RAKAIA TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1932, Page 5

RAKAIA TRAGEDY

DEATH OF M.P.’S WIFE,

ASHBURTON, January 12

An inquest has been lie IcT into the death of Mrs Lucy Lafititia Connolly, wife of Mr Jeremiah Connolly, M.P. She wa g crossing a footbridge over u water race, tripped, striking her head and- was stunned failing into the race. Death was apparently due to drowning. She was married eight years ago and leaves a daughter, aged six, and a son, four years old. She was a prominent social worker in Rakaia and patron of the Rakaia branch of the Plunket Society. Her connection ,'wtjh (these and (ither .social Institutions won for her high .esteem throughout the district. Mrs Connolly took an active part- in her husband’s recent election campaign. Bhe is survived, in addition to her husband and family by a married sister, resident in Bennetts, and another sister, Miss Mary ' O’BaUoran, living on the Glentui estate. Her only brother, Mr iJ. O'Halloran, is a farmer at GKntui.

,A verdict of accidental drowning was returned at the inquest, held be. fore the District Coroner Mr R. Ci’ark this morning, at iMr Connolly’s home “Langley,” Rakaia. 'Mr Jeremiah Connolly said lie was answering an Ashburton call on the telephone when Mrs O’Boyle, an employee, called out that Mrs Connolly had fallen into the creek. He ran clown and found Mrs Connolly lying over the narrow footbridge at an angle of >45 degrees, ( with her tface in the water' He immediately removed her on to the grass bank and tried to revive her, Mrs O’Boyle immediately rang for Dr Bagley, who was quickly on the scene. Mrs Connolly was silent nnijl showed no signs of life, She had been to church in the morning. They had dinner together, and she was bright and happy.

To the Coroner: He last saw his wile at 3.30, and it would be about ten minutes past five when he was called.

Dr R. A. Ragley said he arrived at Air Connolly’s home at 5.30 p.m. Deceased was lying on the grass near the sjtream. of water and was dead. He assisted to carry her into the •house, where he made a careful external examination. The upper portion of her frothing was wet and the lower portion dry. There was a fresh bruise near the root of the nose and other similar bruises on the left side *>f the face. The*? would be sufficient to stun her but would not ibe |fatal in •themselves. 1 here was some water in her mouth and some muddy substance in the nostrils giving every evidence of death by drowning. On examining the spot where she was found he noticed that there was rather a steep track leading up to the footbridge. There was ■i rise of an inch or more leading on to tile wood-work of the bridge, and over which one would be liable to trip. There were a number of raspberries on the bridge and near the middle was a recently made mark on the woodwork, probably caused by the enamel basin which Airs Connolly was stated to be carrying furl of raspberries About the same spot lie found a human hair attached to the wood which corresponded with deceaseds hair. This suggested that hei > • must have come in contact wtrti the wood at U.H spot. There was to inches of under llowmg slowly un t -the bridge. In his opin.on Airs U>roHv tripped and foil stnkmg front or the edge of the bridge. J ' •in* stunned, she was rendered incap . il.To of saving herself. Her head was i .pnnneed in water, completely covering Jhe mouth and nose, and death ensued nvohablv within five minutes, from accidental drowning. Witness made o>lorts to bring back life prior to vennning the body into U,e house I Ibruise on the nose was probably to striking the edge ol the bridge.