MANAIA TRAGEDY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 February 1925, Page 2

MANAIA TRAGEDY.

INQUEST CONCLUDED. DEATH BY MOTHER’S HAND. JURYMEN EXTEND SYMPATHY. As was reported in the late edition of the Star yesterday, the inquest into the circumstances surrounding death on Thursday, January -9, ot Joyce May Hobday, seven months ofage, daughter of Mr. and Mis- ■H. Hobday, of Manaia, was concluded at the Manaia Courthouse yesterday before Mr; J- J. Meldon, J.P. gctmg coroner). The ]ury was as followsi. Messrs E. Long (foreman), N. C. lnnes, J A. G. Cosgrove, C. Hungei, I • Poynter, and T. Hotter. Sergeant J. Henry conducted proceedings on behalf of the police. Mr. A G Bennett watched the proceedings on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Hobday Exhaustive evidence, which occupied three hours in hearing, was presented, and the jury, after a short deliberation, returned the following verdict “'That Joyce May Hobday came to hei death by drowning at the hands of her mother whilst the mother was of unsound mind.” -. , ~ After returning their verdict the members of the jury, through the coroner, expressed their sincere sympathy with Mr. Hohday .in his bereavement. THE FATHER’S EVIDENCE.

Valentine H. Hohday, father of the deceased was the first witness called. He said’ that at about 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, he had been informed by the maid that Mrs. Hobday was. not up, and on going to the latter’s room he found that her bed, which had evidently been slept in, was empty, and the cot in which the child slept/ was also vacant. Witness had then gone to the house of a neighbour, Mrs. Hunger, to inquire for Mrs. Hobday, but was informed that she had not been there that morning. He returned home immediately, and the maid informed him that she had found Mrs. Hobday sitting under a tree in the garden. Going into the garden, witness found Mrs. Hobday as stated, and also found the child lying in a hath of water. He returned to. Mrs. Hunger’s residence to secure assistance, and, at Mrs. Hunger’s instigation, Messrs Vincent and White arrived on the scene shortly after. They assisted witness in taking Mrs. Hobday into the house, and for a quarter of an hour worked on the body of the child in the °ndeavour to restore respiration. Dr. Davies was also summoned, but could only pronounce., life extinct. Witness "ould not estimate the length of time the child had been in the bath. "When he first saw it he had been terribly upset. Mrs. Hunger had been on tlie scene almost as soon as witness, and lie had gone to help Mrs. Hohday. He had not spoken to Mrs. Hobday when he first saw her, because he considered she was not in a fit condition to he spoken to. nor could he remember speaking to her subsequently. Witness had said to the doctor that Mrs. Hobday was a raving lunatic. He was certain that Mrs. Hobday was not conscious of her surroundings. Mrs. Hobday bad been attended to by Dr. Davies, who had ordered her removal to th’gi Hawera hospital, hut she had not spoken to witness. Ever since the accident about- three months previously, when the child had fallen' into the Kaupokonui river, Mrs. Hobday had been verging on a nervous breakdown. In the endeavour to better her health /witness had twice sent her t.o New Plymouth for holidays. Dr. Milroy, who had attended her there, had informed witness that Mrs. Hohday was on the verge of a nervous breakdown; On her return, on January 2, from the second trip her condition seemed to be slightly improved. From her condition he had never thought that she would make any attempt on her own life, nor that of any other person. She was passionately fond of children. Referring to the accident previously mentioned, witness said that when crossing the s wing .bridge with the child jn her arms Mrs. Hobday had been overcome with giddiness, and had dropped the child, There being no side protection to the bridge, the child had fallen into the river, but had been rescued by Mr. Canty and. had suffered no ill effects from the; immersion. The child was exceptionally healthy and was always cared .for by Mrs. Hohday. Witness identified and recognised as Mrs. Hobday s writing a letter produced in court, in which the writer expressed fears concerning the loss of reason and, tendering a pathetic farewell to her family, intimated that she wished to he accompanied in her going by the youngest child. Witness had asked that Mrs. Hohday he examined when she had been ordered to hospital, and s “® ■had subsequently been removed to a Wellington hospital for special treatment. A report received last Wednesday had stated there was no improvement in her condition. medical TESTIMONY.

