IDENTIFICATION LIKELY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19999, 26 July 1939, Page 7

IDENTIFICATION LIKELY

BODY NEAR CLAVERLEY ACTIVITY OF POLICE RESUMED INQUEST (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The police officers- responsible for the handling of the Claverley mystery are confident that this afternoon -the body of the unknown woman washed up on the beach at' Taratuhi last Thursday will be identified. Relatives of Mrs. Harriet Jane Patience, who was reported missing from her home at Claverley on October 4 last year, will give evidence when the inquest on the unknown b'ody is continued this afternoon. Since the discovery of.the body last Thursday, police activity has been intensified. Officers under SeniorSergeant Bfckerdike, who was in charge of the inquiries from the outset, were rushed to Kaikoura last Thursday night. On Friday the inquest on the body of the unknown woman was opened in Kaikoura by the district coroner, Mr. W. A. Nelson, who gave authority -for a post-mortem to be \ Carried out. The inquiry was then adjourned sine die. Later the same day the body 'was brought to Christchurch and has been under a special police guard at the morgue ever since. Three Witnesses The post-mortem examination was carried out yesterday by Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Hospital. The result of his findings are not likely to be made known to-day. This morning SeniorSergeant Bickerdike and other police officers engaged on the inquiry from the outset returned to -headquarters from Kaikoura. It is believed they were accompanied from Kaikoura by a son of Mi's. Patience, who will give evidence this afternoon. The dis-trict coroner from Kaikoura, who aM> arrived this morning, will hear evidence of identification at the continuation of the inquest this afternoon. Three witnesses will be -called, one from Kaikoura and the others from Christchurch. After their evidence has been- heard and possibly identification established, the inquest will be adjourned sine die.