DOCTOR SHOT DEAD

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27531, 13 December 1954, Page 12

DOCTOR SHOT DEAD

Woman Colleague ■Arrested NIGHT TRAGEDY IN HOSPITAL (New tealandPress. Association) DUNEDIN. December 12. A resident medical officer at the Dunedin Public Hospital, John William Saunders, aged 27, died from a bullet wound shortly after midnight on Saturday. A 27-year-oid house surgeon, Senga Florence Whittingham, has been arrested and will appear in the Magistrate’s Court tomorrow morning. Dr. Saunders's body was found in a corridor in the house surgeon’s quarters. A .303 rifle was lying nearby. It appeared that a bullet had entered Dr. Saunders s' back and passed right through his body. Death occurred within minutes of the shot. Soon after midnight a group of resident members of the hospital stall, including Dr. Saunders, returned to the hospital from attending a social function. Dr. Whittingham was not a member of this group. They went into the sitting room and were talking. Dr. Saunders left the room, and soon afterwards a shot reverberated through the building. Dr. Saunders was found in the passage with a bullet wound in his back and stomach. It is believed that Dr.- Saunders was shot in the back in an adjacent toilet, and staggered into the passage. There was a large gouge in the back wall of the toilet. Investigations are being, made by Detective-Sergeants J. A. Marshall and A. J. Lahmert. • After being questioned, Dr. .Whittingham was arrested at 4.10 a.m. at the Central Police Station. Dr. Whittingham, whose home is at Biverton, is a graduate of the University of Otago. She completed her medical training in 1953, when she was appointed a house surgeon at the Dunedin Public Hospital. Dr. Saunders’s Career Dr. Saunders had a brilliant academic career. As well as being a house surgeon and registrar at the Dunedin Public Hospital, he was an assistant lecturer in medicine at the Medical School. He was educated in Christchurch, where his mother still lives. His father was Mr J. M. Saunders, who died a few years ago. A brother. Dr. J. M. Saunders, is at present on the staff of the Greymbuth Hospital. Dr. Saunders attended Christ’s College from 1940 to 1943 and passed his medical intermediate examination at Canterbury University College. He entered the Otago Medical School in 1945 and was the senior scholar in medicine in 1948. As a member of the Otago University Students’ Association Dr. Saunders had an outstanding record. He sat on the executive as business manager, and in 1948 was assistant stage manager of the capping revue. He was a member of the sports committee and secretary of the university hockey club. Throughout his school and university career he was a good athlete. He excelled particularly in the discus and shot put. He also represented the university at hockey for several years. Dr. Saunders was unmarried.