FATALITY AT MOTUEKA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 10 April 1922, Page 4

FATALITY AT MOTUEKA

BODY OF MISSING WOMAN

FOUND

THE INQUEST.

Tlie body of tlic late Mrs P. G. Phillips, of Motueka, __ who had been missing for some days ,was found ? m the river-bed about half a mile below the Motueka bridge, late on Friday afternoon last by Constable MacCarthy and Mr Iterham (a brother of the deceased). An inquest was held on; ' Saturday at the Courthouse, Motueka, before Mr E. J. Seautlebury, Coroner. From the evidence of the husband of the deceased, it seems that she had been suffering from a nervous breakdown for the past five months, and for a period of four weeks was an inmate of the Nelson Hospital, . after winch she went on a visit to a friend-at Pocky River, returning home, with her health improved. On the night olr, the 28th March last, witness! and his wife retired about B.SO. For quietness sake they slept in a whai'e, distant about a, hundred yards froth the boarding house they kept, and occupied separate beds. After retiring they had a general conversation, when the'husband'fell asleep. He awoke a.b 5.30 the next morning. He spoke to bis wife, and getitng ho response, he discovered lus wife’s bed empty. Dressing hurriedly ho went and informed Constable MacCarthy,,, ami then cycled to the Motueka. River and searched the Motueka- side of the river —the river was swollen. During cross-examination, the hufh band stated they had always lived on the best of terms, neither had she ever threatened to do away with. herseJj:. For about a mouth, while Suffering from her breakdown, she was quite demented, gud tho doctortold him,to keep an eye on her. -Previous to retiriu<T on the night of the 28th Match, she told her eldest child to bring the clothe j> belonging to the youngest child, to lief'in the' morning, andv sho would sew the buttons on the clothes. Before his wife was taken ill, she did the cooking in'the boarding housis, the housemaid assisting her. She did not complain of the amount of: work she had to do. She was hot a strong woman, but rather fragile.: She had more spirit than physical force. He endeavoured to get her to take a rest, but could not do so; she suffered 1 a great,desl from insomnia. Constable MacCarthy stated he commenced the search for tho deceased from 7 a.m, on the 29th and continued it without cessation, in ■ .company with the brother of the deceased, until JLie came upon the body,on Friday afternoon last, about half a mile below the Motueka bridge!, and -about’a chain below where the river forks. Tho body was much -bruised and scratched, presumably by coming into contact wi ch driftwood and snags in the riv<m, and wasi in an advanced stage of decomposition -' ■:1 ' ■ The Coroner found that tho deceased was found drowned in the Motueka River, and that there was no evidence of how the deceased came into the water. He also stated that great-praisoy was due to Constable MacCarthy f for the manner in wliicli he hpd carried put his duties in-searching for the body.'