CARRIED SECRET TO THE GRAVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1239, 29 August 1929, Page 8

CARRIED SECRET TO THE GRA VE

" Terrible Charge "

Father's Story

Dying Girl Declined To Make: Any Admission In Death Bed Depositions WOMAN FOR TRIAToN GU YE CHARGE

(From "NZ. Truth's " Special Auckland Representative) "I thought I had burnt it." Such was the remark attributed to Adeline Pyle by Detective^sergeant Doyle when describing how he showed her a letter alleged to have been sent to her by Amelia Mary Gertrude Pipe. On a charge of causing the latter 's death, Mrs. Pyle was committed for trial by Mr. Platts, S.M., at Waihi.

SHE was charged on remand from Auckland with performing "an act which she ought to have known was likely to cause death . . . and did thereby kill the said Amelia Pipe." • . . In examination by Mr. V. N. Hubtile for. the Crown, Dr. D. G. Short, of Waihi, said he was called to the house by the girl's father on July 8, when he found her m bed, apparently suffering ■from a chill. A week later he was again called m when she complained of severe pains and vomiting. She was very feverish and he diagnosed her condition as gastric influenza. Two days later, as her condition did not improve, he ordered her removal to the Waihi Hospital, . where she rapidly became worse. His suspicions were aroused that she had lately been the subject of ' . interference. The woman died on July 26, and m company with Dr. J. McM. Cole, superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Short made a postmortem examination. The body showed signs that deceased had been m a certain condition for two or three months. Death was due to septicaemia following on a certain event. There weqe no signs of external interference, but he was almost certain the cause of the event was not natural. Corroborative evidence as to the cause of death was given by Dr. Cole, who stated that the post-mortem findings gave no definite clue as to how

the event happened, but the course of the illness made it practically certain that it was not due to natural causes.

He was present, continued Dr. Cole, on July 24 when the girl's dying declaration was made to Sergeant Calwell and Mr. Evan Morgan, J.P.

The doctor had told her that her hope ot* recovery was of the slightest. He also identified a letter handed tb him by the girl's father, and by him to the police.

His daughter, who kept house for him, said Herbert Alfred Pipe, left on June 17 to visit her married sister m Auckland. She complained of being unwell and when she returned on the 29th, seemed to be ill. She was removed to the hospital, later.

While his daughter was ill, a letter came for her which he opened. It was signed "Mrs. Pyle," but. he knew no one of that name nor had he heard it before.

The letter 'bore an address m Ponsonby Road, Auckland, and he handed it to Dr. Cole.

He did not know of his daughter's trouble before she left for Auckland nor when she first returned, but thought she was just going for a holiday to her sister. She was normally a perfectly healthy girl.

He gave her £2 for her fare, but did not know if she- had any more money.

After her death, he found m the house a hot-water bag which did not belong to any other member of the family. He handed it to the police.

The letter allegedly found • by the

police m Mrs. Pyle's house, he identified as being m his daughter's handwriting. Dramatic allegations were made by Doris Jarvis, a married woman living at Otahuhu, who stated that when she lived at Waihi, she knew Millie Pipe. As the result of a letter she received from Pipe m June, she said she got m 'touch with Mrs. Pyle. According to . Mrs. Jarvis, she telephoned Mrs. Pyle and asked if she could do anything for a friend who was m trouble, and she alleged that the, reply was that s"he could send the friend to see accused. ' She asked who was speaking on the telephone, and, alleged Mrs. Jarvis, the reply was that it was Mrs. Pyle. Continuing, Mrs. Jarvis said she

made an enquiry into the cost of treatment and she alleged that Mrs. Pyle said it would not be very much.

One day towards the end of June, said Mrs. Jarvis, she met Millie 'by appointment and accompanied her to the address of Mrs. Pyle m Ponsonby, arriving there at 9 a.m.

The accused answered the door. Mrs. : Jarvis told the court that she remarked to Mrs. Pyle: "This is the girl who is. in trouble, whom I 'phoned you about. She will tell you all about it. Her name is Millie Pipe."

