DIED IN THE BUSH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 5

DIED IN THE BUSH.

THE TATE OF MRS. PENNEY.

A DREAM , AND ITS VERIFICATION

Th'o mystery surrounding the disappearance of Mrs Pennej, who has been missins from Lower Hutt since- last Tuesday week, has at last been cleired up, the body of tho unfortunate woman having Ijeon discovered yesterday on tho top of a ridge overlookinf* York Bay, adjacent to Lowry Bay It 13 considered that she had been'dead for eight or'iuno days, if so, she must have been wandering about the hilltops, exposed to the wintry weather for* four or five days, hatless, and 'only lightly clad

A peculiar circumstance lies m the fact that tho discovery iof the body is attributed to a dream which came to Mr Hugh Downet, caretaker of the Day's Bay estate, a few evenings ago He states that ho went straight to the spot and found the body in precisely the position he had expected Sunday's Search. In Tosponse to tho invitation extended w> ono and all to assist m a combined and final search,'about 100 peisous, a good number being-from the Welhnston and Petone Naval Corps, presented themselves at,Daj's Bay about 8 o'clock yesterday morning, and weio met by Mr C Trevethick, who divided them into small squads,,with instructions to maLo a thorough search of the various gulhei aim ridges apportioned to them This was done, but each section returned in the. afternoon without having gained any material informa-

tion There were two parties, honevui, which proceeded in the right direction Ono was the police party, headed by Serge-uit Kelly, who bad several squads, under him, numbering seventeen men in all, and they approached withm one hundred jards of the ,spot without making any disco\ery ; Mr Downes's party had a very different story to tell In consequence of the dream, Mr Downcs says, he and two others surmounted , the ridge., about York Bay, a distance of about four miles from Day's Bay They ex- , ammed a couple of spurs and found Mrs Penney's body on the top of the second one, not more than thirty chains away from thu place where a towel Mrs Penney was known ' to have taken with her was picked up The sight w'as a pathetic one Iho unfortunate woman had collected a few manuka branches -' apparently for the purpose of making a bed foi herself in a small hollow a couplo of yards below the top of the ridge Her boots had been worn through Mr Downes thinks that she .must haio been very weak, anil 6lipped from her bed of manuka, and was quite unable to get back through exhaustion Her hair, which Mr Trevothick described as black with a little grej m it, had turned to sllverj grey The Pream Verified. Mr Downes said, m concluding his story "I do not think she had had anything to eat for days She lay just as ,1 expected to find, her I went straight to the spot I had previously got a pieco of wood through tho palm of my right hand One of my companions nearly fainted] and the other alone could not carry the body. So wo returned to Day's Bay without it " \Yhon questioned b,y Sergeant Kelly, Mr Downes stated that it was useless returning y for the body that day as it would be dark when they arrived, and they nould be unable to return with their load thrqngh tho thick shrubbery The deceased was jn an awkward place, and a steep hill, stony ground, t and burnt logs f would have to be traversed Tho discovery was made nt 2 o'clock in tho * afternoon, and about 4 o'clock, the searcheis dispersed JSight men will be sent over early this morning, and the body should be brought to the morgue by about lpm An inquest will be held later The Disappearance.,

> ■--- , ; Tftere7are*sbme;]unusual/fefcfiires 'in J tbo ;,.■';; : et6ry;df was ,-; ■•■ v - a; ■.well-built} and-iyery,strpng:'/woman, of. 39 v k ;; ./years/of ■■'.w£ll-knoV?n'tennis playeri{ {:•£. She /iwaS'j'qf: a -very , : ;anc) ■.■ 7S^ihafl:'n^OT;'iMeiM : ;eny;way;; v -;HeiufWubMcommenced, with'■' .the■ 'OX ein%>henyshe" has'ibeen.!.aff licted-,with';set-'' ;.:,v,: ;i tied; inelatfchplia; and ;'a ] desire to ■/'■'. .'-he alone. iago -.shelwentito live. 7 ■'..-.■•' w iit' sMr-,: and : ; ■ :^s;:\i!Keyfethiok.'-i : .---atVLow€r : '-■■';$ ■flutt£ths; ; |atter'beings'a : .fneiid;of ;herß •', of ■-;'. epine gears'.:standing. --/Her energy gave '.way - .'.'•-,>'..; to'; something', in , '■ the .'nature'of-.-stupor,, and i- ; ;;;:.^';iainilypiou^d,:it^next' ; to:.iinpossib'lp' "to ;.;' ,i. rouse;-her-pr fo;inwrest: her.'in; anyone er'-any-i:'-^'-;--lfcin"g;v^-K^vy_/:roin:;stoiini' i hb^everj'6eeined : ■(;'•■. : V.- /iTviis sitting in tne.hpuee one , evening with the '■'if-rxain vpouriifg: remarked ~to : Mr,\ ■■ : ' ■Trovethick^r'Wpiildri't:you-h'ke'itbibebut on :; ;i ; tie>Wainui hUla'to-nigfitP''.-Her'one desire .V,' *w.as-:^b":■•Hβ , 'alone; she .' woiild•'•.'never •■■'; ';.; '•■ :*; stranger's.' -: •.; On ] ■'( three )jl occasions ' ■ pfeviousVJiV : ly^;slie^:;wentV^away, ;, '*;;birt'--, always'■■},re- , ■':■",. : [:iiiipMi':m'.--^fX:wec^g^;y^^e' r ;.■:.,;house.;abput : ;7/':p'clpcK.:on : the; morning , of ..v' 'list ..Tuesday .iveelc',,: 'and;.evideiitly; made direct ■■i.'ifbr;.th^-Wainiii : HilL;: ; ;Thesfirst.;definite.:'in': ':.:••■■'■' ■formatipn.':'as.'iplef: whereabouts was received v.v ;■■/•■' pit; 'Friday ifrpni'.airpadm^n/ , ; who-stated, tli'at :;/■:;'■ ;at. Tuesdaymorning -. :'■,;. be: Ysaw:?a ,woman;' answering^to : ;the/ despfipStanding ;ph; the: top of : ;-i;-.:v'the',TO ;.;' -view of, Onithe'same day the Y , :'Vi'Wainutt-mata v ,ii"ailmat { :'; -\ ; :'v .">'.;.'.' '■'■'":■ '.■':':■'

