WOMAN SHOT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 78, 2 April 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

WOMAN SHOT.

TRAGEDY OF AN INN. STORY OF JEALOUS LOYE. A story of gaiety and jealous love, of an attractive woman who laughed at threats of death from an admirer, is believed to lie behind a fatal shooting affair discovered in the City of London. A handsome, black-haired woman, 6ft tall, known as "Miss" Gladys Ashman, but who, it was revealed, was married and separated from her husband, was found shot dead in her locked sitting room at the Goldsmiths' Arms, Albion Buildings, just off Aldersgate Street, an inn of which she was manageress. She was sitting in a chair before the fireplace, a bullet wound in the temple.

The mark of a shot was found on one of the walls; no revolver was found. Above, on the wall, was her photograph. The glass had been smashed, and the features ripped apparently by a bullet.

Scores of detectives, a police surgeon, and photographers hurried to the inn, Sir Hugh Turnbull, the City Police Commissioner, also visited the place, accompanied by Sir Bernard Spilsbury, the pathologist, who decided that the woman had been shot, and that every circumstance pointed to the fact that she had been murdered. Noise Like a Shot. "Since she came here in September she always struck me as being a gentle sort of creature," a member of the staff of the inn said. "But I knew that she had an admirer. He used to visit here quite a lot as 9J customer. Last Wednesday, when he was here, we heard a noise like a shot. Later Gladys told me that a man had threatened to kill her."

A woman friend of Miss Ashman, in the West End, said: "She was loved by two men, both of whom were jealous, and I have known for a long time that she was threatened. Gladys loved life, dancing and enjoyment. She always laughed at the threats of a lover of whom she had latterly grown tired, and who said he would kill her. Only recently I met her in a restaurant when she started to quarrel with her man companion. He grew very angry, and plunged his hand into his coat pocket, in which there was the obvious bulge of a revolver. I caught Gladys by the arm and said, 'Be quiet/ and suggested we should move along. Fortilnately nothing happened, but it was a tearful moment."

Her husband, Mr. Henry John Luff, whom she married during the war, learned of her death from an evening paper. Mr. Luff at the time of his marriage was a Bath tramway-car driver. "They parted after the war," said a member of his family.

Feiv Tammany leaders escape censure. Mr. Walker, the Mayor of New York, is charged with violating the city's charter in such a way that the possibilities* o£ graft were increased. Mr. John Curry, Tammany's "boss," is charged with doing his utmost to prevent wrongdoing from being brought to light, and Mr. George Olvany, a former leader, is charged with selling "political influence in the guise of legal fees." £300,000,000 a Year. The judge further accuses the leaders of sheltering professional gamblers, _ murderers, gunmen, and robbers. The gigantic sum of money consumed by the city under Tammany direction is revealed by the comptroller, Mr. Berry, who states that New York's expenditure last year was just short of £300,000,000, leaving a deficit of more than £6,000,000.

Turning to specific instances, Judge Seabury declares that a lawyer, Mr. William Hickin, received a £10,000 fee from the North German Lloyd Line when that company obtained its pier lease. "This shows the subtle system by which graft is now extorted," says the judge. "The money passed to the lawyer under the guise of a legal fee." "A shocking abuse of a sacred trust" is his indictment of the administration of unemployment relief funds in Richmond and Manhattan. He adds: "It shows that the money of taxpayers was appropriated to take care of faithful Democrats.

Fate has dealt Mayor Walker a cruel blow. Tammany celebrated a "victory dinner. The Mayor hailed Mr. Curry as co-ruler with himself of New York. The tribute drew rc-echoing applause from the assembled Tammanyites, but if Judge Seabury's indictment is upheld Mr. Walker may have cause to regret his open acknowledgment that Tammany rules his city.

"1 Am Dying."

Albert Summers, a postman, said that his wife, who was 52 years of age, went into hospital on the advice of a doctor, and underwent an operation. As he visited her she reached out her arms, saying, "I am dying, and so is the one over there, 6ince we took our medicine." Later he asked Dr. Knight what was the matter, and the doctor replied, "To be candid, there has been a mistake in the medicine."

Megan James (17), a probationer nurse, said that she was in charge of Mrs. Summers. She was ordered castor oil, but asked for syrup of figs, and the sister said she could have it. She now knew that the bottle from which she took Mrs. Summers' medicine contained a mixture of belladonna and glycerine. The light was not bright near the medicine chest. Three patients were given what 6lie thought was syrup of figs, and while they drank it she stood by the bed.

Asked if in the hospital there were some poison bottles which were blue and some which had nothing to distinguish them, Nurse James answered "Yes." She did not know how it was since the cupboard was cleaned out and new labels affixed. She admitted that when she joined the hospital she told the committee she was 18 years of age. Sister Collapses In Court. . Sister Marion Hebborn, in charge of the women's and children's wards, said that after the mistake had been diecovered .she found the syrup of figs bottle outside the tray. The chest should be cleared out each week, but it had not been done for some time. She did not know how or when the bottle of belladonna got into her cupboard. The Coroner: Did you know the contents of the bottle, and did you consider it properly labelled?— No. Sister Hebborn collapsed at this stage, and had to be assisted out of Court. Dr. C. F. Knight eaid he saw Mrs. Summers after the matron had told him belladonna had been administered in mistake. Everything possible was done to counteract the poison. The two other patients affected were now progressing favourably. Mrs. Summers' death was from heart failure brought about by belladonna poisoning. The Coroner: Apart from this unfortunate occurrence, you think she would have recovered?—Oh, yes. Miss Janet Anderson, the matron of the hospital, said she had no idea how the belladonna bottle got into the cupboard. She agreed that the bottle and label were not suitable for poisons.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, accelerated by the administration of belladonna by mistake.