WOMAN’S DEATH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1941, Page 4

WOMAN’S DEATH

IN HOTEL BATHROOM INQUEST OPENED & ADJOURNED. EVIDENCE BY THREE WITNESSES. An inquest into the death of Edna Phyllis Hore, of Adelaide, Australia, aged 26 years, manageress of the Nelson branch of Maeder’s, New Zealand, Ltd., who was found dead in a bath at the Empire Hotel, Masterton, yesterday morning was opened before the District Coroner, Mr E. G. Eton, last night. After three witnesses had given evidence, the inquest was adjourned sine die.- Dr. P. P. Lynch, Government Pathologist, Wellington, carried out a post-mortem examination at the Masterton Hospital last night. Peter Gerard Cope, accountant, Elmine Avenue, Palmerston North, gave formal evidence of indentification. He said that he had known Miss Hore for the past six months. He met her at the Maeder hairdressing salon at Nelson, last May. Miss Hore arrived in Masterton on October 11 to attend the opening of the Masterton salon of Maeder’s Ltd., and had booked at the Empire Hotel. He had asked Miss Mann, Wellington, to attend the opening, too. He saw Miss Hore at 6.45 o’clock on Monday morning on his way to the bathroom. After he had left the bathroom and was in his rooiti dressing, at 7.10 a.m., Miss Mann informed him that Miss Hore was in the bathroom, but had not answered to several calls. He forced the door and found her lying face downwards in the bath, which was half full of water. He lifted her out, noticing that life appeared to be extinct. A doctor was summoned and artificial respiration was applied without success.

Nita Mann, of 6 Plunket Street, Kelburn, Wellington, stated that she came to Masterton with Miss Hore on October 11. Yesterday morning she spoke to Miss Hore in her room. Miss Hore said that she was going to the bathroom. Shortly afterwards witness knocked on the door and Miss Hore called out that she would be only a few minutes. Some minutes later she knocked again and as she received no reply she thought that Miss Hore had not heard her. She knocked ten minutes later, but did not receive an answer, so she called Mr Cope, who forced the door.

John Baptist Lohle, general manager of Maeder’s New Zealand, Ltd., 11 Clovernook Road, Auckland, said that he arrived in Masterton on October 8 to make arrangements for the opening of the Masterton salon, in Queen Street. On October 11 P. G. Cope, accountant for Maeder’s Ltd., and Misses Mann and Hore’ had booked at the Empire Hotel where he was staying. ! Miss Hore, he believed, was a friend of Mr Cope, who had invited her to attend the opening of the new salon. Mr Cope had invited Miss Mann to accompany Miss Hore. Miss Mann was a friend of his (Lohle) and he had also met Miss Hore at Auckland where she was employed by Maeder’s. The party of four had been together until 11.30 on Sunday night. Next morning at 7.15 Mr Cope told him that something terrible had happened and that Miss Hore was dead.

At that stage of the proceedings the inquest was adjourned sine die. Formal police evidence and evidence by Dr. N. H. Prior will be taken when the inquest is resumed, probably within two days.