Elderly Woman Found Dead On Bush Track

Chronicle (Levin), 5 June 1948, Page 3

Elderly Woman Found Dead On Bush Track

. ' 0 AUCKLAND, June 4. ■. l%e"'body. of an 8o-year-old womah who had not been seen for fonr days wa!s found by a seareli party this at'teynoon lying on a steep bush- track at Birkdale some 200 yards from" the thre.eroouied bacli where she lived with her juisband. Ehe was Mrs. Rachaei Bar.gent, wife of Mr. Frederick W. Gargent, of Bo,ac]i Road, Birkdale.' Following the dfscovery a squad of police from the CentraJ Mtation was dispatched to tlie s'.-ene. The pathologist (Dr. W. Giluiour) aecoinpanied the party and made a preliminary examination of the body before- it was removed to the city niortuary. Slight abrasious which could liave been caused by a fall were the only visible sign of injury. Dr. Gilmour will conduct a postmorteni examination tomorrow. Neighbours who had not seen Mrs. Hargent since Mondav afternoon became concerned and eommunicated with the police. Mrs. Bargent's hat was lying 20 or 30 feet away, her clothes were saturated with rain and oue sandshoe sh,e liad been wearing was missing whilo the other was not laced up. Interviewed at his bach Mr. Sargent said he. last saw liis wife on Mondav afternoon. She had . been in the eitv during the day and \yent out again about 4.30 p.m. witliout telling him where she was going. He was not worried when she did not come back and thought she must be staying with friends in the city, :