Girls Mysterious Death In Lonely Seaside Bach.

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 1

Girls Mysterious Death In Lonely Seaside Bach.

EMIL Y FOR WARD 'S LOVE TRA GEDY 1 " ■ ' ' " . ■ • * ■ _ : i - • ■ • Body Found Sitting In Chair Three Months After She Met Unknown Fate STRANGE SECRET oFTHE WRITING-PAD

mtnnm»inmimiiimiimiimuiiinitmiiiiimiimmmiimiunmimmnnrammumMmi>iiiiimiiiim^^ " (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) BEHIND THE GRIM TRAGEDY of the death of Emily Martha Forward, of Christchurch, a young woman of 21, whose dead body, seated in a chair, the head near a gas-tube, was discovered in a North Brighton bach three months after she died, lies the pathetic story of a woman's love for a man who was the father of her baby, which a cruel Fate decreed should Whether Emib) Forward committed suicide by gas poisoning or not will be decided beyond all doubt at the resumed inquest, but all the circumstances surrounding her tragic death suggest that she took her own life.

door, but some intuition which she could not explain prompted her to investigate. To her surprise the door was unlocked. Entering the little sit-ing-room, she passed through to the only other room in the bach. There was no sign of anybody, and she was re-tracing her steps to go away, when, re-entering the sittingroom, her eyes fell upon a stooping figure slttingr in a. chair. One glancft was enough; sick with S horror, Mrs. Passmore hurried from the abode of grim tragedy and called (the neighbors. .r In- -tw/nK-mirmt^r^tbe secret of the bach was laid bare. Emily Forward sat in a chair, her head near'the tube from the gas-stove. Nearby was a round table on which rested a writing-case, open, and writing materials beside it. But there was no farewell message, no letter about anywhere, although the close proximity of the writing materials to the dead woman suggested that she might have been engaged in writing before her death. What is the secret of the writingpad? Did Emily Forward pour out her soul and her reasons for her plight on paper before the end? If she did, where is that letter and what has happened to it? Within less than an hour of the discovery being made by Mrs. Passmore, the Christchurch police were investigating. Inspector Allan Cameron, Chief-de-tective J. Carroll and Detective-ser-geant O'Brien, accompanied by other officers were quickly on the scene. Coroner E. D. Moslev, S.M.. also proceeded to the scene of the tragedy during the afternoon and inspected the body. So advanced was the body in a state of decomposition that the coroner issued immediate instructions for a post-mortem. Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch hospital, was informed without delay. Dr. Pearson proceeded to the bach. Police Interview As a result of his investigations, It was decided, to leave the body where it was until the following day, when Dr. Pearson prepared It for removal to the mortuary. ; A police guard was put on throughout the night and nobody but police officials were allowed near. The police observed the closest reticence concerning the case, tout It. is understood that as a result of their investigations there Is no reason to suspect foul play. AH the indications pointed to suicide by gas poisoning, 'but the actual cause of death will not be finally cleared up until the resumed inquest, which was formally opened at the hospital and adjourned sine die. The .bach, which almost abutta on the Inter-City Motor Company's Garage in Bowhill Road, and is only a few hundred ' yards from the North Beach Kiosk on the Marine Parade, is almost hidden from view of the street by thick clumps of lupin. The bach is owned by J. L. Scarvell, of Leinster Road, and it was let, early in the year to William Burgess, a city taxi-driver, who rented, it from E. A. M. Leaver, a land agent. The rent was paid regularly by Burgess every fortnight up till about the middle of May. Following the tragedy, the police interviewed Burgess and it Is understood that he made a statement telling what he knew of the dead Woman. Burgess, . with his counsel, Lawyer F. Sargent, was present- *. at the formal opening of the inquest, when counsel Informed the coroner that he was present with Burgess to render every assistance possible. So much for, the bare facts of the tragedy and its discovery. There was nothing in the ibach that could throw any light on the tragedy. ; The place was comfortably, though plainly furnished; laid out neatly in a chest of drawers was a quantity of women's clothing and some male attire. But little else of any value. A sordid end in a lonely setting — such was the fate of Emily Forward.

Who the man is on whom the girl lavished all her love and trust, and who was the father of her ibaby which Destiny decreed should never be. born, will no doubt be named at the resumed inquest. • . But from exhaustive, inquiries pur- 1 sued by "N.Z. Truth," there is no doubt that the dead girl knew romance with all its sweetness and with all its bitterness. The cup of joy was dashed from her lips. The promised marriage, on which for a time she dwelt with thoughts ( of pride and pleasure, was a mirage — not as her husband could she ever claim the man to whom sh.e ha.d given -everyth' ing a- woman has tc-give.' Her portion was to be disillusionment, despair and a lonely death.

