They act like neutrons, and they smell like neutrons, but they are possibly what Edward Teller called 'meshugganons' (meshugga = Yiddish, look it up!) I know another researcher who experienced what looked like a huge neutron flux during a glow-discharge experiment but it obviously was not, because he survived. William Collis is interested in what he calls 'exotic neutral particles' - which could be the same thing, but he has not yet got experimental proof. See also 'Bush and Eagleton'. papers
Given the amount of data on particles, and efforts to find new ones in many different ways, I'd reckon "misinterpret meter readings" to bbe muhc more plausible than "exotic new particles that helpfully leave you alive".
As for neutron flux killing you - it all depends on the dose and in anecdotal accounts it is difficult to get a good estimate for what (if the claimed neutron readings were real) would be the actual dose to the experimenter. Though i don't know the details here so maybe there is sure evidence for a "kill you soon" dose if the readings were really neutrons in this case.