That concluded the conversation, according to Mrs. Jarvis, and she then left, while Millie and Mrs. Pyle went indoors. ' ,

Later the same day, she again saw Millie, who said she was feeling quite all right.

Mrs. Jarvis also stated that on the

girl's arrival m Auckland she lent her £5. Other than casually, concluded Mrs. Jarvls, she had not seen Mrs. Pyle prior to the visit to her house with Millie, nor did she see her again until the court proceedings. Hep sister Millie arrived m Auckland on June 17, stated Kathleen Isabel Pipe and stayed for one night with her, proceeding next day to her married sister's place.' She knew that hep sister was m a certain state of health. On the Wednesday prior to Millie's return to:Waihi, Kathleen alleged that she accompanied her sister to a house m Ponsonby Road where the latter was admitted by Mrs. Pyle. She later received a telephone mes-

sage and, meeting Millie, went with her to the pictures. They caught a Ponsonby tram at the conclusion of the performance and her sister got off near the house they had visited m the morning.

On the Friday following, she said, she saw her sister m .company with Mrs. Pyle and asked the latter if it was safe for Millie tb go home alone, to which the alleged reply was that the girl would be quite safe if she looked after herself.

Evidence as to being present 'when the girl's dying declaration was taken down was given by Mr. Evan Morgan, J.P., who said that Dr. Cole, first told the deceased that she had no hope ; of recovering.

The declaration, 'said Sergeant Cal-

well, stated that It was made by Amelia Marr Gertrude Pipe, "being m the fear of death and having no hope \ of recovery." I In it, the girl admitted visiting Mrs. Pyle, but she said that nothing was done to her there and she was informed that she was not m the condition she thought. She did not pay Mrs. Pyle any money nor did she stay for the night. The girl .refused to name : any man as responsible for her trouble. On the afternoon of the girl's death, said Detective-sergeant Doyle, m company with Detective O'Sullivan, he called at Mrs. Pyle's house. He told her they were detectives and asked if she remembered the visit of Millie . Pipe. The accused replied that she did not know the . girl, who had not been there. ' Asked if she knew a Mrs. Jarvis and recalled a visit from her and the dead girl, Mrs. Pyle said she did and that they might have called. "I told her the girl died at Waihi that morning," continued the detective, "and I had a warrant to search her house. "She replied that we were welcome to; search. Detective O'Sullivan began to take a statement from her while I started to search the place." .' ' The detective went on to say that m a drawer he found a writing pad, m the pocket of which was- a letter bearing the date stamp of Waihi and signed "Millie Pipe." When she was shown

this, Mrs. Pyle allegedly exclaimed: "I thought I had burnt that." . The letter, which was put m as evidence, described the girl's condition on her return to Waihi and what happened shortly after. . . This was found after Mrs. Pyle started to make her statement. . .'■ , The latter read: "I know a Mrs. .Jar vis Jwhb called on -■ hie. With . a : ..'' Mfs$ 4 pipe:: saying the latter .was m trouble. I burnt a letter from : Millie Pipe m which she said she was all right and made no mention of any special treatment." . The statement : "I now admit that the letter shown tome is the letter I have referred to." The y statement went on to say, that Millie Pipe informed Mrs." Pyle she had been m a certain . state of . health, but J had been satisfactorily treated. It was denied by .Mrs. Pyle that She. received any fee for prescribing for tile girl. ' ' . ",' :',' . VThis is a terrible charge," was 'the woman's reply, according to Detective Doyle, when he read the warrant for her arrest. .' '

• Corroborative evidence was given by Detective p'Sullivan. . A plea of not guilty was entered on Mrs. Pyle's behalf by her counsel, Mr. R. A. Singer, and her defence was reserved until the trial takes place m Auckland. Bail was renewed m £500.

The coroner's inquest w£s conducted by Mr. W. M. Wallnutt in' coj. junction with the court proceedings and he returned a verdict m accordance with the medical evidence.

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