oX/^r^^y/Jr^Prevloiw^searohlng.-/;'-;;-; : : :;';.':.'• ',; ■■■'rA'search';Was'>at;;o i' Treyetiiick, -'.and; : :the:;party.:>.came.-/ upon ■ her ;:;;fdotprmts::;i:lt-',wai-found.. that she spent the. .ffir'st./'ilightonjthe. ridge .between '.Day's'"Bay- :,:/■ and;'-;Yprki-Bay;; arid 'on , .the -Sunday seventy. ::; : VBearcher ; sx'Wav'ersed'r'>ll l ;'. the -'■ -V : cpuhtryjv- ridge^Jijid.-guljy, ;',but. found no, ■■'. ■' c traces, ,''whateverVif ; /-Next i'morning :" a., party. H. . Treve-' _ •'■.: thick; : : werifctb -'.)icr,|firstryampy''.and'.-in' <, prpsß : . , .v:ingyasgMlry ( scarte>iipbn■another ridge,which ■•/v.-O.bjiafi's^yalley'r ßiver,' where"definite ' foot- ■ ,i prints : were^seeu' brvthree'places. As !i : •it.iso\)n;:bec'aine'-darlf, , ;ih'e-party had' to:stop, /: rr aiid:went 'iiitb'Ca'mp:,'.'X)n Monday-the search - was' /continued .in ;'the:/.valleyj L :all ♦' the"- empty ■.'..'.•■ houses-;and'Myhares'l.bDin'g/inspected without ; ■ /ajiy.'signs:-being:'fouhdir Pn"['We'dnesday.tbe ■■", ■g'ifllies;:andjridges; were"wbrked'etbrpugh ; into '; ':.Wain'uii;-heavy' ; rain. : :necessitating, tho-return , of:th'e;seai'oh'pre;;i ; A- party organised by some "■V , 'eur-veyo l rs/.:vMr;>V'DQwnib'g' ; ' , aiid» ; rotherß ) also .:- .went-outV'btif they> found, nothing. .' On Ffi-:);;day./the'-Nia^tivesXprbceeded-to'camp .-in,Gol-: .-: :■ lah's; yalleyV'-togetllier'/with a , camping party i,-. led'by/Mr.'J.fWard; they-returned owing :', ; V'.to'''tho r ;:rajh'; i V:/-'-'v ,^.-JA,^>!.-''v''!-.'-'/'.,: :'-/:''''- -'. !• V- ■'■ ■:!■;.' ...It iis.'more:,thanya,supposition 'that: Mrs. : -;' : /Pp'riney;had-'been ■on;tbe-..r'bad , ,between,;L6wrs 'Bay.''an'd-i'Dayls^Bay/between 1 the 'first Wed'nesday'aiid Sunday night, and that a ■■' ■wbman i answeririg.her'.description, , entered an :■-,; unbcciipidd hbuse/ati;npon:bii; Sunday.,; Con- ' cliisive'levidence is ayAilahlo;that since Wed-'. B'esday: she; the hills,-; a piece of :M:/. a'- : jacket, ; ..pocket, 1 : which .belonged .'..to' Mrs. ;- Trevethicki'haying.been'picked^'up.'....'!.' ;■;: ', ;■ : Mr.;Treveth'iok:.desires[./uG\tp■; thank all , those 'persons : -,\vhoVhayo; aided ; in',' the. search,.