SHOCKING DEATH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3810, 1 October 1883, Page 3

SHOCKING DEATH.

A shocking death is reported from West Clive, the particulars of which, ho far as are known prior to the inquest, are as follows:—At about 8.30 on Saturday mght Mrs Diamond, Mr Hall (wheelwright at West Clive), and Mrs Annip O-Reilly (sister of Mr Hall), having met at Mr Ruddick s hotel, proceeded homewards. Mrs Diamond lives about a milo from the hotel on the Havelock road ; Mr Hall lives almost opposite 'the hotel, and Mrs O'Reilly was a servant in'the employ of Mr Ruddick. The / nitfhfc was pitch dark, and it was raining ' heavily. Although there does not appear to have been any reason for Mrs O'Reilly £o have left tho house, it seems that all three wont out, the intention being to accompany Mrs Diamond to her homo.

They had not gone far when Mrs O'Reilly said she would go no further, and Mr Hall proposed to take her into one of tho neighboring cottages. The offer, however, was refused, Mrs O'Reilly paying , she would wait till Mr Hall returned, or according to another account, that she would follow on slowly. Be this as it may, on Mr Hall's return he could see nothing of her. He naturally supposed that she had returned to the hotel, while her absence from there caused no alarm, as Mr Ruddick as naturally supposed that she had spent tho night at her brother's. Mr Hall did not go to the hotel to make enquiries, nor did Mr Ruddick send over to Mr Hall's to learn the whereabouts of his' servant. Early on Sunday morning a lad named Caldwell, going out with milk, found the woman lyingin six inches of Avatcr in the ditch by the side of the road. He immediately gave the alarm, and with all despatch Mrs O'Reilly was convoyed to her brother's. Life was almost oxtiiict, the body bcingbenumbed from cold and exposure, and though every effort was made to restore animation the poor woman died in about half an hour's time from her discovery. A post mortem examination was made to-day by Dr. Caro, and this afternoon an inquest was held before Dr. Hitchings.