LEFT WITH GIRLRETURNS ALONE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 119, 10 August 1927, Page 16

LEFT WITH GIRLRETURNS ALONE

COOGEE TRAGEDY SEQUEL TO ELOPEMENT A young man quietly slipped down the gangway of the Ulimaroa yesterday and disappeared into the Customs sheds. He was John Vernon Donolley, aged 20, who bad returned to New Zealand, after the girl with whom he had eloped nad been found dead at the foot of a cliff at Coogee, Sydney. Donolley left for Christchurch by the Limited last evening. He did everything very quietly. A policeman was talking to him on the station platform before the train left. THE SUN'S Sydney correspondent states that at the inquest on the girl, Sarah Mayne.aged 19, of Christchurch, the coroner returned a verdict that Miss Mayne had died from injuries caused by falling over a cliff, but there was not sufficient evidence for him to say whether she had cast herself over wilfully. Donolley gave evidence that when they eloped from Christchurch he had £2OG. He and Miss Mayne lived in a flat in Sydney. On the evening of July 18 he went out to post a letter to his mother and gave a bag containing his money,' about £l5O, to Miss Mayne. When he returned he found Miss Mayne missing. Later he went to a police station and told them of her disappearance. He made no other inquiries, but two days later sent the following cable to his mother: “Sally missing, all money, expect suicide, cable £ 50.” When Miss Mayne was found the bag which had contained the money was still round her neck, but it was empty.