LOST AT SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 294, 12 December 1935, Page 19

LOST AT SEA.

"• -- ; pOBTHOLP MYSTERY. 'I ' .?• WOMAN'S PJSAPPEARANCE. INQUIRY ADJOURNED. concerning the disappear„ce if )Irs - Emi] y Re "nie Bevington, .red 49, a first-class passenger, from her cabin pn tlie liner Rangitata, bound from London to Auckland, between midnight n d 1230 a.m. on November 3, was conthe Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon and evening. Thp'iinquiiy was not completed, the coroner, V Wyvern Wilson, S.M., adjourning tlie proceedings sine die in order that further inquiries might be made fin England. Husband's Evidence. Following an inquiry aboard the the inquest was opened at Auckland on November 29, when Mr. Ernest'- Bevington, who has since left for Australia, gave evidence. Witness said Vi recently retired from the position of head surveyor of a big assurance company in London. He was married to jmiiy,yEennie Robertson, aged 49, of Xewlailds, Cardiff, on June 15, 1935. She was previously the wife of Vivian Edward Robertson, but had divorced him. .At the time of his marriage in June 'last' fitness said he was a widowier, 59 years of age. His former wife died four years previously. "I was coming' to New "Zealand' with my wife on holiday, and we intended to return home liext June," he said. Both he and lis wife were of independent means. She had a private income. Mr. "Bevington said that, being tired, he went to bed first on the night of his wife's His wife was in the cajiin when ire commenced to read a book': After that he did not remember anymore until lie was awakened by a rustling sound and found his wife missing. Yesterday Detective-Sergeant A. G. ilcHugh conducted the inquiry. Mr. R. P. Ton'Je watched proceedings on behalf of Mr. Ernest Be.vington, husband of the woman, and Mr. Bruce Elliot appeared for tlie owners of tho Rangitata, the New Zealand Shipping Company.

f'Gone Through the Port." Percy Thomas Martin MeMaJion, head steward of the Rangitata, said that up to the time of the woman's disappearance, Air. and Mrs. Bevington appeared to be': just an ordinary couple. Mrs. Bevingfon was always exceptionally bright/and mixed with other women aboard/the 6hip. The vessel left Panama on October 31. f-At 12.30 a.m. on the morning of November i 3 witness said- he was sipjimoned 'by bell to Mr. and Mrs. cabin. He saw Mr, ton standing in his dressing gown outside tlie cabin door. He appeared to be in a stupor and said, "I want to see the captain^" Asked what he wanted to see the captain for, Mr. Bevington replied, "I told my wife to come down to the cabin here and wait for me. She is not here." Mr. Bevington said he would go back and look for her. Later, witness returned to the cabin and found Mr. Bevington sitting on his bed. He appeared to be deep in thought. He said to witness, "I believa-ffehe has gone through the port." Mr. Bevington eajd he was awakened by a rustling noise/ ■} He said he'-bail not made ja search of the lavatory. A thorough search was then made of the ehip without result.

Whole Ship Lit Up. , Witness added that he reported the Miter.* to : t the bridge,. whereuppji the Tlole Jit up, to.enable a. search to be made. " * Detective-Sergeant McHugh: Did the fed appear to have been slept in? —>To. Witness said there was a silk undergarment on the bed. A wrap was on a tallboy in the cabin. It would be a difficult matter for Mrs. Bevington to get out of the porthole, although it would lie easy to get to it. Henry Percy Williamson, third officer, said that when he saw Mr. Bevington le seemed to be fighting for control of himself. Witness was instructed by the chief officcr to search all the decks and to call the commander. After reporting to the bridge that the search *as fruitless, witness went back to Mr. Bevington's cabin. The chief officer *88 there. The rim of the bottoiii half of the forward port was free ~ from pease and moisture, whereas the-, other pott had a thin covering of grease. It Ws an overcast and dark night. : ' The flip was turned round and went' back, over the course. Mr. Bevington did not w™ part-in,tho search. The surgeon and the commander were with him in his room,, v; . .

Joseph; Sydney Oxnard, chief officer of 'M Eangitata, said Mr. Bevington appeared $q be bewildered, as though he jj been awakened from sleep. He added, "I fear she has just gone out of 'lie port.^'. Witness said that if anyone leaned out of the., porthole or went out through the- porthole it would account or the grease being off the lower rim ? ° ne Posi'v He. saw a good deal of otn Mr..ta&d'. Mrs. Bevington, who were f witness' table. The woman appeared oe very-cheerful. She was a woman was highly strung. inward [Holland, the sMp's com»t i 6l h® went to Bsvington's been ™* a • m •' no 1- eport having Jfr p .e as the result of the search, ami ® VUl ß^ o .' l was smoking on his bunk, forwn r 6&re to be ver y agitated. The tin J? was the most accessible, iL : >, bei ?£ obstructed by a wardWitness went back on his ,lWtu he was where he had been Mre. Bfrvington was last seen.

Oil oil Nightdress. last faring was continued at 7 o'clock stctr.!i w!lG " Rosina Ann Halsev, a Banoit in class on the S ttt ' said -that Mr. and Mrs. to gether° n M appeared to liy e happily a Tun, ® evin g ton seemed to be C\f dtahle woman, at a ' iT'Sergearit Mcllugli: Did she I fomZJ I m,e a PP ear to you to be a She a\A , WOuld take her own life?— Erid End she didn't. of jr that while laundering one found - J v ]rigto]i'.s nightdresses, she front n f ~ lear the waist on the Di ■ " ainlen t, was given bv class. Tf VleS ' ete . war<leS!j in the third sijat. :^. a possible, she said, by [I stains,could have been caused hole. earer leaning out of a port-

her di^wJ ern '' son • How long before Wit n 2 Pea W'°^> was tlla t incident? o "*' * - fortni S 3lt be * ore the stairf 6r '° Towle, witness said %Wresl Were on the front of the "J thb°k e Jv tie(l tllG evidence. Hade in> , Some in q i »ry should be People, av,'i d with regard to these have L i as to certain facts that Wron er before me," said the ' n a Poeifinn i len this Jg. done I will be ad i°«rn fh„ - t0 ® me 'to a finding. I will v mquiry sine die."