RONA BAY MYSTERY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1913, 22 November 1913, Page 5

RONA BAY MYSTERY.

—H—— CORONER'S INQUEST OPENED. An inquest was opened yesterday concerning the death of a child whoso body was, found under a liou'so at Rona Bay last Sunday. Sir. W. G. Riddoll, S.M.j presided, Chief-Detective Broberg represented. the police, and Mr. T. M. Wilford watched tho proceeduigs on behalf of Ellon Margaret Seymour, who is . in custody on a charge. of murdering her jnfaiit child, Thclma: May Davis. Mary Myall, a widow., who rosidos it. 64 Trafalgar Street:, Chnistelmrch, .and keeps a homo for children, stated, that ■ she received the child Thelma May Davis into' her homo on January '16, 1913, It was taken there a woman ' who gave her' name as Violet May Davis, and. said that she 1 was -its- mother. Witness had since found that the woman's namo was SeymouT, not Davis. Tho woman took the child away on tho ■ following day, stating that sho was '■ going to servico at Culvordcn. Wlicn witness received tho. child it was five ■ months old. It was in good health when taken away. On Wednesday last she was shown sonic articles of clothing and recognised them as things sho had made for tho child. She also identified Bomo buttons on the clothing. To Sir.. Wilford: Tlfe mother seemed fond of tho child and used to visit it frequently. • William Clachan, a clork in the Valuation Department. Wellington, stated in ; evidence that his wife owiied tho Rona Bay house under which tho body of tho infant was found. A man named Seymour and a woman whom witness took to bo Mr 'wife had the house, from September ;27 to November 15. On November 16 witness found a bundle under tho houso when hp was searching for firewood. It looked like a parcel of clothing, but investigation showed otherwise. At this '.stago tho inquosi; was adjourned sine die.