WOMEN FOUND DEAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1942, Page 6

WOMEN FOUND DEAD

MELBOURNE CRIMES.

MELBOURNE, May 19

The crime wave sweeping the city culminated to-day in the finding of the body of a semi-nude young woman hidden in an air-raid trench in Royal Park, North Melbourne. Th<* woman had been strangled and probably outraged. The bodies of two other women, practically stripped of clothing, were found on May 3 and May 9 in other parts of the city. They had been killed in similar circumstances. The crimes have created a most baffling problem for the police and have become a matter of consternation among citizens. The latest victim has been identified as Gladys Hosking, aged 29, who was secretary of the chemistry department at Melbourne University. She was apparently attacked while going home last night in the darkness near a military camp and was dragged into the park. Her body was discovered early this morning by a soldier. Her umbrella, hat, handbag, jacket, and overcoat were scattered about, but nobody heard her cries, although a row of apartment houses is directly opposite. On May 3'the partly naked body of Mrs Ivy McLeod, aged 33, of East Melbourne, was discovered in a doorway in Victoria avenue, Albert Park. She was found by a hotel porter on his way to work early in the morning. Her skull was fractured. The partly naked body of Mrs. Pauline Thompson, aged 32. wife of a police constable of Bendigo, was found on the steps leading to an apartment house in Spring Street, Melbourne, on May 9. She had been strangled. In these two cases robbery appeared to be the motive, as the contents of the women’s handbags had been stolen. The bags were found elsewhere. ___