BODY WASHED UP BY FLOODS
Some interesting revelations are expected to be made at the inquest today concerning the history of a well-dressed woman, whose body was washed up by the flood on the Ely Racecourse, just outside Cardiff. The discovery was amde on Monday afternoon, and, from the first, mystery enshrouded the tragedy. The body has apparently been in the water about 3 or 4 days, and the police had received no intimidation of any disappearance. The woman is described as about 30 years of age, 5 feet 1 inch in height; expensively attired, dressed in a blue princess robe with blue buttons on the sleeve and on the front, and a waist-belt of the same material. She wore a white silk blouse and a silk chemise, which was embroidered with gold lace trimmings and corset embroidered with red roses. Lace-up boots , high-heeled."
In the hat is the name of the maker "H Wautter & Co. St Petersburg.
Part of the mystery was solved later in the day, when the body was identified as that of a woman who claimed to be of French Nationality, and went by the name of Clair Darras. She is known to have arrived at Barry early in the New Year, having come from Petrograd by a Roumanian steamer, which had left port on Monday afternoon. She went on to Cardiff on January 7, since when all trace of her movements has bben lost.
She was a moman of mystery, and was, it is understood, under close surveillance until she evaded attentions which had become unwelcome. Attired in a costume of Russian characteristics, she aroused a good deal of curiosity. The mystery which surrounded her identity and antecedents was heightened by her efforts to elude the police in the district. In this she seems to have been successful, since for a fortnight, up till the discovery of her body yesterday, nothing seems to have been known of her movements.
Source: Western Mail 22 January 1918
FATE OF WELL-DRESSED ALIEN WOMAN
Indications point to death by drowning. The woman, who was expensively dressed, was a passenger on a steamship from Archangel to France, via Barry, where the ship was delayed for repairs. Her passports entitled her to travel to France.
The body was found in a brook about 100 yards from the Ely Sewerage Pumping Station, at the bottom end of Ely Racecourse, which travels from the direction of Caerau, and empties itself into the Ely River. The discovery was made shortly before midday on Monday by Mr John Trenchard. of St Andrews Road, Llandaff, a pumpsman at the Ely Station, who saw the woman lying face downward in the brook. He obtained assistance and brought the body to the bank. The body was cold, and had evidently been in the water sometime.
The police were immediately informed and Police Sergt Rees and Police Constables Richards & Spiller removed the body to the mortuary at Llandaff, where it now lies. It was identified as that of the woman whose name is given above.
Source: Western Mail 23 January 1918
MYSTERY UNSOLVED
FRENCH WOMAN's DEATH AT ELY
As the coroner, Mr David Rees, admitted at the inquest, held at Llandaff on Wednesday, the manner in which Madame Clair Darras met her death in the floods at Ely last weekend remains a mystery.
There was no evidence of violence, eithe for robbery or any other purpose, and nobody could suggest suicide. The only possible verdict upon the evidence was "Found Drowned", and this was the decision of the jury.
A Statement by the French Consul that he had been informed that she had been seen with a wireless operator was not corroborated.
DISCOVERY IN THE BROOK
Police inspector Richard Henry Thomas of Barry Dock, said he had identified the body at the mortuary as that of a woman he had seen at Barry Dock on the 4th instant. He saw her on board the Romanian steamer Buchareste, on which she was a passenger. He saw her last on the following Monday with a companion.
John Trenchard, engineer, employed by the Llandaff & Dinas Powis District Council, spoke to discovering the body, which was found on the 21st Instant in the Careau Brook. It was fully attired. The brook was affected by the tide, and from Friday until Sunday there was 14 feet of water in it.
The body could not have come up with the tide because there was a thick hedge which would have stopped it. He had not seen a woman answering to the description of deceased previous to the discovery of the body. He and a man named Boulton, pulled in the body with a stick and communicated with the police.
Witness added that a Belgian and Frenchman were seen wandering about the vicinity the previous Sunday and he heard that Alderman Illtyd Thomas had turned them away.
Police constable Spiller, stationed at Lllandaff, said upon searching the body a gold brooch set with a diamond and a hair-slide of brilliants were found. The clothing indicated that she was properly dressed.
