WOMAN DROWNED

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1935, Page 11

WOMAN DROWNED

BODY FOUND AT INGLEWOOD. OPEN VERDICT AT INQUEST. Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., presided at an inquest yesterday concerning the death by drowning of Mrs. Mary Buckthought, a widow, aged 65, whose body was found by her son-in-law Mr. Herbert Halvour Curtis about 8 a.m. yesterday. His verdict was: Mary Buckthought was found drowned at Inglewood and that there was no conclusive evidence as to how she came to be in the water. Mrs. Margaret Elsie Curtis, a daughter of deceased, stated that at about 7.15 a.m. she took Her mother a cup of hot water. Mrs. Buckthought was then in bed, she appeared normal but did notspeak. At 7.40 she took her a cup of tea and toast. Mrs. Buckthought was not then in the bedroom and no one had seen her go out. At 8.10 a.m. Mr. Curtis found deceased in a shallow pond below the house in about three feet of water. Dr. Nutting was immediately called but on arrival pronounced life extinct. When found the body was partly dressed. There were no marks of violence and no suspicious circumstances. Mrs. Curtis stated that her mother had undergone an abdominal operation about a month ago and since then she had been despondent at times and hard to manage.

Dr. E. S. Nutting said the body was still warm when he was called. Death had probably occurred within the previous hour. Herbert. Holvour Curtis said he was informed that his mother-in-law was missing and a search of the house and. immediate surroundings was fruitless. About 8.15 a.m. he found the body floating in a shallow pond below the house. Mrs. Buckthought had a life interest in a farm of 300 acres on Durham Road. This interest expired on her, death and the disposal of the farm was left with the trustees.

Other evidence showed that Mrs. Buckthought had been in ill-health since her husband’s death. She had been living with members of her family and for the past six months had been living with Mrs. E. M. Curtis.