A TRAGIC END

Evening Star, Issue 17515, 22 November 1920, Page 7

A TRAGIC END

WOMAN PALLS OVER CLIFF

TERRIBLE INJURIES

The body of Mis Margaret M. Moss, of North-east Valley, who had been missing from her home since last Tuesday, was found yesterday afternoon on a ledge partly down the face of a cliff at Lawyer's Head, the clue which led to the discovery being the finding of a brown felt hat and a woollen jersey by a medical student at the edge of the cliffs on Saturday. Yesterday afternoon a search party went to the scene. A fireman was lowered over the edge, and the gruesome find made. ' The spot is probably one of the most dangerous about the coast, the bare sand sloping downward at an angle approaching 60deg for a yard or two, and the cliff falling thence sheer to the rocks over 100 ft below.

This morning an inquest was held at the Morgue before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M. (sitting as coroner), Sergeant Murray representing the police. .''Cornelius Moss identified the body as that of his wife. She was '3O years of age, and had been married for four years four months. In August last deceased gave birth to a child, which was prematurely born. For a while she seemed to be doing well, but then appeared to become very depressed. Dr Ross, who was attending her, told witness she would be better in a mental hospital. Witness saw her last on Tuesday morning about aquarter to 8, when she appeared to be well.

Dr Ross gave evidence that when he was attending deceased she was looking very and anaemic. Witness warned her husband that -anyone in that state was apt to do harm to herself, and suggested that she should be sent to a mental hospital, but her husband was opposed to that. As deceased did not get on well at a convalescent home at Warrington, witness strongly advised the husband to take her up to Seacliff. About two day 3 after that he received a telephone message, but when he arrived her husband seemed surprised to see him. and said his wife was quite well. Phoebe Moss, deceased's mother-in-law, said that deceased appeared to get on all right whilst she was staying with witness, and appeared to relish her food. She was quiet and littje depressed. On Tuesday morning she left witness to do some shopping, intending to return afterwards to her own home.

Arthur Evans, medical student, gave evidence of the finding of deceased's hat and jersey at Lawyer's Head on Saturday afternoon.

Charles William Ingram, a fireman, said he was sent for by the police on Sunday, and was lowered down the cliff on a rope. He described the position of the body as it was found. It was on a ledge, and was not actually in the water, the level of which was several feet below. Witness did not think the body had been wet at anytime. He could not say for certain if it would be covered at high tide. The clothing was not wet. Constable Coppell said he went with Evans to the spot where the clothes were found, but could not discover any sicn of the body. The clothes were- identified on Saturday evening by deceased's husband. While searching on Sunday afternoon witness saw the body directly below the spot where the clothes were found. Fireman Ingram was lowered on a rope, and the body was drawn up to the top. The faee of deceased was badly mutilated, the jaws broken, both arms and both less fractured, and the body bruised in many places. From the brink of the cliff to the foot of the rocks was from 130 ft to 150 ft. It was possible for a person sitting on the edge to slip over and not be able to recover himself. The Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to injuries received by falling over the cliff at Lawyer's Head on the 16th, but the evidence was not sufficient to show whether the fall was accidental or whether deceased deliberately threw herself over while suffering from depression. The Coroner added that it was unfortunate that her husband had not been guided by the' advice of Dr Ross.