WOMAN DROWNED

Southland Times, Issue 24765, 9 June 1942, Page 5

WOMAN DROWNED

SERIES OF INCIDENTS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 8. A series of tragic incidents on Saturday night began with an assault with a poker and the burning of a house at Ponsonby and ended with the drowning of a woman at Northcote. The woman was Miss Edith Atford, aged 36, who lived with her mother, Mrs Ellen May Atford, at Ponsonby, where the fire occurred. Mrs Atford was alone in the house with her daughter when she was struck on the head with a poker. She ran to a neighbour’s house for protection. While she was there her house became on fire. There was no trace of Miss Atford and for a while it was feared she was in the flames. The fire badly damaged the house and because of a strong odour it is believed kerosene was sprinkled inside the house. The fire brigade quickly had the fire under control. Later Miss Atford’s body was found in the harbour. LITTLE GIRL KILLED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, June 8. Nola Joyce Crust, aged five, was killed when she was struck by a military truck near the Gardens this afternoon. She was apparently attempting to cross the street behind a stationary south-bound tram and was struck by the truck, which was going north. SCHOOLBOY FRACTURES ARM Stanley Calder Gray, aged 14, a schoolboy of Ohai, was admitted to the Southland Hospital yesterday suffering from a fractured left forearm received when he fell.