MYSTERY DEEPENS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21180, 29 October 1938, Page 8

MYSTERY DEEPENS

Police Search for Woman Difficult Area to Cover By Telegraph—Press Association Christchurch, October 28. The mystery of the strange disappearance of Mrs Harriet Jane Patience, of Claverly, daily deepens with the activity of the police becoming more animated. Missing now for 24 days, Mrs Patience, the 60-year-old wife of Arthur John Patience, a Public Works employee, formerly employed at Claverly camp, was at the time of her disappearance living with her husband at the camp, where he was working on the South Island Main Trunk construction work. To-day nine police from Christchurch, augmented by some Public Works employees, were beginning to clear away a slip a mile north of the site of the former Claverly camp. ThiJ particular slip is at the north mouth of a tunnel which the Claverly men 'were constructing, and was piled up from material cut from the hillside and tipped over on to the beach. Working rlo Slip To-day the men were digging up sand at the bottom of the hill and gradually-working their way into the slip which is mainly composed of clay. This has been the main scene of their efforts up to the present. Thick patches of scrub and bush and numerous lagoons will all have to be carefully examined, and this adds to the many obstacles of Detective-Ser-geant J. Bickerdike, who is in charge of the men.

At the time of the disappearance of Mrs Patience some of the men at Claverly had already left for a new camp at Taratuhl, two miles further up the coast, and now the Claverly camp is completely abandoned, only a few of the huts remaining to show the site. Mr and Mrs Patience occupied one of the married men’s huts at Claverly, consisting of a bedroom, sitting room and kitchenette. Their two young sons are at present working In Cheviot. Seen Covering Wood Mrs Patience was seen on the night of October 4, about 8 o’clock, covering up a wood pile at the house to protect it from rain. It is also understood that she had been gathering wood from the beach to take up to Kahutara, which is nearer Kaikoura. It is believed that all her belongings had been packed ready to make the trip, but Mrs Patience was missing the next morning and nothing has been heard of her since. Mrs Patience is five feet four Inches in height and weighs about nine stone 11 pounds. She has hazel eyes and grey hair, which is cut short. She is of neat appearance and the police would welcome any information which can be supplied. The police will have a big and difficult area to cover if the present search is unsuccessful.