ELOPEMENT TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 31

ELOPEMENT TRAGEDY.

CHRISTCHURCH GIRL’S DEATH. CHRISTCHURCH, August 4. In reference to the Sydnev cable message regarding the death of the girl Sarah Mayne, the first intimation of the tragedy was received by the Christchurch ixilico a week ago. An aunt lives in Christchurch. The police are given to understand that Donnelly cabled to the relatives fog money, and thev forwarded him a considerable sum at the end of last mouth.

A cable message from Sydney on Wednesday stated : At the inquest on the death of Sarah Mayne, aged 19, ot Christchurch, New Zealand, whose body was found at the foot of the cliffs at Coogce, John Vernon Donnelly gave evidence that ho eloped with the girl from Christchurch and came to Sydney, where they lived together. On July 18 he gave the ■’•irl £l5O, which she put in a linen bag and hung round her neck. He left the flat where they had been living, and when ho returned she was not there. The following day hc searched for her, but found no traces. He then cabled to her mother, stating, “Sally missing: expect suicide.”Deceased's body was found later, but the money bag, when opened aF the morgue, was empty. The coroner found that tho deceased died from injuries received in falling over the Cliffs at Coogee, but the evidence did not enable him to say whether or not she had wilfully cast herself over.