SKELETON DISCOVERED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20673, 19 September 1930, Page 16

SKELETON DISCOVERED.

SOLVING A MYSTERY. FATE OF YOUNG GIRL. SEARCH FOR COMPANION. [from our own correspondent.] SYDNEY, Sept. 11. Tire solution of tho mystery caused by the discovery of a skeleton at a lonely spot near Newcastle is at last approaching solution after weeks of work by a large squad of police and detectives. For weeks tho polico have been unable or unwilling to throw any light on tho matter, which was surprising, seeing that tho discovery of tho skeleton had caused a great deal of interest throughout tho Slate. Now they say definitely that tho skeleton was that of Mary Doris Schubert, aged 14, formerly of Tarce, on tho North Coast of New South Wales. They are now searching for tho girl's father, a. man past middle age. Between Christmas and January of this year tho girl and a man left the small township of Coopernook for Newcastle. The man was carrying a suitcase in which the girl's clothing was packed. Tho girl's mother, it is alleged, believed that her daughter was to bo placed in a home at Newcastle. Sho had no idea what happened to the girl, and she was satisfied when the inan returned homo with the empty case, slating that he had left tho girl safely housed. Weeks passed, tho mother not hearing anything of tho whereabouts of her daughter. Having received no letter from her, sho questioned tho man, who is alleged to havo told her that ho took the girl to Sydney instead of to Ncwcastlo. In any caso, tho girl soon afterwards was posted missing. When the remains were found some weeks ago at a lonely spot near Newcastle, various people viowed tho cheap jewellery that was found with tho bones. In the meantime a constable at Coopernook, having read the circular from police headquarters, communicated with tho Newcastle polico. Mrs. Schubert then went to Newcastle, and she was able to identify tho trinkets as belonging to her daughter. Mrs. Schubert also spoke of the man who, tho polico think, will bo able to throw a great deal of light on tho mystery. The trail took tho police to the northern districts of the State, where tho man had been working on tho roads, but when they had arrived they found ho had gone on his way. Tho police wero ablo to collect somo valuable information, and they found that ho had cashed a money order at tho local post office. They followed him across tho border into Queensland, but always they wero behind their quarry who, it is thought, returned to New South Wales, and is now working outback. An analysis of tho soil near where the bones wero found lias satisfied tho police that the girl was poisoned, but tho circumstances in which tho poison. was administered remain a mystery. Sensational evidence regarding the life of the girl is expected when tho inquest is held.