Amazing Inquest Story

Inangahua Times, 7 December 1929, Page 3

Amazing Inquest Story

Girl Stages Attack An amazinfe, story of a girl who staged an attack and said she had been poisoned by a man, was told at Ellesmere, Shropshire, recently at the inquest on May Mason, aged 29, of Cockshutt. Miss Mason, who was known locally as May Austin, acted as house-keeper to a relative, Richard Henry Austin, and was ill for a fortnight before she died at his house. A district nurse spoke of visits to Miss Mason when the latter alleged that a strange man had attacked her. The first time she visited her she was on the floor semi-conscious, and said a man had called and asked for food She gave him some and he seized her. She remembered falling and then no moreLater she said the same man came and poured something down her throat from a bottle. A neighbour gave evidence that nobody ever saw or heard of the man who, Miss Mason alleged, attacked her. Dr. Dermont Rogers said that on the day of the alleged attack Miss Mason appeared to be in a state of hysterical dementia. The only injury she had was a slight bruise on her knee, and there was nothing to ; suggest a case of assault. Death, in his opinion, was due to exhaustion and acute gastroenteritis following s t he taking of red oxide of mercury. Sergeant Hepwood said every t thing pointed to the girl having staged ; j both incidents She was bright and r intelligent until her grandmother 3 1 died, since then she became weaker. s \ \ verdict of suicide while of ■ f unsound mind was returned.