“GOING TO THE RIVER.”

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1922, Page 2

“GOING TO THE RIVER.”

WOMAN’S PATHETIC MESSAGE. Evidence of a pathetic nature points to the fact that lvy Purnell, age 30 years, met her death by drowning inthe Wanganui river on .Saturday evening. Miss Purnell resided at Kitchener Street, Wanganui East, and was last seen alive at 7 o’clock on Saturday evening, when her mother left home to go to the pictures. Gn the latter’s return ahe found a window open and a note in her daughter’s writing: “Goodbye! 1 am going to the river. It is the best thing 1 can do. A number of postcards addressed to sisters were also found. The police were communicated with, and immediately started a search. The first clue was the finding of Miss Purnell’s skirt and nightdress on the river bank, just above the Aramoho bridge on the Wanganui East side, and closer search revealed the print of bare feet in the mud at the water’s edge. Throughout Sunday the police draged the river in the vicinity, but so far no trace of the missing woman’s body has been found. Miss Purnell had been in ill-health for some time, and had been attended by a doctor. —Chronicle.