THE MELBOURNE MYSTERY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 29, 19 September 1911, Page 6

THE MELBOURNE MYSTERY.

Mary Margaret Davies, a woman of 27 years of age, had lived for the past year with her, parents at 23, Howe-crescent j South Melbourne. The eldest of ten children of a retired Ballarat hotelkeeper, she herself found employment in a bar, and was often a' 1 home with her parents. Amongst the hoarders in the house of the latter was a young man of 21, Clifford Poke and between the two an intimacy sprang up. On Wednesday, August -9th, she went to Dr Peacock’s hospital, she sated, and was there to undergo an operation. Poke, on tho next night, called at the place, and jsaw and spoke to her iu bed. On a later occasion she had told him that the doctor had commenced to operate an her. Till 17tlr August he continned going there, bind on that, night he' saw her alive 'fer the last time. She was ill and we ilk: in heel then. On both succeeding days he called full of anxiety,, but Dr. Peacock whom he saw, refused permission to him to see the patient. He: was told to come again on August 21st. He did so, but was again refused; permission to the sick room. The doctor came to him and arranged a secret appointment in , the Fitzroy Gardens for Tuesday night, 22nd August.,! and the lad went away again full of .misgivings at tho doctor’s talk. That appointment was kept to time by Loth, and Dr Peacock, bo says, made 'he blunt aan r.j’ .p----merit: “Mrs Nelson 'under nnich name she went, to th« hospital) is dead; died this morntog. Xou. the host policy for all concerned is secrecy. If I’m'given a fortnight’s time before any inquiries aie set aicot ly her relatives it will be all right,” He added: “I will he able to have her properly and secretly buried.” The lad left the doctor in a stnpifiod condition. The shock prevented his coming to any decision. He told the detectives about it, and the charge of murder was laid.