Girl’s Death Leads to Grave Prosecution

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 748, 22 August 1929, Page 11

Girl’s Death Leads to Grave Prosecution

fourth edition x

WOMAN IN DOCK A VISIT TO PONSONBY lft’roti Our Own Correspondent) WAIHI, Today. The inquest concerning the death of .ij, young woman, Amelia Mary Pipe, w lio died in the AVaihi Hospital on i u ly 26, which was opened before the diltHCt coroner, Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, 4 nd adjourned sine die on the appliKation of the police, was resumed toI day* In connection with the inquest, Mrs. ■ (jeline Pi’le appeared before Mr. F. if Platts, S.M., to answer a charge ,f manslaughter in connection with the oung woman's death. [• q r , v. N. Hubble appeared for the Crown, and Mr. R. A. Singer appeared lor Mrs. Pyle. | Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle stated •oat he went with Detective O'Sulliru on the date of the girl’s death to icrused's house. She denied know>u?e of the deceased, but later ad- !. ted that Mrs. Jarvis and the girl Jo.ght have visited her. She said they „ere welcome to search the house. Mr. Doyle produced a letter he found allegedly written to accused by the lji-1. in which the girl stated somehad occurred and she was ill *.n pleurisy. The letter also stated lit accused's water-bottle had been a rreat comfort and that no one knew had happened. Accused, added witness, said she nought she had burned that letter, but admitted It was from deceased. She naiie a statement saying the deceased inld her she had been in a certain conditicn, but was no longer so. Dr. J. Cole, superintendent of the iVaibi Hospital and Dr. D. Short, stated that Miss Pipe died in the hospital on July 26 from septicaemia following a certain event, though there jtere no signs of external interference and no direct clue as to the cause. The course of her illness made it aetically certain that the event was t due to natural causes. FATHER’S EVIDENCE Alfred Pipe, father of the dead girl, said she left for Auckland on June 17 i, visit a sister and returned on June ;> when she appeared ill. She entered uospital on July 8. ■'e opened a letter addressed to his jghter and signed ’’Mrs. Pyle,” hut ht knew nobody of that name. His daughter was a healthy girl and he did not know of her condition until >he was in hospital. The hot-water bag produced was found in the house after the death. It belonged to nobody residing there. Witness identified his daughter’s writing on a letter addressed to Mrs. Pyle in Auckland. Mrs. Doris Jarvis, of Otahuhu, said she knew deceased. In June, as a result of a letter from Miss Pipe, she telephoned Mrs. Pyle and told her of the girl’s condition. Accused said the girl could come and see her. continued witness. Asked as to the cost, accused said it would not be much. Witness took the girl to Mrs. Pyle's house in Ponsonby and left her there. Previously she lent the girl £5. Later, said witness, she saw Miss Pipe again, when she said she felt all right. VISIT TO ACCUSED'S HOUSE Kathleen Pipe stated that she knew f her sister's condition and accompanied her to accused’s house, and later saw deceased and accused toother. The latter saiS the girl 'ould be all right if she looked after •nself. DYING DEPOSITIONS Evidence relating to the girl's dying depositions in hospital was given by Evan Morgan, J.P., and Sergeant "well. In these she admitted visit* lr Mrs. Pyle, but denied accused did -oything to her. Accused told her she a not in a certain condition. She Jld not name anyone as being reS?o ?* ible or k- er condition. Mrs. Jarvis asked on the e *ophone w^a t the cost of an operate would be,” continued the state- * sa * c * *t could be arranged for Accused denied receiving any Myment from the girl. When the elective read the warrant to accused ® replied: “What a terrible charge.” etective O’Sullivan corroborated evidence. „^ C . CI ‘ SP<l reserved her defence, L * c \ not suilty and was committed trial. coroner returned a verdict in rclance with the medical evidence.