FOUND DAZED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 57, 8 March 1934, Page 5

FOUND DAZED.

NEW ZEALAND WOMAN MISSING IN SAN FRANCISCO. DISCOVERED IN HOTEL. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, February 14. Somewhere in the lonely hills of the Pacific Coast range a recently-widowed New Zealand woman, unwilling because of religious beliefs to take lier own life by the usual suicide methods, was believed in San Francisco to be slowly starving herself to death. That was the theory of the police following an appeal from Mrs. Claire Tanner, of 408, 39th Avenue, San Francisco, pleading with them to aid her in a search for her sister, Mrs. Jane Pearson Crowthers, aged 56, of the same address. Later the missing woman was found in a hotel. Two months -igo Mrs. Crowthers' husband, G. F. Crowthers, died, and early in the present month of February Mrs. Crowthers said to Mrs. Tanner: "I have nothing more to live for. I want to go to my husband." Mrs. Tanner pleaded i against any rash act, saying: "You I know you cannot take your own life—| your religion will not permit you to do so." "I know that," the despondent woman replied, "but there is' nothing that can keep me from starving myself to death." Then, according to Mrs. Tanner, Mrs. Crowthers talked about the lonely stretches of the Coast Range, where, [ she said, one could go and never be seen. After that, however, she appeared to grow more cheerful. Mrs. Tanner forgot the incident. Her sister appeared to have regained her old desire to live, she said. Then, at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, February 0, Mrs. Tanner heard the front door sl__m. When she investigated she disthai Mrs. CiowthexK had di»-J

appeared. Thinking she had gone to visit friends, Mrs. Tanner waited for her sister's return. After four days had elapsed she became worried and notified the police. Investigation revealed that Mrs. Crowthers had packed no clothing, and she was believed to be wearing only a blue dress, a dark coat and tan shoes. Nor had any money been drawn from her bank account. According to Mrs. Tanner tlie missing woman was planning to leave for New Zealand on the Makura, sailing on February 14, and it was stated she was expecting to live with relatives in New Zealand. She was to have purchased her steamship ticket on February 10. Steamship officials, however, said no one one answering Mrs. Crowthers' description had applied for transportation. "Since her husband's death she suffered from hallucinations," said Mrs. Tanner. "She would tell how she heard voices urging her to visit her husband, who was supposed to be lying ill in an adjoining apartment."

Just before the sailing of the Makura from San Francisco, Mrs. Jane Pearson Crowthers was discovered in a lonely hotel at 1045, Market Street, San Francisco. It seems she had registered there under an assumed name, closely- resembling her correct name, but elie had stated that she was from Los Angeles and not from San Francisco. She was in an extremely dazed condition, and was immediately returned to her relatives, her sister being overjoyed at her return.