Dr. Alastair MacDonald, the 31. year-old medical practitioner of Northampton, who died in his car on Jan. 9, three weeks after his wife's death, committed suicide, states th "Daily Telegraph and Morning Post.
Mr. John Norton, the deputy coroner for Grantham, Lincolnshire, recorded this verdict at the resumed inquest recently. He found that Dr. MacDonald died from asphyxia due to aconitine poison and that the balance of his mind was disturbed at the time by the circumstances of his wife's death.
Mrs. MacDonald, who was 21 and had been married six months, was found dead in bed on Dec. 19. At the inquest on her a verdict of criminal abortion was recorded.
Messrs, E. Davies, Clothiers, Ltd., the total defalcations amounted io £14,- 326; in the second, the Braintree Hand Laundiy, £1,634 was involved; and there was a deficiency in respect to the executory of a Mr. J. B, Haines lof £1,601.
Counsel declared White had taken advantage of his position as possessor of all the necessary books, accounts, and papers, to enable him to get possession of large sums of money. Then, by skilful manipulation and confusion of books of the three accounts, he succeeded for years in covering up his tracks, In 1930 he became managing direc-for and chairman of the board of directors of the E. Davies Company. His professional income from the company was about £200 a year.
It was found he had been drawing hundreds of fraudulent cheques With regard to the frauds committed on the Braintree Hand Laundry, Mr. Wallace related that White's methods Dr. Henry Smith Holden, director of the Forensic Science Laboratory at Nottingham, said yesterday that alkaloidal residue found in Dr. Mac-
Donald's organs contained aconitine, Dr. Webster, director of the F crisic Science Laboratory, Birmingham, said that his findings were consistent with death having been caused by asphyxia due to aconitine poisoning. The fact of the recovery of aconitine from the organs pointed to its having been taken much in excess of a medicinal dose.
Preyed on his Mind Mr. Frank Gaudy, brother-in-law of Dr. MacDonald, said that the doctor was very much upset by the death of his wife. It preyed on his mind.
On the day of his death they set out to motor from Overstone, Northants, to Waddington, Lincoln-were practically the same. The deficiency involved was double the amount of the paid-up capital of the company Dealing with the estate of which White was executor. Mr. Wallace related that Mr. Haines died leaving sbout £4,000. His widow, who was now 85 years of e, signed ever document was put before hei The total loss was a "considerable encroachment on a small estate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.