WOMAN LOST AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21167, 27 April 1932, Page 9

WOMAN LOST AT SEA.

OVERBOARD FROM LINER. -- PASSENGER FOR NEW ZEALAND., LONG. FRUITLESS SEARCH. While the P. and 0. Jiner Mongolia, en route from England to Sydney, was off Capo Everard, to the west of Cape Howe, Victoria, at 8.30 o'clock last Wednesday morning, a woman passenger, Mrs. S. Pearson, aged about 36 years, was reported missing. As soon as the alarm was given the commander, Captain Rhodes, gave orders for the ship to put about, and a thorough search was made of the waters through which the ship was passing when Mrs. Pearson disappeared. The ship was searched as well. At 10.40 Captain Rhodes reluctantly decided to abandon the search and to proceed. Wireless messages were sent to other vessels to keep a lookout. Mrs. Pearson, who had been to Oxford, and was a woman of high educational attainments, was to have joined a ship at Sydney for New Zealand, where she intended entering the teaching profession. Throughout the voyage she had been noticeably reserved, but it was not until the ship reached Melbourne that anything occurred to merit the special attention of the commander. Tier reservation then became so pronounced that Captain Rhodes decided to have a watch kept on her movements. Last Seen ol Passenger. Mrs. Pearson went on deck before breakfast on Wednesday. She was noticed by a steward to walk round a corner. That was the last that was seen of her. If she had fallen or jumped overboard from the port deck, aft, she would probably have been struck by a propeller.; Men were at work painting the masts, and, generally speaking, there were people all around her at the time. " I have been in command for several years," said Captain Rhodes. " This is the first death in a ship in my charge." Passengers said that whenever Mrs. Pearson went ashore she seemed to have T plenty of friends, and at Melbourne she came hack laden with flowers. On the • day of her disappearance she said that) she did not want anything to eat. • ■- That in his opinion Mrs. Pearson was suffering from a mild form of a delusion . of persecution was elated in evidence by Dr. A. C. de B. Helnie, surgeon of the Mongolia, when tin inquiry into the disappearance was opened by the deputy- ;• director of navigation in Sydney. He saTS that the ship's nurse had been approached bv two women passengers the night prior to the disappearance. They a. said that they were worried about Mrs. Pearson's mental condition.® lie had later seen Mrs. Pearson in her cabin, when she said that during the voyage she had been the butt, of some joke among the passengers, and that some of the passengers had made peculiar remarks 1o her. She would not say what these lemavks were. Refusal to Take Sleeping Draught. Mrs. Pearson told witness that she had not eaten any food that day, and had had some sleepless nights. She refused to take a sleeping draught prescribed by Dr. lielme. He then gave outers to the inghtwatehman that Mrs. Pearson must on no account be allowed -• to leave her cabin without somebody accompanying her. Captain Rhodes stated that Mrs. Pearson had kept to herself during the voyage. When he was informed that she,, could not be found on board he gave orders that the seaich on board be in- :■ tensified, "while the ship \vas turned about and a search made with all lookouts on duty Captain Rhodes added;; that he was of the opinion that Mrs. Pearson hal gone overboard and had been struck by the propeller. After hearing the evidence of both witnesses the inquiry was then adjourned for the taking of the evidence of a further four witnesses.