A WOMAN DROWNED IN THE LAGOON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 427, 10 September 1877, Page 2

A WOMAN DROWNED IN THE LAGOON.

THE BODV RECOVERED. Considerable excitement lias been c;uisc-cl in town to-day by it becoming known that a woman was supposed t<> have been drowned in the lagoon, near Messrs. Science and Bee's cornel - . Throughout th■-; whole of the clay the banks ot* the lagoon have been thronged with pel sons anxious to obtain verification of the report by the finding of the body. It appears that about a quarter b-. fore 4 o'clock this morning, Mr. Rayner, who resides mar the creek, heard a female voice call out, " Oh ! save me." On Mr. Rayner calling out to the unknown person seeking for help a3 to whei'3 she was, he received no reply. Believing that some one had fallen into the lagoon, he at once roused up Messrs. Cunningham, Baker, and others of his neighbours, and having obtained some ropes they proceech d to the spot from whence the sound had come. Here one of the party (Mr. Baker) was . lowered down from the high bank on the side of the lagoon nearest the railway line, but after making a full search could find no trace of anyone in the lagoon. Information was then given to the police, and early this morning Constables Welsh and Joyc • were told off to search for the body, and were a-sisr.ed during the day by several citiz ns. They obtained a boat and improv set! a sort of grapnel, but which was only a kind of hook, and proceeded to drag about the lagoon. For hours they continued their work without meeting with success, but about half-past two o'clock they found a woman's hat floating at the lower end of the lagoon. Proceeding with their, work with renewed vigour, they succeeded in bringing to the surface the body of a woman at 3 o'clock. The body was at once removed to the rear of the Empire Hotel, where a large number of people gathered round the building, desirous to know who the unfortur.ate woman was. Hei-e the body was identified as that of a nymph da la pave known by the name of Alice Mahony, who is supposed to havs been married to a man named Harper. The deceased had not been long in Oamaru, but was well known in Dunedin, wiiere she possessed a very unenviable reputation. She is believed to be between 30 and 35 years of age. We believe that she was seen by Constable Donovan about 2 o'clock this morning at the house of a well-known bad character named Jenny Paul, in company with the man Harper, who is stated to be the husband of deceased. At this time the deceased was very drunk, and creating a disturbance, and was making use of foul language. A general disturbance was going on, and the man Harper and deceased were quarrelling. After leaving Jenny Paul's honse, we believe the man and woman were again seen in company, but where they went or where they separated is at present unknown. How the unfortunate woman managed to get on the j banks of the lagoon, which is enclosed by a wire fence running alongside the rail- }

way line, is at present a mystery. Neither can it be ascertained so far whether foul play has taken place, and the woman's fall-ng into the lagoon been more a matter of design than accident. Tie inquest on the body, whici is to take place to-morrow, will probably throw some light upon these matters.