INQUEST ON “PYJAMA GIRL”

Southland Times, Issue 25347, 26 April 1944, Page 5

INQUEST ON “PYJAMA GIRL”

Evidence As To Cause Of Death

(Rec. 9 p.m.) MELBOURNE, April 25. The opinion that the bullet wound in the head of the “pyjama girl” was not the cause of death but that death could have been caused by heavy and repeated blows on the head, was expressed by Dr C. H. Mollison, a pathologist, who is a world authority on post mortem examinations, at the inquest on Monday. Dr Mollison read a long statement prepared on the results of the post mortem conducted by himself with Dr Wright-Smith. He said he based his opinion that the head injuries could have caused death from the evidence of the haemorrage which he and Dr Wright-Smith discovered in all tissues immediately surrounding the fractures. These fractures could not have been caused by a body falling 10 to 12 feet. He was unable to form an opinion whether the bullet wound was inflicted before or'after, death, but said it had not caused death. . ; There could not have been sufficient application of force in one blow to have caused all the fractures. Considerable violence would have been needed, to make the two-inch hole in the skull at the left temple, which was the principal injury. . •, The inquest was adjourned till Wednesday.