Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

One for the “mini mysteries” file: This unresolved poisoning case was reported in the “South Wales Argus,” February 8, 1934.

How did cyanide of potassium, used for electro-plating, find its way into a teacup from which a girl of 20 drank tea and died shortly afterwards? This was the mystery inquired into at Sheffield on Wednesday.

An inquest was held on the girl, Lilian Charlotte Corbridge, of Ripon-street, Sheffield, who drank the tea on January 30 at the electro-plating works of Messrs. Biggins Brothers, Ltd., Arundel-street, Sheffield.

A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned, and the jury expressed the opinion that the poison should be locked up.  The evidence, said the Coroner, suggested that different arrangements ought to be made as to where the girls had their meals. "It has not been definitely ascertained how the poison got into the cup of tea," added the Coroner.

Evidence was given that tea was brewed for a girl employee named Catherine Stringer in a teacup and for Corbridge in a teapot.  Stringer complained about the nasty taste of her tea, which she threw away, whereupon Corbridge gave her some from her teapot.

Having thus run short of tea, Corbridge took the kettle and teapot to get some water, and poured tea out of the teapot into a cup. After drinking she reeled, and another girl dashed to the telephone for assistance. Pointing to her teacup, Corbridge said: "It is the tea."

Mr. Mark Leslie Biggins, an electro-plater, said he gave Corbridge 12 plated teapots to weigh. They had been in vats containing cyanide of potassium in solution. Asked by the Coroner if he thought there could be any poisonous solution left in those teapots he replied "Very, very little."

Dr. J. M. Webster, police surgeon, said he found poison in the girl's teacup, but none in the teapot. From the post-mortem examination he was of the opinion that the girl died from swallowing potassium cyanide.

And that seems to have been that.