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Saturday 22 August 1925 - William Skene Ross, employee of Mr Lees-Milne, died of poisoning

Category Wickhamford
Publication
The Cheltenham Chronicle
Transcription of article

General District News.

GARDENER’S TRAGIC DEATH.

DRANK POISON BY MISTAKE

A painful story was told at an inquest held at Wickhamford, near Evesham, on Tuesday, on William Skene Ross (60), a gardener employed by Mr. G.C. Lees-Milne, of Wickhamford Manor, who died on Monday after drinking cyanide of potassium.
It was stated that Ross was in the habit of drinking lemonade, which used to be put in a whisky bottle and kept in a hovel. On Monday he asked Mr. Lees-Milne for some poison for wasps and also some cartridges to shoot rabbits. Mr. Lees-Milne made the poison up, and shortly before one o’clock put two bottles full, with the cartridges in front, into the hovel.
The widow said her husband fell into her arms saying, “I thought it was lemonade.” He did not speak again, and died within a few minutes.
A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

Comments

A fuller version of this event is to be found in the article entitled ‘Wickhamford Tragedies’.

William Skene Ross and his wife, Annie, pictured a few weeks before his untimely death.
William Skene Ross and his wife, Annie, pictured a few weeks before his untimely death.