Tanna Hill is a Dunedin name which any person living there could be excused from knowing about - it predates the building of the Otago University in the 1870s. Tanna is a natural development of the word "Botanical" and comes from the time when Dunedin's Botanical Gardens were on the University site.
The place named Tanna Hill is the low ridge, much modified now, which runs parallel to the Leith between Dundas Street (built on something of a saddle which was once proposed to be cut through to take the Leith to Pelichet Bay and provide land to be built on) and where it makes a 90 degree left turn to make its way the the Harbour. In 1903, roughly where Unicol hostel is now, it was the scene of personal tragedy.
DUNEDIN GIRL FOUND DROWNED.
Agnes Campbell, aged twenty years, left her home last evening about 7.15 and did not return. Her body was found this afternoon in the Water of Leith. No reason is known up to the present as to the cause of death. We understand that a young man named John Osmond, of South Dunedin, with whom she had been keeping company, also left home last evening, and so far as we can ascertain has not yet returned. -Evening Star, 8/7/1903.
A WOMAN'S MYSTERIOUS DEATH.
A YOUNG MAN'S DISAPPEARANCE.
Last evening we reported the bare fact of the death of a young woman named Agnes Campbell, aged twenty-one, a tailoress, residing with her widow mother in Athol place. Further inquiries show that the affair is a most mysterious one, and so far no one is able to throw much light on what is believed to have been a 'double tragedy.'
Miss Campbell, it appears, had been keeping company for some time with John Osmond, a carpenter, aged about twenty-three years, who lived with his parents at South Dunedin. They are believed to have met outside the girl's home shortly after seven o'clock on Tuesday evening, and as neither of them returned to their homes the parents naturally became anxious. The first real trace of their movements was discovered yesterday afternoon, when the body of the young woman was found on Tanna Hill, at the Water of Leith, opposite the University. The body was in a sitting posture, and there were no marks on it which would give any clue as to the cause of death.
The most mysterious part of the whole affair is the disappearance of Osmond, who left his home at about seven o'clock on Tuesday evening, and has not since been heard of. When the girl left her home her people naturally concluded that she had gone to meet Osmond, with whom she was afterwards seen in the vicinity of Hanover street. Before leaving his place Osmond (who had called on Miss Campbell the previous night) spent some considerable time in his bedroom, and when he went out he was carrying a handbag. Yesterday, a hat bearing the initials "J O" was found on the foreshore near the Otago Rowing Club's shed at the foot of the Jetty street wharf. It was afterwards identified by Osmond's brother as the property of the missing man.
Drs Martin and Evans made an external examination of the body of the unfortunate girl, but could find nothing to satisfy them as to the cause of death. A post mortem examination was made to-day.
Osmond was well known on the Flat. He was a man of quiet disposition. The finding of the hat having given rise to the suspicion that the man may have come to an untimely end, the police commenced dragging the harbor to-day in the hope of solving the question.
On inquiring this afternoon we were informed that there was no trace of the missing man. Two medical men made a post mortem examination of the girl's body, but we are unable to state with what result, owing to them considering it inadvisible to say anything before the inquest is held. The contents of the stomach were sent to Professor Black to be analysed.
An inquest will be held to-morrow on the young woman's body. -Evening Star, 9/7/1903.
THE TANNA HILL MYSTERY.
POLICE LOOK FOR JOHN OSMOND.
HARBOUR DRAGGED WITHOUT SUCCESS.
The mysterious death of the young woman, Agnes Campbell, coupled with the equally mysterious disappearance of the young,man John Osmond, excited widespread interest in the city yesterday. Speculation was rife as to the possible cause of the girl's untimely end, and, with so little information of a reliable nature to go on, any deductions the amateur or professional Sherlock Holmes might draw could only be in the nature of conjecture. Drs Martin and Evans made a post mortem examination of the body yesterday, the results of which have naturally enough been withheld for the inquest, while the unusually secretive attitude of the police would indicate that the conclusions they have been able to draw so far must tend to throw very little light on the whole affair and that they are as much in the dark as the man in the street. The fact that the doctors conducting the post mortem considered it necessary to send the contents of the stomach to Professor Black for analysis suggests that they suspect the presence of poison, and some kind of poison which has not left any obvious traces of its effects. The scene of the girl's death has not yielded any further clue. A bone-handled pen was picked up there yesterday, but it can scarcely have much material bearing on the case.
