DEATH IN LONDON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20026, 26 August 1939, Page 16

DEATH IN LONDON

DOMINION NOVELIST EFFECT OF GAS POISONING (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. 26, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 24. The New Zealand novelist, Miss Iris Wilkinson (“Robin Hyde"), was found by a friend suffering from gas poisoning in her London home. Oxygen was administered without avail. The High Commissioner for New Zealand, Mr. W. J. Jordan, had visited Miss Wilkinson on Monday and found her depressed and anxious to return to China, where she spent some months in the war zone. Mr. Jordan offered to help her return to New Zealand.

Miss Wilkinson was well-known in New Zealand under the nom-de-pluine Robin Hyde, as an authoress and poetess and magazine contributor. Her books comprised “Passport to Hell,” “Nor the Years Condemn,” “Journalese,” “Wednesday’s Children.” “The GocUvits Fly,” “Check to Your King,” and “Dragon Rampant.” At the time of her death she was under contract to publish two more novels.

Miss Wilkinson left New Zealand in January last year with the intention of proceeding, via Shanghai, Kobe, Vladivostok and the Siberian railway, to Russia, and thence to England. From May 27 until July 1 she was missing in the interior of China. The Japanese authorities began a search for her and discovered that she was last seen leaving Hsuchow on donkeyback for the north-eastern front, which was overrun by Japanese troops retreating from Langfeng.

After a long and arduous trip Miss Wilkinson arrived at Tsingtao and was forwarded to Hong Kong, where' she arrived at the beginning of July. At Hong Kong -.she was admitted to hospital suffering from nervous prostration. Miss Wilkinson’s parents live in Northland, Wellington.