STILL A MYSTERY

Evening Star, Issue 24292, 5 September 1942, Page 4

STILL A MYSTERY

THE WAIROA DOUBLE TRAGEDY (P.A.) WAIROA, Sopt. 5. It is now 14 days since the bodies of Brigadier Smyth and her sister were found in the Salvation Army- Hall in Queen street, and so far the police have met with little success in tracing the culprit. The difficulty appears to be the problem of fixing the date of tho crime, as it was some days after death that tho bodies were discovered. Despite the fact that tho police are making a continuous endeavour to ascertain who provided the Brigadier with tho substantial meal of which she partook shortly before being attacked, no success thus far has rewarded their efforts. Tho pathologists report that the two victims consumed entirely different types- of food a few hours before death, Rosamond having taken a soft meal, traces of which have been discovered in a receptacle in the rear of the premises, whilst her fingerprints have been found on the plate which was left on the stand outside the rear door. The Brigadier, on the other hand, was found to have eaten a heavy meal, but although similar raw vegetables were found at the hall, nothing was discovered that disclosed she had prepared a meal for herself of the type consumed. Therefore, the police are still endeavouring to learn who provided her with the type of food, traces of which have been found by the pathologist. This task is made the more difficult, due to the fact that a number of restaurants in Wairoa from which the food could have been secured state that they had a similar menu on practically daily. The case is a most-baffling one, also one of the most hideous in New Zealand’s history.