MYSTERY CLEARED UP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1371, 9 March 1915, Page 3

MYSTERY CLEARED UP.

BODY OF MRS. DIXON FOUND. The mystery surrounding the disappearance from the Mauavatu Heads on Saturday, January 30th, of Mrs J. Dixon,, of Buunythorpe, has, after the expiration of six weeks, at last been cleared up by the discovery of her body. It will be remembered that Mrs Dixon arrived at the Heads from Bunnythorpeou Thursday, January 28th, for the purpose of spending a holiday. On the Saturday, at about nine o’clock, accompanied by a boy named William Kells, aged 11 years, she went fora walk along the beach, taking with her sufficient food for the day. After going about three miles along the beach the boy became tired and returned, reaching home about one o’clock, Mrs Dixon, who was gathering shells, telling him that she would go further along the beach, as there were prettier shells further on. That was the last occasion on which Mrs Dixon was seen alive. As she failed to return home at night, a search party was organised, and traversed the beach and sand hills for hours without finding ■ a trace of the missing lady. A diligent search was made during the next week or two, at times the number searching totalling 40 persons, and the whole of the sand bills in the vicinity of the beach, as far as the Rangitikei river, was covered, but without success.

Of late, visitors to the beach had kept a look-out for the body, and Mr H. Hartley, who as a rule spends Sundays at the seaside, was always on the look out, On Sunday be drove to the beach with his sons from Himitangi, and on arrival, got out of the trap and walked along the beach a few yards above high water mark. His attention was attracted by seeing four or five old boxes piled up, and on looking closer he saw a stick about two feet long stuck iu the sand, on which was placed a piece of clothing. On closer investigation, be saw the body of deceased behind lb? boxes. He immediately drove into Foxton and informed the police, who went to the spot and removed the body to Foxton. The place where the body was found is fully ten-and a-half miles north of the Manawatu river.

It seems that the old lady, after the boy returned on Saturday, January 30th, waudered along the beach gathering shells, as there were several small piles of shells oh the beach at intervals, which she had apparently placed there, intending to pick them up on her return. Not noticing the time and the distance she was traversing, night came on, and she was too tired or unable to find her way home again. She built up a small shelter with boxes on a log lying on the beach, and then tore from her clothing a piece of calico, which she attached to a stick and stuck in the ground as a signal, afterwards lying down behind the boxes lor shelter from the wind. No doubt her death resulted during the night from exposure. The body when found was practically covered with sand, only a small part being visible. It was a very difficult matter to see the body, unless one walked right over the spot, and searchers must have passed it dozens of times. Even on Sunday, only a few minutes before Mr Hartley made the discovery, two men passed quite close to the spot without noticing anything. THK INQUEST.

An inquest was held before Mr Alf. Eraser, District Coroner, yesterday morning, when Oswald Hugh Cleland, storekeeper, Manawatu Heads, nephew of deceased, gave evidence, identifying the body as that of his aunt, Mrs Dixon.

Henry Hartley, farmer, Oroua Downs, gave evidence as to finding the body, and Constable Sweeney, who had the body removed to Foxtou, said that he also found a small hand-bag lying alongside, in which there was a cheque tor £2, 3s 8d in silver and copper, and a return railway ticket from Foxton to Palmerston North. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased, Mrs Dixon, met her death from exposure on the Foxton-Rangitikei beach.