DIED IN THE BUSH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 175, 17 August 1909, Page 3

DIED IN THE BUSH.

A WOMAN'S FATE. A DREAM AND ITS VERIFICATION. The. mystery surrounding the disaupearance of Mrs. Penuey, who has been missing from Lower Hutt since August 3rd, has at last been cleared up, the body of the unfortunate woman bavin" been discovered on Sunday on the top of a ridge overlooking York Bay It is considered that she had been 'deadj for eight or nine days; if so , s i lti muit have been wandering about the hilltops, exposed to the wintry weather for four or five days, hatless, and only light ly clad. ' °

A peculiar circumstance lies in the fact that the discovery 0 f the boay u attributed to a dream which came to Mr. Hugh Downes, caretaker of tae Ways Bay estate, a few evenings ago. He states that he went straight to the spot and found the body in precisely the position he had expected. _ln consequence of the dream, Mr. Downes says, he and two others surmounted the ridge about York Bay, a V.,Z, o! about foar miles fr °m Day's ■Bay. They examined a couple of spurs and found Mrs. Penney's oodv on the top of the second one, not niore than tnirty chains away from the place where a towel Mrs. Penney was known to Have taken with her was picked up. Hi; sight was a pathetic one. The unfortunate woman had collected a few manuka branches, apparently for the purpose of making a bed for herself in a small hollow a couple of yards below the top of the ridge. Her boots had been worn through. Mr. Dowries thiuks that she must have been very weak, and slipped from her bed of manuka, and was quite unable to get backthrough exhaustion. Her hair, which Mr. Trevethick described as black with a little grey in it, had turned to silvery grey.

THE DREAM VERIFIED. Mr. Downes said, in concluding Ms Story: "I do not think she had had anything to e at for days. She lay just as I expected to find her. I went straight to tKe spot. I had previously got a piece of wood through the palm of my right hand. One of my companions nearly fainted, and the other alone could not carry the body. So we returned to Days Bay without it." When questioned by Sergeant Kelly, Mr. Downes stated that it would be useless returning for the body that day, as it would be dark when they arrived, and they would be unable to return •with their load through the thick shrubbery. The deceased was in an awkward place, and a steep hill, stony ground, and front logs-would have to be traversed. The discovery was made at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and about 4 o'clock the searchers dispersed. THE DISAPPEARANCE.

There are some unusual features in the story of the disappearance. Mrs. Penney was a well-built and very strong woman of 39 years of age, and a welfknown tennis player. She was of a very healthy disposition, and had never suffered from serious affections in any way. Her trouble commenced with the death of her husband sixteen months ago, since when she has been afflicted with settled melancholia and a determined desire to be alone. Four months ago she went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Trevethick at Lower Hutt, the latter being a friend of hers of some years' standing. Her energy gave way to something in the nature of stupor, and the family found it next to impossible to rouse her or to interest her in anyone or anything. A heavy rainstorm, however, seemed to have a morbid interest for her, and as she was sitting in the house one evening with the rain pouring down she remarked to Mr. Trevethick, "Wouldn't yon like to he out on the Wainui hills to-night?" Her one desire was to be alone; she would never see strangers. On three occasions previously she went away, but always returned in the even tag.—Dominion.

BODY BROUGHT TO TOWN. AN INACCESSIBLE SPOT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The body of Mrs. Penney, which was found on the hills near York Bay, was brou'ght to town to-day. The police had considerable difficulty, having to cut a track through the bush to make room for a stretcher. The spot where the body was found was almost inaccessible, ft is amazing how the unfortunate woman ever got there. Her clothing was badly torn, and the only remaining boot was worn through the sole and had the heel off.