FOUND IN RIVER

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1932, Page 2

FOUND IN RIVER

DEATH AFTER' BRIDGE PARTY. INQUEST ON WOMAN. LONDON, Sep. 14. The jury at an inquest yesterday on. ’a woman: found drowned ‘tjftei*, a bridge (party declined 'to accept the Coroner’s recommendation to find a verdict of “accidental death." Instead they returned a verdict of “found drowned," which the Coroner recorded, stating that he disagreed with it,

The inquest, held at Maidenhead, was on Mrs Margaret Goodrich, aged 49, of Boulter’s Cottage, Boulter’s Lock, Maidenhead. Her body was recovered from the Thames near her home on Monday.

Evidence was given- that Mrs Goodrich played bridge at a club until 11.30 on 'Sunday night and had had two cocktails and some grape juice. She was ta.ken home by friends in a car and left- at her front door.

Dr J. Paterson said that a postmortem examination revealed no signs of alcohol!.

The Ooroner said it appeared that Mrs Goodrich -went to the hack entrance and slipped off the narrow path into the river, as slio had done six months (before.

He empanelled the jury, he added, to prevent an impression that she was taken home the worse for drink, propped uip against the door and left there.

The jury, in disagreeing with the coroner’s recommendation as to the verdict, declared that there was no evidence to satisfy them how Mrs Goodrich got into the water.