MYSTERY DEEPENS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 15, 28 October 1938, Page 6

MYSTERY DEEPENS

DISAPPEARANCE OF A WOMAN. POLICE ACTIVITY IN SEARCH. CLEARING AWAY A SLIP. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The mystery of the strange disappearance of Mrs Harriet Jane Patience, of Cleverly, daily deepens with the activity of the police becoming move animated. Missing now for 24 days, Mis Patience, aged 60, wife of Mr Arthur John Patience, a Public Works employee, formerly employed at Claverly Camp, was at tile time of bis disappearance living with her husband at the camp, where ho was working on South Island Main Trunk railway construction work.

To-day nine police from Christchurch augmented by some Public Works employees, were beginning to clear away a slip a mile north of the site of the former Claverly Camp. This particular slip is at the north mouth of the tunnel which the Claverly men were constructing, and was piled up from material cut from the hillside and tipped over on to the beach. To-day the men were digging up the sand at the bottom of the hill and gradually working their way into the slip, which is mainly composed of clay. This has -been the main scene of their efforts up to the present. Thick patches of scrub and bush and numerous lagoons will have to be carefully examined, and this adds to the many obstacles. Detective-Sergt J. Bickerdike is in charge of the men. At the time of the disappearance of Mrs Patience some of the men at Claverly had already left for the new camp at Taratuhi, two miles further up the coast, and now the Claverly Camp is completely abandoned, only a. few huts remaining to show the site. Mr and Airs Patience occupied one of the married men’s lints at Claverly, consisting of a bedroom, sitting-room and kitchenette. Their two sons are at present working in Cheviot. About 8 o’clock Mrs Patience was seen on the night of October 4 covering up a wood pile at the house to protect it from rain. It is also understood that during the last few days she had been gathering wood from the beach to take up to Kahutara, nearer Ivaikoura. It is believed that all her belongings had b'een .packed ready to make the trip, but Airs Patience was missing next morning, and nothing has been heard of her since. Airs Patience, who is 60 years of age, is sft 4in in height and weighs about 9st 111 b. She has hazel eyes and grey hair, cut short. She is of neat appearance, and the police would welcome any information which can be supplied. The police will have a big and difficult area to cover if the present search is not successful.