THE LATE MRS. PENNEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 590, 19 August 1909, Page 6

THE LATE MRS. PENNEY.

"DEATH FROM STARVATION AND EXPOSURE." At ~ the Magistrate's .Court, yesterday morning, the District Coroner (Dr. A. W. M'Arthur, S.M.) conducted an inquiry < oncoming the circumstances surrounding the death of the" lato Mrs. Penney, who disap-* peared from her place of residence at Lower Hutt and was found dead on a spur overlooking York Bay, on the eastern side of the harbour, on , Sunday last. The evidence adduced at the inquiry elicited facts with which tine public were .made full" acquainted in The'Dos:inion from timo to time. "

Hugh Dowuesj.carqtaker of the Ferry Company's property'at Day's Bay, gave evidence as to the finding of the ; body on Sunday last, on a spur behind York Bay, tho steepest and roughest ridge on that Vide of the harbour. The body was' partly sheltered from the northerly wind,' but quito exposed to the southerly.' He understood, that the late Mrs. Penney, had been, systematically. searched, for. since August 8, and believed that'' every tiling possible had. been done to find her." . . ~., •. Constable Simpson, stationed, at Day s Bay.. 'stated 'in evidence • that upon receipt of "the;news•, of .Mrs.Penney's disappcarance he organised a search party on Sunday, August 8. and , since then until the finding of the body on the following Sunday nothing had been left-undone by the search parties. The - general, appearance. of the body when found 'suggested that its .discovery would not have been".easy -over two yards' distance. Charles. Penney,. merchant tailor, of Wellington, and brothor-'in-law of deceased, stated that he saw' Mrs. Penney about. a week before she disappeared. She was then very despondent, a' condition of niincl which to his own knowledge had existed for ■ a period of about six months," since her -husband's death. The deceased lady had been known to wander from home occasionally, but for short periods only.; ' , The Coroner's finding was to the effect that deceased met her death through starvation and'exposure.