The Middlesex County Times
26th February 1927

GAS ESCAPE TRAGEDY  

Man and Wife Found Dead

When Mr. Arthur Coleman, 108 Leighton-road, West Ealing, walked down his garden on Friday morning in last week, he noticed that both the upstairs and downstairs blinds at the back of the house next door, occupied by Mr. Albert and Mrs. Etta Green, were pulled down.  He said nothing about this until tea-time, when he mentioned it to his daughter who, noticing a light behind the blinds, told him not to worry.  On Saturday morning, finding that the blinds were still down and feeling anxious as he knew that Mr. Green was not in good health, Mr Coleman decided to inform the police.

A police constable, on failing to get an answer to his knock, forced an entrance into the house, and found the couple dead in bed.  The gas was slightly turned on in the bedroom, but there was a much greater leakage of gas from a bracket in the hall.

At an inquiry into the circumstances of the tragedy, which Mr. R. Kemp (West Middlesex coroner) held at Ealing Town Hall on Monday, Mrs. Emily George, sister of Mr. Green, said that, so far as she knew, her brother and his wife had no troubles and were the last people likely to commit suicide.  Mr. Green, she said, was seventy-eight years of age, and Mrs. Green about the same age.

Mr. Coleman, who described Mr. and Mrs. Green as a “devoted couple” said that he had seen Mrs. Green on Thursday, but had not seen Mr. Green for about two months.  Mr. Green had not been well lately.  When witness noticed that tradesmen on Saturday morning could get no answer, he began to be alarmed, and, after consulting his daughter, he said that he would take responsibility for forcing an entry into the house.  Accordingly, he informed the police.  The Greens’ house had, he believed, been built about fourteen years.

P.C.820X said that he was called to the house at 11.45 a.m. on Saturday, and, having failed to get an answer to his knocking, forced an entry through the scullery window.  He found the couple dead in bed.  The gas tap in the room was less than a quarter turned on; it was loose.  The windows were shut.  There was a strong smell of gas in the hall, and the gas was escaping from a slit in the bracket – a very old one.  Witness found the meter and turned the gas off.  The meter was a quarterly one, and the gas would continue to escape until it was turned off.

George Knight, a foreman gas fitter employed by the Gas Light and Coke Company, said that the split in the gas tube was along the seam; it was a cheap fitting and was different from those used by the company, which were always seamless tubes.  The tube was liable to split at any time, but, if it was rubbed down occasionally, this would be prevented.

The Coroner: Is it not the business of the company to examine these tubes?

Witness: No, sir; not unless we are called in.

Dr. James said that he saw Mr. and Mrs. Green about 1 p.m. on Saturday; they had probably been dead since the previous day.  Death, in both cases, was due to coal gas poisoning.  He agreed with the constable that the gas tap in the bedroom was loose, but that the chief cause of the tragedy was the leakage in the hall.

The Coroner said that the case was one of death from pure misadventure; there was not the slightest evidence of attempted suicide.  He wished to express his sympathy to the family.

A relative said that he wished to express his thanks to Mr Coleman and the police for their assistance.

The Coroner: Thank you; I always find the police ready to help us in every way.  I have the highest opinion of them.

The funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Green took place quietly early on Wednesday at the City of Westminster Cemetery, Hanwell.  The Rev E. J. Beck officiated, and the arrangements were carried out by Mr. A. Cain, Uxbridge-road, Hanwell.