“CONSPIRACY OF LIES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 720, 20 July 1929, Page 16

“CONSPIRACY OF LIES”

9 YOUNG WOMAN S DEATH AT NAPIER COMMER’S SHARP COMMENT Proaa Association NAPIER, Friday. “It It a long time since I have heard evidence of such absolute callousnees and neglect. Perhaps it in because i have not been told Ihe truth. The whole circumstance. are highly suspicious. There I. not only a conspiracy of silence. but a conspiracy of lies!”

With these remarks the district 'coroner, Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., concluded a. stern criticism of the evidence given at the inquest in Napier today into the circumstances that led to the death or Eileen Carroll Hepburn in the Napier Hospital on June .7.

A formal verdict was returned that death was due to heart failure following lung and abdominal trouble contributed to by circumstances that pointed to criminal interference.

When criticising evidence the coroner described it as "a mass of inconsistency." He refused to believe that a man should know that his step daughter was taken away from him in Gisborne in a bad state of health and take no further interest in her until informed by telegram 26 days. later that she was in hospital at Napier seriously ill, and that he should go to her bedside; and not then be interested enough to ask how she got there and what was the matter with her. The evidence showed that the girl was brought to Napier and taken to a Nurse Pratt’s house, described as a. maternity home. A woman named Patterson took the girl to a doctor under the name of Hudson. Two doctors attended her and she was 'sent to hospital after giving birth to a child. At the hospital she gave the name of Hudson and it was not until two days before her death that her true identity was revealed by an aunt. Even when told she was dying the girl refused to reveal anything except the name of the man responsible for her condition.

Three doctors said in evidence that there was no doubt there had been criminal interference.