LADY'S TRAGIC DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12543, 9 April 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

LADY'S TRAGIC DEATH.

DUKE'S COUSIN DROWNED AT CHIPPENHAM.

The dead body of Miss Loveil, daughter cf Colonel Loveil, of the New Forest, and a cousin of the Duke of Beaufort, was found recently in the lake in front of the hall in >Spye I'ark, near Chippenham, where she had been staying on a visit- to Captain and Lady Margaret Spieer. Only the previous Friday sho had been hunting with -the Beaufort pack. Miss Loveil had not been enjoying good health for some time past, the indisposition, it is stated, following on the death of a gentleman io whom she was much attached. On the Monday she left the house alone for a walk in the park, this having been almost her daily custom during her stay with Lady Spiver. For some time her absence occasioned no comment, but when dinner time arrived without her having put in an appear' ance some- alarm began to be felt for her safety. A search was instituted, but without success, and it. was not until the next morning that Miss Loveil* .i body was discovered in the bathing portion of the lake, a short distance from tho hat!.

At the. inquest Mr. Charles King Francis, metropolitan police magistrate, identified the body as that of his sister-in-law, and stated that; she was about 34- years of age. Her father was a retired officer of the Life Guards, living at Broekenhurst, New Forest, She had recently been in bail health, having undergone an operation some three or four years ago. Since then she had not been the same. A friend to whom she was engaged to be married died about four years ago, and she had been ill ever since. Captain John Spicer, at whose house Miss Loveil had been staying, said he was the last to speak to her, their conversation turning on ordinary topics. Going out he left her in the hall. Mi."a Loveil afterwards went out, and as she did not return to dress for dinner search parties were organised. .Subsequently his wife found a letter addressed to her in a drawer. The letter said. " hen you read this I shall be dead/' There were also a lew lines of farewell, and a remark that her hostess was her best friend and that life had become insupportable. As he did not attach much importance to the note he had unfortunately destroyed it. Miss Lovell was found between seven and eight o'clock next morning in the pond. Dr. Mackay, who had known Miss Loveil for five or six years, said one could see in conversation that she bad not got over tho trouble referred to. He did not think that at times she vats responsible for her actions. The coroner, in directing the jury to return a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity, said he. felt sure that if Captain Spicer-bad had time to consider he would have preserved the letter left by Miss Lovell as a valuable piece of evidence; it would have removed any suspicion of foul play against anyone if anything valuable had been missed. The jury returned a_ verdict of " suicide during temporary insanity.