THE Coroner, Dr Cole, opened an inquest at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Frankston, on Friday, 3rd November, touching the death of Mrs Mary Sidwell, whose dead body was found floating in the Bay near Oliver’s Hill, Frankston, on 2nd November.
Dr Maxwell of Frankston deposed that under the instruction of Constable Ryan he had made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased.
In his opinion the cause of death was drowning. The body had been in the water apparently about 4 days.
Edwin Christie Ryan, Constable of Police, residing at Frankston, deposed:
At about 1.30p.m, on Thursday 2nd inst., a man named Thomas McComb informed me that he had heard that there was a dead body floating in the waters of Port Phillip Bay, at Oliver’s Hill, about one mile from Frankston pier.
I immediately proceeded to the locality and, after walking along the beach, I saw the body of deceased (since identified as that of Mrs Mary Sidwell) floating on its back, in shallow water, near some rocks.
I waded out and brought the body on to the beach.
It was clad only in a flannel night dress and rain coat with black stockings and leather shoes on the feet.
I carefully examined body, but with the exception of a bruised wound on the right shin and a bruise on the left leg (apparently caused by contact with the rocks) I found no external signs of violence.
The body was swollen and had apparently been in the water for a considerable time.
There was a handkerchief with the initials J.R. thereon in the pocket of the rain coat, but nothing else.
I removed the body to the Prince of Wales hotel at Frankston and reported by telegraph to the Coroner, and the Russell street police.
At about 11 p.m. on the same date, William Sidwell identified the body as that of his wife, Mary Sidwell, who had left her home at 4am on the previous Monday, October 30th.
The Coroner gave an order for burial and adjourned the inquest till Monday, 6th November, at the city morgue, when deceased’s husband would be present to give evidence.
At the adjourned inquest a verdict of found drowned was recorded.
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AT the recent “Australian Club” fancy dress dance, Miss Gould, dressed as a Scotch Lassie, was successful in securing first prize.
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MESSRS Adamson, Strettle and Co will hold a sale of horses at Tanti on Monday next, when they will have a large yarding of all descriptions comprising draughts, light horses and ponies.
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THE “’Wattle Club” held a dance on Saturday night, October 4th, in aid of the Returned Soldiers’ Entertainment Fund.
A happy time was spent. The music was supplied by Sergt. T. Moir.
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DR J. Fogarty of Chelsea, now on active service with the Australian Forces, has been awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in attending the wounded on the field, under heavy shell fire.
With Dr Fogarty’s many Frankston friends we join in hearty congratulations.
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THE contractors are fast pushing on with the Peninsula Motor Garage Pty. Ltd. new garage, at Mornington.
The garage, which is in the main street and of brick, is a modern building of which any town might well be proud.
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WE have received a letter signed “Observer,” from Tyabb, complaining of some remarks made by one person to another in the public hall, on the 4th November.
As the person to whom the remarks were made let them pass unchallenged we cannot see it is our duty to mix ourselves up in affairs of the kind.
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Children’s Flower Day
Friday, Nov 3rd, was the day set apart for Children’s Flower Day on the part of teachers and children of State Schools throughout the State for the benefit of returned soldiers.
It was Flower Day in the city, the suburbs, and every town in Victoria.
The day was the result of months of effort. Since February last children in all parts of the State have been carefully cultivating garden plots at school and at home so that at the right moment they might have some thing to offer the public in exchange for money in the cause of Victoria’s fighting sons.
The children and teachers of the Frankston State School No 1464 took the matter up most energetically.
At the end of last March a schedule of flowers, pot plants, ornamental trees, shrubs and vegetables was printed and distributed amongst the scholars, and they at once set about the cultivation and care of the various kinds of flowers that they thought would be best adapted to each individual case, and the magnificent display shown in the Mechanics’ Hall on Friday last gave ample evidence of the care and attention they had bestowed on the plants to bring them to the perfection that they had attained.
There was a fine display of roses, Ethel Bray being first with the best three varieties and Dorothy Ferguson taking first for the best single bloom.
In the open class, Mr A. J. Thomas’ collection of 24 varieties of cut flowers was much admired, also Miss Masterton’s contribution of foliage plants and shrubs (not for competition) was a feature of the show and added greatly to the general effect.
The request for flowers from three proprietors of gardens along the Mornington road was generously responded to and the display of these gifts lent colour and variety to the already gay scene.
The judging of the flower and vegetable sections was faithfully performed by Messes Dower and Bailey junr., and gave general satisfaction, as did also Mrs Hartland’s decisions in the classes for cooking.
The following ladies presided over the various stalls:— Flower Stall — Miss Keane and Mrs J. A, Cameron; Lolly Stall, Mesdames E M. McComb and Verney and Miss Stewart; refreshment stall, Mrs H. McComb.
In addition to the flower show a Queen’s Carnival was held by the scholars in which there was a Queen chosen from each grade, each queen representing a flower.
The financial result of the carnival was that £26 6s 4d was added to the gross result.
The following are the names of the Queens with the number of votes obtained:—Dorothy Ferguson (roses) 1970; Beatrsce Addicott (carnation) 1399; Moara Cameron (Pansies) 866; Lizzie Hay (Lilac) 505; Ella Dalman (Heather) 468; Jean Cameron, (Forget-not) 429; Byral Hartland (Marurite) 344; Marjorie Willox (sweet pea) 335.
Mr Richardson and Miss Keane (the head teacher and his assistant) are to be congratulated on the success that they attained.
They threw their best into the effort, and were rewarded by obtaining a result that hardly could be bettered.
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From the pages of the Mornington Standard, 11 November, 1916