STRANGE CASES.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14869, 18 September 1918, Page 1 (Supplement)

STRANGE CASES.

LAPSE OF MEMORY.

(From "The Colonist," August 30th.)

Yesterday < morning, shortly after 5 o'clock, Constable Crispin, while on duty in the city, discovered a woman lying, id the doorway of, the Auckland Clothing and Drapery Company's premises in Hardy street. On being accosted by the constable she was unable to give-any account of herself, and she was ta!%tt-to the police station, where, she was further interrogated. S»he appeared to be in a dazed .condition, and did hot remember" her same or where shelived. As; she Mas evidently stifferitig: from some form of hysteria she was removed to the Hospital, where she remains in the same condition as when she was admitted. When she was found by Constable Crispin, there was alongside of her a bottle containing a disinfectant fluid, and' it was at first feared that she had taken^ some of it, but subsequent examination at the Hospital showed that such-was not the case.

The -womani found in-the"doorway of the Auckland Clothing; and Drapery Company's premises in the'early hours ;of -Thursday morning im a .dazed condition and suifering from lbsfe of memory, iand was removed to the Hospital, has 'been identified as Miss Nellie Wilson, who has been acting as housekeeper for Mr Goodwin, of Richmond. Miss Wilson, it is understood, intended- leaving for; Wellington on Wednesday,, and Mr Goodwin, who \f ent; to arrange '■ for her luggage to 'be taken to'the station, on his return to his home found that she had disappeared. As, she did not return, search was made-, and soir&boys reported that they had- seen her wandering along Beach r6a*l. Further efforts to trace her whereabouts were unsuccessful, and the matter was reported to the police.

September 17th. A dairyman coming into town yesterday morning found a young woman on the Wakapuaka road in a state of collapse. She was clad, in her night attire, and was wearing a raincoat and boots. When found she was unable to speak. Having been identified, she was taken to relatives' who reside in the Wood, but as there was no change in her condition, andaass s she was unconscious of -what was happening around her, she was later in the day removed to the Hospital. She wns employed by a family in the Wood, and when it was 'found yesterday morning that she was ,uot in her room, although Her bed had been slept in, no anxiety was felt, as it was thought she had gone round to iier relatives It is stated that the young ■ lady was a member of a boating party out" in the harbour on Sunday afternoon, which had some difficulty in getting back to the sh«re, and it is believed tfoat this had some effect on her mental condition,