MISS PATTERSON'S DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 12870, 20 July 1906, Page 6

MISS PATTERSON'S DEATH

A great deal of sympathy is felt (j6ays our correspondent) for Mrs Patterson, of South Dunediu, under the distressingiy painful circumstances attending the deaiti of her adopted daughter, Lizzie Patterson, referred to in last night's 'Star.' Miss Patterson had been staying with Mr and Mrs James Robertson, ot Lawrence, tot about three weeks, and on Tuesday afternoon, between four and five o'clock, let: their house on the pretence of doing sodv! shopping at a drapery establishment. Instead of fulfilling this intention, she apparently went to a chemist's shop, bough i. a quantity of carbolic acid, and then walked leisurely to the local cemetery, where ber lifeless body was subsequently found. When she did not netum on Wednesday forenoon, Mr Robertson became anxious, and instituted inquiries to ascertain if the unfortunate young woman had stayed overnight with any friends. Being unable to get any trace oi her movements, later in the day he acquainted the police of her disappearance, and they, aided by a number of citizens, subsequently made search for her in various directions, but all to no purpose. Yesterday morning it was arranged to again prosecute the search, and to call in tbe aid of a number of the elder lads attending tbe district high school. One section of the boys made for the local cemetery, and had no sooner entered the grounds than they espied the young woman's lifeless form not, far from the main entrance alongside one of the pathways. She had apparently seated herself comfortably, taken the outaide wrapper off the bottle of carbolic acid, then folded the wrapper carefully, uncorked the bottle, drank freely of its contents, placed the bottle. (corked) by her side* and expired almost instantaneously and without the semblance of a struggle, the body when found being in a semi-recumbent position, with the bead inclining to the left shoulder. An inquest touching the cause of death was held before Mr Thos. Pilling, J.P., acting coroner, at the local this forenoon, when a verdict was returned of death from carbolic acjd poison, self-administered, while in a state of unsound mind.