THE HAYHURST CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8630, 28 July 1891, Page 5

THE HAYHURST CASE.

With reference to this case, which is exciting bo much interest in Timaru, a Canterbury contemporary supplies some additional particulars. At the' time of his last illness Hayhursb had made arrangements for again returning to England. When confined to his room, finding that he was likely to mis 3 the boat by which he had intended to sail, he directed Mrs, Cope'stake, an intimate friend of the family, and whoru he had been instrumental in bringing from the old country, to write to a certain lady, at an address in Kent, mentioning that he would be unable to arrive by the boat he had intended. The letter wag duly despatched and a reply was received, but not until after his death. The medical man, having carefully gone into the matter, gave a certificate of death from urcamia, a result likely to follow the disease from which Mr. Hayhursb was suffering, and the symptoms of which might be mistaken for poisoning. The high standing in the medical world of the gentleman in question settled any doqbts that there may have been, and the funeral took place on April 7, 1889. It was of an imposing character, and representatives of all classes of the community were present. Nothing of interest in connection with the family transpired for some time except that certain expectant beneficiaries under the will were disappointed. In due course the reply before mentioned arrived, and in subsequent letters the writer claimed to be Mr. Hayhurst's lawful wife. Mr. J. T. M. Hayhursb, the son, made a visit to England, and interviewed the lady. Not long after his return to New Zealand the lady herself arrived with her two children, and no time was lost by her in placing herself in communication with members of the family and others interested. Her statement was that she was lawfully married to Mr. Hayhurst. In regard to the lady whose claim was thus disputed,' old identities recollect her arrival in the colony and her residence for many years afc Gebbie's Bush, on the Peninsula, where she w*ts engaged β-s housekeeper to a Mr. Copping. Subsequently she is believed to have married a Mr. Dines, by whom sho had several chiidren, several of whom are buried in the family plot at Temuka, and after his death her marriage with Mr. Hayhurst took place. The new claimant to the title of Mrs. Hayhursb was impressed with the gossip about the death, and had several interviews with Dr. Hayes upon the subject. He decliued to alter the stand he had taken, and resolutely refused to answer tho numerous queries put to him as regards symptoms, &c. Ultimately, on the representation of Sorgeant-Mnjor Mason, and at the solicitation of Mr. J. T. M. Hayhurst, he consented to reply to a number of questions put to him by Dr. Coughtrey, and after many pages of foolscap had been expended upon thematter an opinion wasgiven. It is stated that when application was made to the Colonial Secretary for the exhumation of the body of the deceased neither Mrs. Hayhurst nor the lady now claiming to be his legal wife could produce their marriage certificates. When the body was exhumed Mrs. Parke (late Missi Hayimrst) and. Mrs. Copestako (late Miss Murray), who came out from home with Mrs. J. Hayhursb in 1860, were called in to identify it. At first Mrs. Parke had an idea that the beard was not so grey as she had remembered it, but both herself and Mrs. Copestake easily identified the remains by the shape of the head and the form of the face, but more definitely still by the third and fourth finger of the right hand, these fingers having been injured during life, and becoming drawn close to the pajm through a contraction of the muscles, and Airs. Parke having frequently dressed the injured hand. The body had been wrapped in an outer 'covering of white cotton wool, which Mr. Buckingham recognised as similar to what he had assisted to put round at the timo of death, Dr. Ogston having remarked that this in itself was almost sufficient evidence of identification, as it was not usual to wrap a corpse in cotton wool. The jury had by this time arrived, and after viewing the body went back to Temuka, and-, were formally bound over to meet again on Tuesday, August 4th, ab nine a.m., by which* time Professor Black would have completed his analysis, and it would be seen what further steps! it would be necessary to take in so far as calling evidence ab the adjourned inquest.