THE WHAREKURI TRAGEDY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18366, 27 April 1925, Page 10

THE WHAREKURI TRAGEDY.

DEATH OF GIRL MOTORIST.

SOME UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS. ttPICUL TO "*rH» PRJI.S9. ') OAMARU. April 26. Olive Rutherford, the 18-year-old Dnnedin girl, who was found injured near a wrecked car on the Omarama road, near Kurow, North Otago, on "Wednesday, died at Kurow on Saturday night without having regained consciousness.

Philip Hudson, of Dunedin, who was the dSver of the car in which both had been travelling, has not yet been found. The recent developments in the. case have aroused widespread interest. Approaching the scene of the accident the country is very desolate. Nine miles above Kurow is Wharckuri, with the road passing precipitous cliffs. The place where the car left the road is hardly one to expect an accident to happen. A gradual slope leads from the road about 303 yards, and terminates in a steep cliff -with a drop of 150 feet. The car apparently was not under control. It did not follow the natural slope of the ground, but kopt to the right of the shallow gully. Tho marks show that the car just missed an iron telegraph pole on its way, It was first thought, owing to some plainer marks, that the brakes had been applied nearing the cliff, but this theory has not been verified by the police. Apparently, moving at a fair speed, the car dashed over tho top, striking the cliff at a point 50 feet below with the radiator, then turning a somersault and continuing another 30 feet, where it struck earth again and finally came to rest 25 feet below. It was upturned and wrecked beyond recognition. The car in which the couple travelled was a two-seater Austin, with a dickey scat at the back. Portions of the car were distributed over a wide area. The impact, was so severe that it smashed the car to atoms. The spare wheel on the rear of the car was all that escaped damage.

Young Couple's Movements,

Olive Rutherford (IS years) and Philip Hudson (19 years) had bCon keeping company for four years, and were formally engaged, with tho full approval of the parents. They had been away together on several previous occasions. Miss Rutherford, on the day preceding the accident, had a difference with her mother concerning certain details of the former's employment. It is understood that tho girl left home on Tuesday morning, taking a dress basket, and did not go to work. It is believed that a Toom was taken in a Dunedin hotel, And the dress basket left there. MrsUutherford did not see her daughter up to the time of the accident.

Consent was given to Hudson by his parents to use the car about 6.30 on Tuesday evening. Hudson was a careful aijd experienced driver. There is no official information as to the time the pair left Dunedin, nor their movements up to the time of the accidont. Mr Condon, a resident of Kurow, when passing along the xoad at 7.10 a.m. on Wednesday, saw the car pulled up on the side of the road, near where the accident subsequently happened, and ascertained from Hudson waving his hand that all was well. A shepherd Who passed on a horse at 7.30 a.m., in a heavy fog, noticed a disturbance of metal on the road where the car had left it. Ho went further up the road, and on returning investigated. Looking over the cliff, he saw tho remains of the car and a body lying on a ledge 25 feet down. Dr. Matheson, of Wharekuri, was communicated with, and, assisted by his wife, dressed the wounds and conveyed tho girl to the Kurow Hotel.

Cartridges round. The police, including Detective Le Seuer, commenced enquiries on Wednesday afternoon. They found Hudson's watch stopped at 7.25, beside the body of the girl; also a hat, glove, and a man's handkerchief soaked with blood. A man's hat was found nearby with a hole in the top. An empty cartridge was found beside Olive Rutherford and another near the wrecked car. Empty chocolate boxes and broken lemonade bottles were also found.

The bloodstains led from the body of tho girl down the side of the hill past the debris of the car and on again over the stones down to the water's edge. The stains were not extensive, but sufficient to show tho direction in which Hudson went.

The police have endeavoured to formulate theories, but none can be established in tko absenee of Hudson and owing to the death of the girl. The rifle, if used, was not discovered, and it is thought that it may have been taken to the river by Hudson. Whether Hudson and the girl were in the car when it went over the cliff will probably never be determined. When discovered, the girl had a bleeding wound in the top of the skull, and there was a small round hole in the head. An operation was performed oh Wednesday evening at 11 o'clock. Her face was scratched, apparently through striking on the rocks, and there were severe abrasions about the body. The girl, though unconscious, spoke several times, but made no reference to the accident, excepting to say that her neck was sore.

Police Dragging Bivar. The police are continuing the search for Hudson, and have unsuccessfully dragged the river in the hopes of recovering the rifle, which, it iB learned, he sometimes carried with him. Portions of the river were dynamited in the hopes of raising the body, but with no success.

Oiive Butherford died at 9 p.m. on Saturday without recovering consciousness. The body was brought to jOamaru this afternoon, and a post-mortenr examination was made to-night by Doctors Douglas and Orbell. The result is not yet known. The body will be'taken to Dunedin to-morrow and an inquest formally Opened there by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. In all probability the inquest will be adjourned sine die after the evidence of identification has been taken.

THE POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION.

BULLET FOUND IN GIRL'S SKULL (IPBCIAL TO "TH« CUSS.") OAMARU, April 26 (midnight). TTie post mortem examination on the body of Olive Rutherford was completed at a late hour to-night. Hie examining doctors refused to give anv information, in view of their evidence being required later at the inquest, but it was learned that a bullet had been found at the base of the skull and that the other injuries wer%. not sufficient in themselves to cause death. There is still no dgn of Arthur Hudson. :