No one enjoyed the confidence of Emily Forward more than did her friend, Irene Passmore. • Mrs. Passmore, when interviewed by "Truth," told all she knew about the dead girl. It was indeed a> pathetic story she had to relate concerning her . former friend. . .As she narrated the facts as she knew them, Mrs. Passmore was laboring under great emotion and spoke vehemently about the man who played such a prominent part in Emily's life. "I had known Emily for a considerable time," she said. "She was first intfo.ducedi.to.^his^jman t . i .f;v ' I "believe, about eighteen months ago and she was absolutely wrapped up io him. I knew him also ..."

x = iiiiiuiiiiititiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiintiuiiitiiiiiiiiiitHnititiitfiMiuiiiuiintiiiiKiiiiiutiiiiiiiiiititiiiinfiirtiti Mrs. Passmore then described her last visit to Emily at the bach about three months ago. "I went to see her with my" mother and we took her down some food. "Poor girl, she had been crying a good deal. ■ She had to give up her job in the city on account of her condition; she had no money and nowhere to go except to the bach. . . "She often spoke about the marriage that was to take place between her and the man who was responsible for her condition . . and once she told me that she would be far better dead and that she could not face the "I am inclined to think that, she died the very day we called on her, because the dress she was wearing when I found her in the chair dead was the same as the one she was wearing the last time I saw her about three months ago." From what Mrs. Passmore had to say, Emily Forward and the man used to quarrel a great deal. Inquiries elsewhere elicited the information that finally the girl dismissed the man,' telling him she did not wish to have anything further to do with him. Mrs. Passmore mentioned that she knew the dead girl had gone without food for considerable periods while she was living at the 'bach. She had often been greatly troubled about the marriage. "She often came crying to me about her troubles . . . once I told her the best thing she could do would be to come along with me and see a solicitor, so that things could 'be fixed up properly. "The marriage was always 'being put off .by this man, but Emily always found excuses for him. "She would say that he did not have much money and was just waiting to get his holidays to fix things. "But the marriage never took place . . . I heard that the man could not marry her, in any case, as he was believed to be a married man. Girl's Gethsemane "She was absolutely wrapped up in him," declared Mi-s. Passmore, "and I have no doubt in my own mind that she was treated very 'badly indeed." One of the most remarkable features of the case was the fact that while the girl lay dead In the bach for three months, her mother and brother, unaware of her plight, lived not far away — in fact, in North Beach. Mrs. Forward, the dead girl's mother, was prostrated with grief when the tragic news was broken to her. When the brother was interviewed at his home in Palmer's Road, he informed "Truth's"' representative that his mother had been greatly shocked by the news. He discussed what he knew about his sister with freedom and. candor. "She came to see us just before she went into this place. She seemed very cheerful and happy then ... we thought she was going to be married. "In fact, we have always thought since — and until the discovery on Wednesday — that she was married." Apart from this, the girl's relatives knew nothing about her movements. Emily - Forward's .dreams of matrimony were shattered. Alone in the lonely bach, all she could do was to brood over her troubles and yearn for the man whom she loved 'better than life itself. What her thoughts were in the long night hours, without money and concealing herself from her friends in her trouble, only Emily knew — and the knowledge lies buried with her. How she came by her end — and when — will be definitely established when Dr. Pearson's pathological report is presented to the coroner. Everything points to suicide; so far as can be ascertained, there were no indications of foul play. The writing-pad on the table, however, remains a mystery. "There are certain tests that can be applied" to reveal writing by the use of fine powder on the blank sheet underneath tn'e one on which the mesage may have N been written. Whether the police resorted to this test is not known, but in ■■ ■■ \ ■ " A ■ . ■ >

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiimiiD view of the long lapse of time from the date of her death to the disoovery. of the body, and the damp weather that has prevailed for weeks past, It is hardly likely that any test would result in success. : ' Apart from this consideration, it. is toy no means established that the girl ever wrote a message, although in most cases of suicide — and there is strong presumptive evidence that it was by her own hand that Emily Forward died — the writing of a farewell message is usually the last act. Assuming that Emily Forward wrote such a message, where is it? The writing-pad- and accessories on the table would appear to indicate that the girl was writing at some time before her death. And the query at once arises: When did she write, to whom arid what was her message? So far as "Truth's" investigator could ascertain .during his inquiries, none of her friends claim to have received any letter from her just prior . /■ . ... Her Broken Heart to her death — and no letter was found by the police on the premises. shej: wr ; ote' ;a\ letter of fare#elp^&^aidlSß^a*d ifMo*t:>*\frhy the, writing materials so conspicuously displayed on the table ? £ . If she did pen a letter for the discoverer of her body to find, then it iwas removed by someone after her death, but by whom? There is considerable mystery about the whole tragic affair, but it is problematical whether the , • resumed .inquest, will reveal anything that will in any way clear up this' aspect of the tragedy. However she came by her death, the tragedy . of Emily Forward will go down in the history of human nature as but one further example of a woman -who dared all for the man she loved, only to discover when too late that her romance was an illusion, with despair 'her only neighbor and death the gateway to a happy release from the agonies of a broken heart. „„„„„ ,„,„> i uiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiuiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiniinniimiiiiiiiiitnitmniimtiitniiniiiiini iiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimuuiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiuiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiciiiiiiiii>