Mr. John Munting confirmed Mr. Lathom’s evidence in every particular.
A rustle of sympathy went round the little court when the widow, Mrs.
Margaret Harrison, appeared in the box. Fashionably but quietly dressed
in a black face-cloth costume and closely-fitting cloche hat, Mrs.
Harrison gave her evidence in a voice so subdued as to be scarcely
audible.
She declared that her husband had greatly looked forward to this country
holiday. On such occasions he was accustomed to go to “The Shack” by
himself, or with a male friend. She never accompanied him to “The
Shack.” On previous holidays he had frequently taken as his companion
his son by an earlier marriage, Mr. Paul Harrison, a civil engineer, now
absent in Central Africa. She had always understood that the deceased
cooked for himself at “The Shack,” and made experiments with
unconventional foodstuffs.
She had warned him again and again of the danger attending such
experiments, but deceased had great confidence in his ability to
distinguish edible varieties of plants from the poisonous kinds, and
always laughed at any remonstrance.
On being asked whether the deceased was a man who might be considered
likely to take his own life, the widow replied indignantly:
“He had no reason to do such a dreadful thing, and I am sure he was the
last person to think of it.”
The witness here broke down and sobbed violently, and had to be assisted
to her seat.
The coroner then adjourned the inquest for a fortnight to permit of an
analysis of the contents of the viscera and the various articles found
in the house.
48. _Extract from the “Morning Express” of Wednesday, November 5th,
1929_
SIR JAMES LUBBOCK ON SHACK POISON DRAMA
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“ACCIDENTAL DEATH” VERDICT
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CORONER’S WARNING WORDS TO PARENTS
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Startling evidence was given to-day at the resumed inquest at Manaton on
the body of George Harrison, 56 years old, of 15, Whittington Terrace,
Bayswater, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the
lonely cottage known as “The Shack,” on Saturday, October 19th.
At the previous sitting of the coroner’s jury, evidence was given by the
well-known artist, Mr. Harwood Lathom, of his finding of the body on
returning with Mr. John Munting, author of _I to Hercules_, from a brief
visit to London. Mr. Lathom, who had been spending his holiday alone in
“The Shack” with Mr. Harrison, described the curious bachelor life led
by the deceased at “The Shack,” and his habit of cooking and eating
unconventional dishes of hedgehogs, mushrooms and other natural objects.