Dinner has tragic ending for family
Acentury ago Michael Cook delivered milk in New Brighton. He was a glass blower by trade and had once been in business with his father in Christchurch’s Manchester St.
A shift to New Brighton had seen him deliver newspapers for a spell. Now, aside from the milk run, Cook ran a refreshment room and a mobile ice cream cart, offering homemade ice cream on and around the New Brighton pier.
Although industrious and evidently ambitious, Cook had not prospered. At age 51 he and wife Emily lived in a modest bach with six children ranging from 13 year old Desmond to their 19 month old twins, Kenneth, Maude and Amy.
Desmond slept on the couch; two of his siblings were accommodated on the sun pouch outside whilst a further two used a tent. Another child slept with Michael and Emily in their bed. There was only one room, partitioned by a curtain.
On February 3 1923, a Friday night, the Cooks sat down for dinner. Bread and butter, milk blancmange, stewed fresh fruit and tea were on the menu.
Early the next morning, whilst on his milk run, Cook began experiencing nausea and diarrhoea. Unable to continue, he returned home, discovering that all the family were sick and in pain. In a weakened state, he struggled back and forth to a neighbour, who suggested alcohol was the best cure all. Cook resisted
the most obvious course of action — calling a doctor — no doubt fearing the cost involved.
The neighbour finally took the initiative, seeking professional advice. Once on the scene, a physician immediately admitted the entire family to hospital.
For three of the Cook children, it was too late. The twins died that night, 8 year old Maude the following morning.
An inquest determined that a bacterial infection, present in the blancmange, was responsible. It was unclear how this came about, the coroner declining to speculate. Emily Cook had boiled the milk for 25 minutes.
A charitable fund was established for the Cooks, who were presumed to be destitute. Three further cases of food poisoning were later claimed in New Brighton, none of them serious.