MR. ODDIE'S SAYINGS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 11

MR. ODDIE'S SAYINGS

27 YEARS A CORONER. "MOST WOMEN ARE BORN LIARS," MURDER CASES RECALLED. (Special.—By Air Mall.) LONDON, December 2.'». Mr. Inglebv Oddie, most famous of London coroners, who retired this week after 27 years, was loath to leave his work. ( "I am very sorry indeed that I have ( to go," he said. '"I have reached the age « limit and so I must. I shall miss my work exceedingly. Has my job made me A a cynic about marriage? No, it has not. j My work often shows mankind up in a bad light, but it often shows much j unsuspected goodness, much sympathy j and kindliness. And often it gives me a ( chance to do some public good, which is j very heartening. It has never affected • my sense of humour, and vertainly has not made me depressed. Quite frankv. I _ love my job. I do not look forward to j the farewell party. I shall hate saying \ good-bye. t "The two most interesting cases in my life were those of Vera Page and of Nora Upehurch. Both were murder l cases. * "In the Vera Page murder, the in'ir- - derer was never discovered. In the case ! of Nora Upehurch, I was always per- : fectlv certain who the murderer was. ' After a year of two he inurdere.l another woman. Had he been convicted ; at the Upehurch trial that second woman would never have lost her life. '*1 have % como to the conclusion thai most women arc simply born liars and can't help themselves. I have seen women stand up in front of me and give the most detailed and previse in forma tion, every word of which has been a lie. It has not taken me in. I can always detect a liar, but I've often marvelled at it. There arc exceptions, of course." Here are some of Mr. Tnglebv Oddie's sayings:—On Pedestrians: "In these days unless you are quick you are dead." On Income Tax: "In the past insomnia and intoxication have been the main causes of suicide, but now we shall have to add income tax." On Croquet. "It's a game that does not irritate you like that frowsy old Scottish game called golf." On Influenza: "I do not know that doctors are much'good for influenza, but bed certainly is." And finally, this was Mr. Oddie's advice to a fat man on how to get on: - of a bath: "Have a rope with a ring on the end of it, suspended from the ceiling so that you can pull yourself up. I can 1 say personally that one finds very groat comfort in getting out of a bath this L 1