PECULIAR CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12717, 12 August 1919, Page 4

PECULIAR CASE.

CHARGE OF ABETTING SUICIDE. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 11. A singular case was down for hearing at the Police Court this morning in the shape of a charge against a young woman of 19 years, named Pearl Burke, of having aided and abetted another young woman, Jessie West, in the commission of suicide. Jessie "West was a woman who drowned herself in Whangarei harbour under such strange circumstances one night at tho beginning of last June, walking into the water in her sleeping attire from the steps of the town wharf, and Pearl Bnrke. it was. who' accompanied her to the water's edge. Accused afterwards returned to tho hotel where both girls were employed. I The proceedings in court were only formal and Pearl Burke is at present in Auckland hospital, having collapsed on her way down from the north, and accordingly depositions, only could be taken. The first deposition was that of the coroner, J. M. Killen, who formally deposed evidence given by the girl Burke at the inquest, and this was followed by the story of Win. Robert West, farmer, of Cambridge, who told the court that he married the deceased woman, then named Bissett, at tho Registry Office. Hamilton, in January. The deceased girl was then 36 years of age. Subsequently she went away to , Auckland on a. holiday and thence to Whangarei. She wrote to him from both places, her last letter being from Y han.garei Hotel. They had lived on good terms and had never had an angry word. Ihe evidence of Ellen Murphy, cook, of Symonds fit. Auckland, and employed nt the Wha ugarel Hotel at the time of the suicide was rend. She told the court that she, shared room 13 with Jessie AVest and accused occupied an adjoining room. The day after witness commenced work no the hotel the deceased woman said she had a great friend, named Fred Potts, contractor and builder, of Cambridge, of whom she was very fond and who had shot himself. He was a widower with several children and had got into financial difficulties. In order to assist him she had married an old man named YJest, from whom she hoped to get money to give to Potts. She had failed, however, to get any money from her husband. She told witness that her maiden name was Bissett and her parents '"d died some time ago. Discussing Potts, Jessie AVest incidentally mentioned that she was a believer in spiritualism and had attended one meeting in Auckland. When deceased discussed this, topic, which was frequently, witness laughed at her and she became very angry. Jessie A Vest was continually speaking of Freddy Potts and declaring that she wanted to join him and could not live without him. She also informed witness that before she went to Spiritualistic meetings she wanted to drown herself, but she had found that she could communicate with him and did non want to drown herself now. Later she said that Freddy’s spirit wanted her to join him, and that it had communicated with her by knocking on the table. AVitness laughed at her. but shortly after Pearl Burke cams Jessie AVest proposed that they should hold a seance in the bedroom. AA r itness raised no objection and made arrangements for the meeting at 7.30. She got a three-legged flower stand and put a chair_ bottom on it. Jessie AYest pub the light out and they began to sing “ There is a Happy Land-” AVitness heard three faint knocks on tho bedroom floor. One of the table legs was slightly raised as though it had "made a noise- Jessie AA 7 est remarked that the result was no good, as she could not interpret, them. On the occasion of the first knock she had said, “ Good evening, spirit friend,” hut as the other knocks were faint she abandoned, the seance. Witness attended no more meetings, but Jessie AVest and Pearl Burke continued to hold meetings, witness being in bed in the room on one or two occasions. The proceedings were similar. Jessie AVest endeavoured to speak to Freddy, asking if he were happy, and purported to get replies. Them were to the effect that he was not very happy, but happier than he was on earth. Pearl Bnrke inquired cf the spirits about her dead brother. Accused had told witness that she (Burke) had intended to drown herself. About a fortnight before the tragedy, occurred Jessie AA T est told witness that she intended to drown herself so as to be able to meet Freddy, but that she would not drown herself at Y/hangarei. j She added that she would got- a few days off and go up to AVaiknto. AA'itness told her that if ehe did take a few days off she would tell other people about it. or else follow her and stop her. After that she was more restored towards witness, but she became very friendly with Pearl Burke. AVitness was in the bedroom several times when they had been talking together, and they stopped talking immediately she came in. In the weak before the suicide they were exceptionally friendly. On June 2, when witness returned from the pictures, she asked accused where deceased had gone. Accused replied: “She has drowned herself.”

A statement to Constable Martin by accused was handed in. In this accused gave n detailed account of the seances. Deceased frequently said she would commit suicide by drowning herself in the Waikato river, and intimated her intention of asking for two days of? for the purpose of going there. Cont'nuing, the statement recorded:— ‘‘‘About 7.43 p.m. on Juno 8 the late Jessie West and myself held a spiritualistic meeting- in her room. The lights were turned out as usual, and we placed our hands on the table. Deceased said, ‘ Jessie loyes Freddy,’ and tlie table knocked three times, which deceased said meant ‘ Yes.’ Then she said, ‘‘Does Freddy want Jessie?’ and the table again knocked three times. Then she said, ‘ Is Freddy happy without Jessie?’ and the table knocked once, which deceased said meant ‘ No.' This seance lasted until 8.10 p.m.. and then deceased lighted a candle and said she was going to meet Freddy, and thqt she would be ever so much happier. and he would bo happier too. She at this time had her costume on, and she told me to go and put my coat on. inis I did, and i joined her again in her room. She said, • We’ll go now,’ , a -nd then we left the hotel bv the back entrance. Deceased said. ‘We’ll go down on to the wharf,’ and accordingly we did so. Deceased on the wa vto the wharf kept talking about her" Freddy calling her. At the wharf deceased took off all her clothing with the exception of a nightdress and pair of white stockings, and after handing them to mo went down the wharf steps and went quietly into the water. After she went into the water I watched her for three or four minutes before I left the wharf to return to the hotel.” The statement added that accused did not tell the truth to the police at first, because Jessie had told her not to sav anything. The depositions were then read over to accused in the hospital before Mr Hunt, S.M., who committed her for trial at the Supreme Court. In the proceedings at the hospital Mr Moody formally objected to Miss Murphy’s evidence relating to conversations at which accused was not present.