HOTEL TRAGEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 471, 4 June 1932, Page 22 (Supplement)

HOTEL TRAGEDY.

MOTHER AND CHILD DEAD. A woman and a 12-year-old girl were found dead in a room at an hotel in the Strand. . London. They were later identified as Mrs. Cecile Proby Bassett, aged 42, of the School House, Pendock, Malvern. Worcestershire, and her daughter Patricia Yvonne. The discovery was made by a chambermaid. She knocked at the bedroom door and, receiving no reply, called for help, and the room was entered. A bottle of disinfectant was found on a table near the bed in which the bodies lay.

Shortly before retiring the previous night Mrs. Bassett wrote two letters, one addressed to the coroner on two sheets of notepaper, which was left unsealed, and another to a relative, which was sealed in an envelope, Mrs. Bassett had very little luggage. In her bag was found £3O in notes. The bodies were identified by Mr. George Osborne, a brother of the dead Mrs. Bassett was the schoolmistress at Pendock, a scattered hamlet. A friend ; said that Mrs. Bassett and her daughter lived alone at the school house. She said: 1 "L have never heard anything about Mrs. ! Bassett’s husband, and I do not know whether she was a widow'. She had been 1 at Pendock about six or seven years. Her i daughter was a charming girl with beauti--1 ful golden hair. She was exceptionally 1 clever, and had taken honours in ail ex- ! animation 12 months earlier than tlie ’ average, and arrangements had been made [ to send her to a school at Gloucester.”

Tea in London and dinner and a theatre An Paris the same evening are made possible by a new afternoon air service between Croydon and France. Mavor-elect Dore, of Seattle, plans drastic “naval disarmament” when he assumes office. It is proposed to reduce : the city “fleet” of motor ears from 800 to 300. Many of the civic employees will be forced to patronise the street cars or walk to work. The fire however, will be permitted to ride when answering calls.