Surgeon Murdered Says Coroner

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29383, 9 December 1960, Page 17

Surgeon Murdered Says Coroner

SYDNEY, December 8. Already it appeared quite obvious that the leading surgeon, Dr. Macrae Yeates, was murdered, the Sydney City Coroner (Mr C. S. Rodgers) said today. Dr. Yeates, aged about 51, was found dead in the garage of his luxury Vaucluse home on September 15.

He had head injuries. But witnesses said yesterday he might have died from an overdose of adrenalin, injected near the heart. Today was the second day of the inquest. Legal objections were raised when Mrs Yeates’s brother. David Dickins, was asked if he knew of any association between Mrs Yeates and Dr. Eric Hedberg. Mr P. J. Kenny, for Dr. Hedberg. said any suggestion of such an association was based on “idle and vicious gossip.” After argument, Dickins was told to answer. He said he knew nothing of such an association. He had not asked his sister about the rumours. Dr. Gaston Bauer, of Macquarie street, told the Coroner that both Dr. Yeates and Dr. Hedberg attended a meeting in the boardroom of the Sydney hospital on September 14, the night before Yeates was found dead. He said

Dr. Hedberg left the meeting about 10 p.m. Shown the shirt ijr, Yeates wore that night. Dr. Bauer said blood spots on it could be about the position for an injection. He said the object of an adrenalin injection was to revive the heart, a procedure usually taken just before death. Before witnesses were called today, Mr G. T. Samuels, for Mrs Yeates, said that yesterday a document had been tendered, which appeared to be a poem found in a safe deposit box. in a package inside an envelope. The envelope contained an inscription. said to be written in the hand-writing of Mrs Hedberg. which referred to a letter and not to a poem. Mr Samuels said the

of the document had been objected to yesterday, mainly on the grounds that there was nothing to show it ever had been sent to Mrs Yeates, or received by her, or that it concerned her in any way. Mr Samuels said one Sydney evening newspaper yesterday stated: “The letter in the envelope was addressed to Mrs Yeates from Dr. Hedberg on February 1, 1959. It was signed J. Hedberg.

“I make no criticism of the reporter, because it seems to me this error might well be said to have been almost inevitable, in the circumstances; but the fact remains that the statement in the newspaper is not fact.” The Coroner: That is so. Mr Samuels said there was no evidence to support the newspaper statement. The Coroner said the evidence clearly was that this document was obtained from a safe deposit box. at the Bank of New South Wales. The envelope was in the hand-

writing of Mrs Hedberg, now deceased, and inside the envelope was the poem which, it was suggested, was in the handwriting of Dr. Hedberg. The document itself was not addressed to anyone. The Coroner said he was bound to accept evidence which, in some way. might clarify the matter. "I must accept anything which may help the police in later inquiries,” he said. "Already it appears quite obvious that Dr. Yeates was murdered. but nobody has been charged with the offence “The police have been unable • to get any evidence on which to charge anyone, and any evidence which might assist them should be admitted ” The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.