DUNEDIN TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 150, 19 March 1924, Page 10

DUNEDIN TRAGEDY

A WOMAN’S DEATH STORY OF INDOMITABLE COURAGE A distressing discovery was made last week by a Salvation Army social worker. Ensign Coombs, in one of the most populous parts of Dunedin. She received a call to an ancient threeroomed cottage in the north end of tho oity, being informed by telegraph that her services were required there. On arriving at the cottage Ensign Coombs found it to be in an indescribably filthy condition, so much so that only a strong sense of duty and a desire to help enabled her to go through with a nauseating task. Passing through a dirty and neglected yard, along a path overgrown with rank weeds, she camo to the squalid dwelling. Over its solitary dirt-en-crusted window was nailed a grimy old corn-sack. The door was locked, but in response to the Salvationist’s tapping it was opened by a girl about 14 I'ho social worker entered and the sight revealed to her was a shocking one. In the back room, the floor and walls of which Were begrimed -with dirt, was a trestle bed supporting an unclean mattress. ( On this lay a figure over which was drawn a dirty ragged cover, the face protected by a piece of window curtain. A small table was the only piece of furniture in sight, while on the mantelpiece were old and broken cups and other utensils. Beside the figure on the bed were scattered numerous tattered memorandum books spilled out of a loathern satchel. It was a sceno of squador and dirt, and in the midst of it lay the small hunched up figure on the filthy bed. . The girl lifted the piece of lace curtain. and the beholder was shocked at the sight of a woman’s wax-like sunkqn face. Even a novice could see that death was very near, and in answer to the kindly enquiry of Ensign Coombs the poor creature on the trestle could onlv moan. Her emaciated frame could be discerned throngll the covering. The visitor did wh-it she could, but on the same day the woman died.

The deceased was married at the age of 16. For 18 years she is said to Have suffered the torture of a well-educated and decently reared woman who is tied to a drunkard. Two years ago tho man died in a mental hospital, but the woman’s health was broken. Keeping her pain and her poverty to herself, she slowly faded away. lTie neighbours (knew nothing, and a sister who occasionally visited her was bound to secrecy, for the-invalid dreaded the exposure of her condition and her_possible removal to hospital. When Ensign Coombs first visited the Woman she and a helper tried to remove her to the hospital, but she struggled and protested so much that the effort had to be abandoned. The invalid threatened self-destruc-tion if she was compelled to move. After her death it was discovered that deceased’s leg was in a very serious state, and would undoubtedly have to be amputated. This fact she had successfully hidden front everyone. Immediately the insanitary condition of the cottage was discovered, the health authorities were summoned and an inspector was promptly on the spot, but the refusal of the woman to be removed made it impossible to do anything. A doctor was also quickly in' attendance, but could do nothing to save her.

Subsequently a Health Department employee who had been sent to fumigate tho place declared that in all the years of his experience he. had never seen a house in worse condition.