As to Osmond, the first suggestion as to his fate was that he had sought refuge in suicide, and the fact of his hat being found on the rocks near the Otago Rowing Club's boat shed lent a certain amount of "colour" to the theory. The finding of the hat under the circumstances referred to, however, must be regarded as rather slender evidence that the owner has found a watery grave, and it may be taken for granted that the police havo wired Osmond's description to other centres in the event of his having attempted to quit the district in a hurry. Dragging operations were carried on in the harbour near where the hat was discovered yesterday, but without success.
Mr C. C. Graham, will hold an inquest on the body of the girl Campbell this afternoon at 2.30, when evidence will be taken, and then an adjournment will be necessary till the result of the analysis is ascertained. -Otago Daily Times, 10/7/1903.
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF MISS CAMPBELL.
The latest development in connection with the mysterious death of Miss Campbell, whose body was discovered on Tanpa Hill on Wednesday afternoon, is the finding of the handbag belonging to Osmond, with whom she was keeping company. It will be remembered that Osmond left his home at South Dunedin on the Tuesday evening with a. handbag, which, it now, appears, was found by a tally clerk at the end of the tongue wharf on Wednesday morning. The bag was empty, and the finder, thinking at the time that it belonged to someone who had been fishing on the wharf, locked it up in his desk. It was not until reading the account of the tragedy in the ‘Evening Star’ last evening that he realised it might have some bearing on this mysterious affair. He thereupon handed it over to the police, and it was afterwards identified as belonging to the missing man. The bag, although empty, bears signs, both from appearance and smell of something having been spilt inside of it. The fact of it having been found at the end of the wharf strengthens the belief, in the opinion of the police, that the young man has also come to an untimely death.
It has been ascertained that about three o’clock on Wednesday morning a violent pulling was heard at the door-handle of the house of Mrs Campbell, but by the time one of her sons opened the door no one was to be seen.
The post mortem examination has resulted in certain disclosures, but until the analysis of the stomach has been completed nothing definite can be stated as to what was probably the immediate cause of death.
Osmond was well known as a pianist at social functions on the Flat.
Dragging operations were resumed in the vicinity of the tongue wharf to-day without success.
THE INQUEST. The inquest on the body of Agnes Campbell was commenced at the Middlemarch Hotel, Frederick street, this afternoon, before Mr Coroner Graham and a jury of six, of whom Michael O’Donnell was chosen foreman.
After the jury had viewed the body at the residence of the mother of deceased, the Coroner intimated that the evidence to be taken would be of a formal nature, after which the inquest would be adjourned for the result of the analysis of the contents of the stomach. Mr W. Hislop appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the relatives of deceased.
Margaret Smith Campbell identified the body as that of her sister Agnes Hill Miller Campbell, aged twenty-one. Deceased was a tailoress employed by Mr Tennant, of Princes street south. Witness last saw her alive at half-past seven on Tuesday night. She was then in good health and spirits. She was sitting down doing some fancy work at the time. All that she said was that she was going out to a friend’s, Mrs Henderson’s, at the corner of Athol place and Frederick street. Witness never saw her go out. She never seemed more happy than she did that night.
