, when two friends of Robert Rose, who was overcome by cyanide fumes at the New York Hotel;, in' George-street), insisted, when' his body was lying ready for burial,, jthaft lie was no't dead, and objected to any funeral arrangements;. The coronet decided to postpone the burial until the next day, and ordered a doctor to make a further examination. Robert Rose was fumigating rooms w.ith cyanide at (the. hotel!, when he was overcome, and he was removed by the Civil Ambulance to the Sydney Hospital, where Br. O'Reilly deelaretrt-hat the man was dead. The body was then taken to the morgue, where Dr Palmer made an examination, and alcso gave- his opinion (that Rose was dead, and that the cause of death was cyanide poisoning.

The two friends who expressed doubly were Edward Young and William S. Catheart, and Young stated that he had had experience of passed cases while abroad with the R.A.M.C, and had known instances in which men declared to be dead had rallied some days afterwards. Tie protested against burial until artificial respiration methods had been tried.

Dr Palmer did not return to the' morgue to make any further: examination of the body. Before leaving Young and Catheart were informed that they were free to secure the services of any specialist thej chose to examine the body, ancl were further at liberty to try any method of resuscitation. Officials at. the Coroner's Court declare that the case is without precedent in Australia. '