WOMAN MISSING.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1923, Page 4

WOMAN MISSING.

OF? 0 W XIXG EE ARED. GREYMOUTH, Dee. 21. Yesterday morning it was reported to the police at an early hour that a resident, Mrs Ethel Maud West, 4G years of age, was missing from her home, at the corner of Ward and -Sturge Streets, C'obden. Constable Raird was informed that she had been missed hy her mother, Mrs East, at 5 a.m. yesterday. She had retired to hod oil Saturday at about 9.30 p.m. Ihe ill news at once raised an apprehension that the missing woman had got into the river or some adjacent stream. For some time past, indeed over since the sudden death of her husband, -Mr William West from heart failure, over a year ago, after a football match at C'obden, Mrs West had been in a very depressed state of health, mentally. It. was on account of this affliction or mind that her disappearance yesterday led at once to serious apprehension. She was known to be wearing a green raincoat and skirt. Upon the supposition that she had got into the river. Const a hie Raird at once organised search parties, with which the police from the Grey mouth station assisted. Tlie whole waterfront from C'obden bridge to the north tip, including the lagoon and bathing places, ns well as the beach, and also the rifle range and hush round Cobden, were assiduously senrehed all day yesterday. The waters were dragged, hut nowhere did the searchers come upon any indication of the missing woman’s presence. Up till la=t nighf, the search had proved fruitless, hut. this morning at daybreak Constable Raird will lead out a fresh patrol who will go over the ground yesterday searched, and any other likely places to which the missing woman might have gone.