WOMAN'S DEATH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 75, 16 October 1939, Page 3

WOMAN'S DEATH

INQUEST AT GFOTIKI WAIOTAHI DROWNING FATALITY At the Opotiki Police Court fast Wednesday, before Mr V. Short, district coroner, the inrjuest held concerning the death of Miss Charlotte Claiming Wilkins, aged .">O, and residing :ii Waiotahi. I\l iss Dorothy May Lindsay, sistir at the Opotiki Hospital on nighl duty, staled Inat deceased was a patient in the main ward, and hud been in hospital !'or two weeks and two days. It was reported to her : when she came on duty, Mint deceased had attempted to escape in her night attire )\v the front door at 9 p.m. the same evening. She had been i given a sleeping draught and slept Well all night. Witness saw deceased at 5.15 a.m. and at 5.20 a.m. At 5.25 a.m. she was discovered le, be missing and the building and grounds were searched. Ai 7.15 a.m. wH:h;s was informed that the body had been found. Mr (ieo. .1. Wilkins, brother of deceased. and ■! fanner ai \\ aiolahu • gave of iv-.v. li !ieu: e.-n. i)e- : ceased v.'as a single woniiin, house-' keeping for witness. She had never j

expressed any inteiuii.n of commit- | ling suicide and said she hoped to be'out of the hospital shortly. Witness was notified that deceased was missing Irom hospital and immediately commenced a se.»;vh. The body \vas found at about 7.10 a.m. in a drain across which she had app 11*ently attempted to jump and had 1 fallen back after striking the barbed wire fence on the far side. She would not have enough strength Lo get out. 3fr G. Stevenson, sub-station operator at AVaiotahi, who was present when the body was found, stated that the drain Avas about two feet ■wide and two feet deep and about half full of water. The body was lying right in the water. Artificial respiration was tried without success. Deceased had apparently been walking to Mr Einmett's place. Ihe inquest was adjourned sine die.