MURDER OR SUICIDE?

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1948, 6 March 1919, Page 1

MURDER OR SUICIDE?

lii u Si. John’s Wood flat two young women have been found dead, the door of their rooms being looked from the inside. There was a slight leak of gas in their bedroom, but no al tempt to bloek ereviees was visible. The stove-ventilator was open, and there were no signs of a struggle. Although they had been dead for several days, a canary in the kitchen was alive and well.

Miss Edith Laurence (thirty), music teacher, of Grove End Hoad, St. John’s Wood; and Miss Olive Parry (twenty-live). V.A.D. nurse, of Caine, Wills, arc the two dead women, and the police may be helped in solving the mystery of their fate by Dr. Spilsbury, (he great pathologist, who will probably make the post-mortem examinations. Miss Laurence and Miss Parry were last seen alive on Friday, December 13lh. A doctor, who examined (hem, said it hardly seemed feasible that the escape of gas would be sufficient to cause death.

For a long lime Miss Laurence resided with her mother in the flats, which are tenanted by well-to-do people. About a year ago Mrs Laurence died, but Miss Laurence did not leave, the place. When the door was forced both young women were found dead in bed, but although a gas-jet in the bedroom was turned on, the atmosphere was not very dense. There ‘was no disorder in the bedroom, and both young ladies were in night attire.