Christopher Aprhys Davies, medical ■practitioner, Manaia, said that he had been called to the home, of Mr Hohday shortly after 8 a.m. on January 29. On arrival he saw Mr Hohday carrying lus wife inside. He did not examine her then, as he was told the baby was outside and was supposed to lie drowned. He examined the baby, and tound life to be extinct. He had tried artificial respiration for about 10 minutes. but without result. He then vent inside and saw Mrs Hohday, who was unable to answer anv Questions, as she was suffering from shock. He had administered morphia j and ordered her removal to. the Hawera Hosoital. He

had visited her on one occasion in De- g comber, but had not given any treatment. She was then -under another doctor for nerve treatment. On the Saturday following the fatality he had been handed a glass containing some fluid which looked and smelt like lysol. Acting on instructions from the actingcoroner, he had made a post mortem examination on the body j>f the child. Dr. M. M, Hockin, of Kaponga, was also present. There were no external marks of any kind, and there were no g signs of any disease. The cause of g death was asphyxiation, dne to immer- g sion in water, death probably being ac- I celerated by the shock of immersion, g Though he could not say exactly how g long before his arrival on the scene | 'death had occurred, it was at least. | half an hour. WOMEN WITNESSES. Vera Hawkes, who had been employed as a maid by Mr and Mrs Hobday up till the day of the fatality, said that on January 29, after being informed, at about 8 a.m., by Mr Hobday that Mrs Holiday was not in her room, she had gone into the garden, and found Mrs Hobday sitting under a tree. Witness did not speak to her, but had informed Mr Hobday. Mr Hobday had gone to Mrs Hobday, and had then informed witness that the baby was drowned. Mr Hobday had then gone for assistance. On the day previous witness thought that Mrs Hobday was fairly well, but 1 she had complained of a headache. Before retiring to bed that evening Mrs Hobday had said she wondered how she would sleep. Witness knew that Mrs Hobday had been restless at night, and did not think she slept well since the occurrence at the Kaupokonui river. The only disinfectant kept in the house was Jeyes’ fluid.Mary Ellen Hunger corroborated the evidence given by Mr Hobday relating to his visits on the morning of January 29. On the second visit Mr Hobday had informed witness that the baby was drowned and that Mrs Hob-, day’ was in the garden. Witness had immediately gone to Mrs Hobday, and found her in a dazed condition. The baby was lying in a small bath containing sufficient -vyater to cover its body and head. It would not have been oossible for the baby to get into the bath unaided. Witness had spoken to Mrs Hobday, who appeared very ill and had hot replied'. Witness had been out with Mrs Hobday on the day prior ( to the occurrence, and Mrs Hobday then appeared unwell. Witness knew Mrs Hobday suffered from nervous trouble. When in witness’ company Mrs Hobday had never made any suggestion concerning taking her own life or that of anyone else, nor was there anything in Mrs Hobday’s condition to cause witness to fear such action. Mrs Hobday was very happy in her domestic’ life, and was exceedingly fond of her children. POLICE EVIDENCE.

Constable J. O’Donoghue, Kaponga, said tha t on January 29 he ha cl been called to Mr Hobday’s residence, and had viewed the body of a deceased child which was then in a front bedroom. Accompanied by Mr Watson, of Manaia, wtiness had gone into the garden, and near where Mrs Hobday had been found noticed a small bath a little more than half full of water. About three feet away from the bath he discovered a glass containing some fluid similar to Jeyes’ fluid or lysol. He then made inquiries as to whether lysol had been kept in the house, but the maid, Miss Hawkes, said there was none. There was, however, a bottle of Jeyes’ fluid, which was shown to witness. From its appearance witness judged that the cork' had not been drawn for some time. Mrs Barleyman had handed witness the letter produced in court. Witness had interviewed local storekeepers and chemist, and had been informed that they had not sold any lysol to Mr Hobday. This concluded the evidence, and the verdict, as given above, was returned,