YARRA MYSTERY

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 57, 8 March 1923, Page 5

YARRA MYSTERY

IDENTITY UNCERTAIN.

WOMAN SAW GIRL DIE. DISPOSAL OF BODY. (By Cable.—J'ress Association.—Copyright. , ) MELBOURNE, March 7. The inquest into the death of a girl, whose body was found in the River Yarra at the beginning of last month, was resumed to-day. The body was presumed at first to be that of Bertha Coughlan, but Mr. John Coughlan later stated that be was certain that the body was not that of his daughter. Three women are under arrest in connection with the girl's death. Hannah Mitchell is charged with having murdered the girl in November, ana Margaret Mitchell and Margaret Milward are charged with being accessories after the fact. Giving evidence at the inquest to-day, Mrs. Milward, who is a sister of the accused. Mitchell, gave evidence that she was at Mitchell's home on the night a girl died. She saw the girl die and helped to convey her body to a gullyWhile in the girl's room "she saw two medicine bottles with the name "Mies Coughlan" on them and a soldier's medal inscribed "J. Coughlan." Witness added that later Mitchell told her that she had given £300 to some men to remove the body from the gully, and that it had been put in a well. On another occasion Mitchell told her that the body had been again removed and that nobody would be able to identify it.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)