Adrienne Stouppe Names Prominent Surgeon

NZ Truth, Issue 1188, 6 September 1928, Page 9

Adrienne Stouppe Names Prominent Surgeon

ADRIENNE MART STOUPPE, a young single girl residing with her parents m Jackson Street, Island Bay, having loved not wisely, but too well, found herself m a certain condition, from which she sought relief through an illegal operation. The operation was not a success and ultimately the girl found herself m the Wellington public hospital, where she died two days after admission. Again the name of Dr. Joseph Patrick Hennessy echoed through the Wellington court of inquiry, for it is alleged that the girl, prior to her death, told another doctor that Hennessy had performed the operation upon her. It will be remembered that Dr. Hennessy successfully' defended himself some months ago against a criminal prosecution arising out of his alleged operation . upon a young Wairarapa girl. * Chief- detective Ward conducted the inquiry on behalf of the police, while Lawyer O. C. Mazengarb watched the proceedings on behalf of several people who had been interviewed by the authorities. Whether any criminal proceedings ■ will arise out of the inquiry la a mat- i ter, that rests with the police, but at air events there has to be recorded the i death of another young girl just step- < ping into full womanhood, who, i through her own folly and the illegal Intervention of someone .as yet un- ' <

Hennessy Now In Australia &"tri[itTnniMtiuriiTiti(|iiiiTiiiiit(iintiiiiiiiiirniriiiii iniriMiiiKniiiintiiiiii TiTitiiiiriHiiMiiifcniuautiatfHartrrrrurrrritfrrrrrttrtftriiutiftirunitnratnriHfUtHfruiftiiiiifnittiiirfNrrfunnmMnfninfiffiNo ' il § |l (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative.) | ll "The girl was m a certain condition, and, on August I , she left home, i f| ostensibly to go into the country. Between then and August 8, a certain f If event toofy place, which, according to her own statement, was criminally j ll produced by Dr. Hennessy. Sepsis followed, and the girl, notwithll standing surgical treatment, sank ond died at the* public hospital on || August 10, 1928. I find that death was due to pyaemia following I fl a certain event, criminally produced." — Coroner Page, m his verdict confg cerning the death of a twenty-year-old girl. §9 gKuiMHMiiMuiiiMiruiiiiuiitiiiimMtiiiiHniJnmiuuMtniMiiiiiuuminmMiimiin I r^jjiiijiiii7WHttitiiinniiiijtiiintiiiiiiiijjiJijtitin>iiii!iiJjiiiijijijMiliiiiiiii[iliilililliMiiuin)iJii|[l>ltjiti]itMjittiniiTii MiiiiiiJijiJiiiiijijtjiijititiiii]riiJiiijjl>li>li!iiijijtlllll)iJiliJiiiiiijltniiiiiiJiiJnniuniiiiiiii_>

"Dr. Hennessy. I asked her what.', had been the cause and she said: 'You can guess, oan't you?'" "I told her I didn't guess," added the doctor, "and then she said: 'Dr. Hennessy.' " The girl had not told him who had caused her condition — nor did she say when it was that she had seen Dr. Hennessy. The Coroner: "That is all of importance she told you?" — "She told me one other thing; where she had been for the week-end." "I am afraid I must ask you to tell what she did say." — "At Dr. Hennessy's place." This concluded the doctor's evidence. The next witness called by the police was a taxi-driver named John Henry

Weaver, who stated that on August 8 he was on the stand m Clyde Quay, when, about 12.45, a man came and asked him to pull

off the stand and up to the front of the Selwyn Hotel. Weaver did so. The man asked him to drive a young woman to Island Bay and his fare stepped out of an Essex touring car. Weaver was given two suitcasesand placed them m his car. < J The girl appeared to be very ill, and, when they arrived at Jaokson 7 Street; witness assisted her into the house. The girl had paid him the fare— s/9. Questioned as to whether he would be able to identify the maniagain, witness stated that he would not swear to it. All he could state was that the man was short. , .;.'' No names were mentioned when. the cab was engaged. When they arrived at the house, the girl told her mother that she was "train sick." Ralph Heaton Wear, ,an engineer employed by the National Electric

The Doctor Told

iiiiiiiiitiiMiiitiiiiiitititHititiiiiiiitiiiiiiuttiiiiiMtiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniitifiiiiiiuMiiimiiiiiiitiinunmiiHmk^B iiiiiniiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiimiiiiiiininniumiiiiiiii.^ Company, m the witnesß-box stated that he was a married man residing at Lyall Bay. He knew the deceased, Adrienne Mary Stouppe, quite well, the girl having worked m the sales department of his firm. / ' ' He was on the same friendly terms with her as everyone else m the office. Sometimes it was his praotioe to take her part of the way home m his car, but witness stated that he had « never taken her out on any other occasion. Further questioned, Wear admitted s that his firm had an Essex coach car, "but," he added, "I was not driving c It on August 8." He declined to answer several ques? tions put to him, whereupon Lawyer Mazengarb stated that he had been ~;

consulted by sev- *, eral people (whom the detectives had interviewed) .t o *[ protect their Interests at the Inquiry.

The police had threatened to take .. criminal proceedings against witness and others. f The rule of evidence, which gave a witness privilege, applied not only to . questions of direct criminal acts', but ? also to- ' perfectly Innocent matters J which might put a man on his trial. His part m the matter might be perfectly innocent, but he was oblieed to take advantage of the rule. The coroner upheld witness' objection to answering certain questions relative to whether he had seen the girl on August 8. Wear admitted, however, that he b had gone to Waikanae on that date, but would not say Whether £< he had received any telegrams j 1 there. t( "I have never seen Dr. Hennessy," p added witness, "nor have I ever given w deceased any money."

Chief Detective: Were you responlible for the girl's condition? — No. Did you know she was m a certain londltion?— No. Have you ever been intimate with ler? — No, never! And witness added that the detecives had interviewed him, but he had efused to discuss the matter with hem. Do you know a man named Tattersall? — Yes, he is a business friend of nine. Do you know his P.O. box number? -No. Detective W. McLennan, called into he box, related how he had seen the rirl at the Wellington public hospital, n company with Dr. Rhind. The detective told the girl that— it iad.been alleged — someone had perormed an illegal operation, on. her. le asked if she wanted to make a statement. . "The girl said she had nothing to say/ went on the detective, "as she said: she didn't want to get anyone 'into trouble." McLennan had made inquiries at Sahara House, but the girl had not leen staying there. The proprietor gave witness three elegrams signed "Stouppe" which he lad received. "P.O. Box 950, Wellingon," was mentioned m two of them. "The box is held by the Atlas Comiany, run by a man named Tattersall, , r ho is a friend of Wear." The detective added that he had