By the Coroner: There is no beaten path in that district. The spot is half a mile from the roadway. It was marshy ground. He did not know that the brook crossed the roadway anywhere near. The nearest roadway was to Ely Farm (the residence of Alderman Illtyd Thomas), well over a quarter of a mile away.
Witness has examined the district subsequently, and could find no trace of the woman's movement proir to the discovery. His opinion was that the body had been brought up by the tide, which had gone back when the body was found, leaving the woman in the brook, after she had been caught by some bushes. Witness added that he did not think it possible for the body to have come up the brook. At the time just previous to the discovery there was a big flood of water covering the surrounding fields. He thought the weight of the body broke the obstructing bushes and the body was washed into the brook.
HUSBAND A FRENCH OFFICER
Captain Virgil Petricu, of Bucharest, a Roumanian, in charge of the ship in which the woman was a passenger, said he last saw the woman on the ship on the 7th instant. She came on board at Archangel on November, and gave her name as Clair Darras. The woman declared that she was French and booked for France. It was difficult to tell her nationality. She said her husband was a lieutenant in the French Army, attached to the Russian Army at Petrograd. She had no friend aboard. She did not seem to be attached to anyone.
There were only 3 passengers altogether and the woman was the only passenger left on the 7th. No friends visited her aboard when the vessel came to Barry Dock.
Dr W D Arthur deposed to having conducted an examination of the body at the mortuary, but found no external marks of violence. The body had been in the water probably two days. It was not much decomposed. He conducted a postmortem examination on Tuesday. There were no signs of ailment, no marks of violence, and she seemed to be a strong, well-nourished woman. There were no signs of poisoning and the probable cause of death was drowning.
Virgil Manu, the chief mate of the vessel, giving evidence, said the woman had 5 rings, 2 gold brooches and a gold chain.
CORONER'S COMMENTS
The Coroner, summing up. said the police had made all the inquiries they could, and, so far as they could see, he did not think any further light be thrown on the way in which the woman had met her death. Whether Clair Darras was her earned name it was impossible to say. For their purpose, it was quite sufficient to accept the person as had been described. He could imagine that if she visited Cardiff all trace of her could be lost in such a city. There would be plenty of French and people of other nationalties in Cardiff, and not much notice would be taken of a fashionally-dressed lady.
But it was very mysterious how she got to Ely and how her death was brought about. There were no marks of violemnce to show that there had been foul play.
There were 4 possible verdicts:-
(1) It was quite possible, but very unlikely, that she was drowned as a sequel to foul play. She was obviously well-to-do, well-dressed, and wore expensive jewellery. She probably had money, too. But they could not point to any foul play or that anybody had robbed her.
(2) The question of accident seemed to him to go by the board, unless she had fallen into the water somehere at Cardiff, and had been washed up at Ely by the tide.
(3) There was nothing to justify a theory that she had committed suicide.
(4) Their only possible verdict, it seemed to him was an open one.
Without any hesitation the jury returned an open verdict of "Found Drowned", there being no evidence as to how the woman was drowned.
FRENCH CONSUL'S QUESTION
At the conclusion of the inquiry the French Consul said he had been informed that Madame Darras had been seen in the company of a wireless operator since she left the ship. He asked if the lady's box containing her personal effects had been opened.
The Coroner replied: The box has been opened and I can only advise you to see the police about it.
ALDERMAN'S STATEMENT
BONA-FIDES OF TWO FREIGNERS ESTABLISHED
In reference to the statement to the effect that a belgianand Frenchman were seen wandering about the vicinity the previous Sunday, and he he heard that Alderman Illtyd Thomas had turned them away. Alderman Illtyd Thomas says: "I was walking over my farm on Saturday, when I saw 2 boys who were apparently foreigners, and gave them to understand thet were trespassing, I asked them if they were Belgians, and on receiving a reply in the affirmative I had a long chat with them about their country and what they were doing in this country. I gathered that they had come over with the refugees from Melines. They are at present employed locally." The alderman added that he was satisfied with the bona-fides of the youths.
Source: Western Mail 24 January 1918