"ECCENTRIC LIFE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 111, 6 November 1941, Page 11

"ECCENTRIC LIFE"

LATE MRS. MERRY

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

CLAIMED SHE WAS POOR

"This woman was evidently

living a rather eccentric life alone in one room, and was there hoarding an enormous amount of money which she was presumably not prepared to entrust to a bank or any other regular place where money may be lodged or invested," said the Coroner (Mr. W. G. L. Mellish) at the conclusion of the inquest yesterday afternoon into the. death of Mrs. Alice Merry, widow, aged 83, who died, presumably on October 19, at her

residence at 72 Cambridge Terrace,

Money totalling £26,613 Us s|d was found iri her room, together with a Post Office Savings Bank book showing a credit of £514 9s 6d, and a quantity of debentures, shares, mortgages, and title deeds.

Mary Cecilia Stedman, who, with her j husband, Ivo Stedman, occupy rooms, in the house, said that Mrs. Merry's room was in the front, and had a separate entrance. She was a woman, of peculiar habits and ways, and! always used to say she was poor, and ( could not afford to repair the house, i WINDOWS NAILED; DOORS BARRED. Ivo Stedman, taxi-driver, said that Mrs. Merry always had the windows nailed down and the door was always i barred from the inside when she was at home. He knew that she had property and a considerable amount of money, but he did not know where she kept the money, although he always had an idea that she had a considerable amount in her room. Previously-,, when Mrs. Merry had been ill, and had not been seen for a week, the police were notified, and called without receiving an. answer. They damaged the door in endeavouring to force their- way in, and Mrs. Merry had opened it from the inside and made a great fuss about the damage. Witness described how on this occasion, also, he had notified the police.

Evidence was given by Constables G. A. Morley and M. Rolls, who broke into the house after looking through the window, from which they removed some glass. They found Mrs. Merry lying huddled up fully dressed on the bed with a coat over her body and a cloth over her head, which was hanging down over the edge of the bed. The witnesses gave a description of the finding. of the money and documents. Most of the money, they said, was in a cloth bag .under the bedclothes.: :

Dr. P. P. Lynch; pathologist, said that death was due to heart failure, and probably occurred on October 19, the last day Mrs. Merry was seen alive. "I think that Mr. Stedman acted very rightly under the circumstances," said the Coroner, who returned a finding in accordance with the medical evidence. •