Wealthy Woman’s Strange Death.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1921, Page 3

Wealthy Woman’s Strange Death.

SUPPOSED WIFE OF N\Z. GUIDE. SYDNEY, June 28. Some tlire 0 weeks ago there was found at the (lap—the notorious resort of suicides at Watson’s Bay, Sydney—the body of a good-looking, welldressed woman, about 10 years of age. For some time she was not identified and then she was found to be Mrs I. i.ippe, a daughter of a wealthy and exclusive squatter family of Victoria. .Her father had been Mr .). S. Horsl’;i,y. a. wealthy squatter. She had lived in her own beautiful home at Kyneton, Victoria. For a 1 ittle while prior to her death she had lived at Petty’s Hotel, Sydney, and patient investigation is said to have uncovered some mysterious circumstances, which will be made known at the inquest probably this week. Mis I.ippe lived very quietly in her Kyneton home, without a maid. Occasionally friends from Melbourne stayed with her, but usually slit was quite alone. During the war she was a liberal subscriber to war funds. Mrs Lippe was married about ten years ago, and the story current in Kyneton is that th 0 marriage was the outcome of a romantic meeting in New Zealand between the lady—then the handsome and wealthy daughter of the late Airs Horsfall -and Mr Lippe. Mr Lippe, the story gfoes, was then a mountain guide in one of the picturesque mountain resorts of New Zealand, and to him fell the task of showing the various beauty spots to th squatter’s daughter, and of earing for her safety, Mr Lippe was a man of education and of considerable personal attraction and the acquaintance thus formed hefweeft them ripeped into an

I attachment, afid they they were marI ried. I When this occurred ten years ago, IMr Horsfall presented his daughter I with a property near Carlsruhe, Victoria, and the pair lived there.for some years. Eventually, they agreed to sej parate, and Mr Lippe returned to New j Zealand. Mrs Lippe sold the Carlsi ruhe property ten year’s ago and went Ito Kynetop. It is believed that she , only recently sold her K.vneton pro- | party, and there is some mystery connected with the disposal'of the money j which she got for it. The Melbourne “Argus” of June 28th. had the following: Seninr-detee-j tives I'iggott and Ashton arrested yesl terday Charles Edward McAlister Smith, of Campbell street, Hawthorn, | on a charge of having “wilfully forged a | telegram.” Smith, who was lodged in ! the city wiitdihou.se, gave his age as JO years, and his birthplace as Victoria. His occupation was given as that of a musician. The telegram- in respect to which Smith was arrested was, it was stated by the police, sent to an hotel , in Sydney, engaging it room for Mrs , Isabel Lippe, whose body was recently j found at the foot of _the cliff at The Gap. A detective is expected front' Sydney to assist in clearing Up the mystery surrounding Mrs Lippe’s death. Smith is the man to whom the late Mr> Lippe transferred Hollywood, Iter Kyneton home, before leaving for Sydney. In the reports by the police the property is valued at £SOOO. A will in favour of Smith was also made by Mrs Lippe. At the last State elections Smith stood for Hawthorn against the Treasurer (Mr W. M. McPherson).' A third candidate stood as an Independent Nationalist. The final count gave M (’Person 10,315 votes and Smith 0388 votes.

At tho Melbourne City Court next 1 day, Smith was charged with having ' forged and uttered a telegram. Sen-ior-Detective Piggott said that on June 10th Mrs Isabel Lippe left Kyneton 1 and cam* to the city. On that day j Smith sent a telegram to Petty’s Hotel, Sydney, asking for accommodation for ‘ Mrs Lippe. The telegram was signed by Smith, and endorsed by him in the ( na.m t , of Mrs Lippe. Questions had ' been put to Smith regarding Mrs I Lippe, and at first he denied that he | knew that she was going to Sydney. I Later he admitted that h e had accompanied her to the station when she left for Sydney ,and that he had left for Sydney on the night of Jun,, lltli. Smith was seen speaking to Mrs Lippe at the G.P.0., Sydney, on the followBHg day, which was a Sunday. Mr Brennan, for Smith, said that SeniorDetective Piggott, in outlining the case, had hinted more or less at mysterious events. The charge of forcing the telegram was not so serious as to lead to the fixing of prohibitive hail. Smith was, he said, well-known in public affairs, and in the musical world. Sub-Inspector Kane, Police Proseeu- j tor; I will ask for substantial hail in j view of the general seriousness of the | ease. A remand for seven days was | granted. Bail was allowed in one 1 surety of £3OO and in Smith’s own • surety of £3OO. j