A ROMANCE OP REAL LIFE

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8784, 21 May 1890, Page 3

A ROMANCE OP REAL LIFE

A VERY STRANGE AFFAIR.

A WOMAN'S BODY IDENTIFIED BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

(Continued from yesterday.} The police then commenced their work of ascertaining the identity of the deceased woman. The first step taken was to obtain a full and complete description of the woman's garments from an expert in clothing, and wbile this was being done the name of Messsrs Foy and Gibson, drapers of Smith-street, Collingwood, was found on the inside of the waistband of the dress. Enquiries were made as to the whereabouts of each and every person of corresponding size to the deceased who had purchased dressos from Messrs Foy and Gibson's establishment during the past two or three months, when it was ascertained that they had been made since February, for there were certain peculiarities in the style of the garment which were not in vogue before that date. The officers then ascertained that the lady who had purchased one of these dresses had stopped at the Yarra Coffee Palace, but had left there about the beginning of April and had not since been seen. The sealettc jacket found upon the deceased was shown to one of the housemaids in tho coffee palace, and sUo immediately identified it as one which she had seen the whilom boarder at thejcoffee-palace wear. This boarder was Mrs Koberts. She was believed to have come from Tasmania, and according to her own statement, had been married for about fourteen years. Soon after her marriage her husband commenced to develop i symptomß of lunacy, and though he took a trip to New Zealand for the benefit of his health he derived no benefit from the change, and shortly afterwards became so much affected that it was considered advisable to have him committed to the Kew Asylum, where he still remains. Since that time tho wife had s frequently visited Melboiuno, and tried on several occasions to see her husband, but on the ouly occasion she was permitted to do so he was so much worse ufter the interview that the medical men at Kew did not consider it safe to allow her to see him again. It was noticed that she was apparently fretting, and was depressed in spirits. She left there on the 3rd of April, and said she was going to Gippsland, and thence to Tasmania, where her friends reside. The oody was not found till the 23rd of the month, and accDrding to the medical testimony, it had not been in tho water for more than four or five days. Tho police are anxious to find the deceased's boxes, as they anticipate that they will contain something which will not only more clearly establish the woman's identity, but may supply a motive for her death. The housemaid at the coffee palace also identified the silver bangles found upon the deceased as similar to those worn by Mrs Eoberts. After Mrs Koberts' departure from the Coft'ee Palace a telegram came for her, and it lias never been claimed. It was opened on Saturday, and read thus :—": — " Hobart, April 16. To Mrs J. S. Robertß, Coffee Palace, South Yarra. Come over first boat. Letter Melbourne Post Coffee. (Signed) J. Miller." That letter will be obtained from the Postmaster-General, and from it the police expect to obtain the address of Mrs Roberts' friends in Tasmania. Mr Miller is believed to be Mrs Roberts' brother. The officers in charge of tho case consider that the mystery has been cleared up, and that it resolves itself into a case of suicide. The additional inquiries made in this case amply confirm the idea that the young woman found drowned near the pier at St. Kilda was Mrs. J. E. Roberts, nee Clayton, of Tasmania. Her mo\ements have bee 1 traced from place to place. There is every reason to believe that on the 2nd April, whilst she was staying at the Soutli Yarra Coffee Palace, she applied to Mrs. Bowers, in Rathdown-street, Carlton, for a situation, but she did not accept the situation, and on the following day sent the following postcard : — "Dear Madam,— Suited with nice place. I return your many thanks for your trouble,— Yours respectfully,— A Married Lady." It has also been ascertained that the marriage of the deceased to Mr. Roberts was effected at the office of Mr. Kinsman, at Fitzroy. A Miss Golland, of South Melbourne, May 9 supplied the police with a cabinet photo of Mrs. Roberts. She appeared to recognise the deceased distinctly from the description given, and knew that she had false hair and teeth. Constable Fleming then traced Mrs. Roberts to the house of Mrs. Borgen, at 95 Victoria Street, East Melbourne, where she was as late as the 15th April, when she left with her portmanteau. She left there, saying she was going to some French people at Windsor. The young man who was porter at the South Yarra Coff. c PalaceJ whilst Mrs. Roberts was staying there has been found, and it has been ascertained from him that he carried her luggage to the Gippsland platform of the local railway station for her, but he does not know what place she took a ticket for. On Tuesday the police were actively following up the trail, and expected hourly to find out where the luggage was, and in what manner Mrs. Roberts left the place before she was found floating in the Bay.