To Inspector O’Brien: Witness went to bed at a quarter to eleven. She put the key outside. Mother was ill, and the key was generally put out for her brother who was employed until midnight. Witness, on learning at a quarter to twelve that deceased had not come home, went to Mrs Henderson’s, and found that her sister had not been there that night. Her brother came home at about five minutes to twelve. Witness then walked all round the place until half-past two. She was in the kitchen at twenty minutes to three making a cup of tea for her brother, who was a baker, and had to go to work at three o’clock, when she heard a handle of the back door turn. She called to her brothers, saying: “Quick boys; there is a man at the door.” She distinctly saw the handle turn and the door shake. It was a very still night. She fancied she heard a footstep. On her brother getting up and opening the door there was no one to be seen. She heard no voice outside. No one came to the house after that.
To the foreman: She heard the handle turn, and said “Is that you, Aggie?” but got no reply. She could not say whether it was a man or a female who was at the door.
To Mr Hislop: Deceased never once went out at night without telling them where she was going.
Alexander Wallace, laborer, residing in George street, said that he was out for a walk on Wednesday. At about half-part twelve, when at the corner of Leith and Union streets, he saw a straw hat lying amongst some broom, and on going to look at it he saw that the hat was lying over the face of a woman. He thought that perhaps she was sleeping, and he went away home, but feeling uneasy about what he saw he returned to the place in company of two others. He took the hat off the face, and saw that the woman was quite dead. He at once sent for the police. There were no signs of a struggle having taken place. The woman was lying on her back. The body was fully dressed, and the clothing was not disarranged in any way.
Inspector O’Brien said that he did not purpose calling any further evidence at present. It would be impossible to finish today. He asked for an adjournment for a week.
The Coroner then adjourned the inquest until ten o’clock at the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday next. -Evening Star, 10/7/1903.
THE DUNEDIN MYSTERY.
INQUEST ON AGNES CAMPBELL.
[BY TELEGRAPH — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN, This Day. The inquest on the body of Agnes Campbell, which was found opposite the University buildings on the 9th instant, was resumed in the Magistrate's Court this morning. Mr. A. C. Hanlon appeared for the relatives of Osmond, the missing man.
One witness testified to seeing the deceased meet Osmond on the evening in question. Osmond carried a parcel. Deceased had no hat on.
Dr. Evans testified that when he saw the body at 3.30 in the afternoon. Miss Campbell must have been dead over 15 hours. He made a post-mortem examination with Dr. Martin. There was no sign of mark or injury. Witness gave evidence as to finding deceased in a certain condition. He found no trace of poison. In his opinion death was due to syncope, brought on by efforts to procure miscarriage.
Another witness gave evidence as to finding a pen near the body.
The jury returned a verdict that deceased met her death from shock by an improper operation, but by whom there was no evidence to show. -Evening Post, 16/7/1903.
The Tanna Hill Affair
Per United Press Association
DUNEDIN, July 16
The adjourned inquest on Agnes Campbell, whose body was found on a hill near the University on the 8th inst., was resumed to-day. Evidence was given as to deceased having been seen to join John Osmond on the night of Tuesday, 7th July. Dr Evans, who nade a post mortem, gave evidence as to the results of the examination. The body had been dead over 15 hours when he first saw it at 3.30 p.m. The spleen, liver and kidneys were congested, and the woman had been four months pregnant. Certain internal parts had been interfered with. He took the lungs to Professor Black to see whether chloroform or ether had been administered. Witness could find no trace of poison. He ascertained from her mother that the girl was not subject to fits. In his opinion the cause of death was syncope or cardial inhibition, brought on by some manipulation. There were similar cases where death had been caused by shock. — Dr Martin gave corroborative evidence. — Joseph Osmond said he had not seen his son since the evening of the 7th and had no knowledge of his whereabouts. He had quite expected that his son would have married the deceased shortly, us he had a quantity of furniture in his room. — After some formal evidence the jury gave the following verdict: "That the deceased met her death through shock, caused by improper interference with the genitals, but by whom performed there is not sufficient evidence to show." -Southland Times, 17/7/1903.
Agnes lies buried in the family plot in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery - there is no stone on the grave.
A MYSTERY CLEARED UP
OSMOND'S BODY FOUND.
The mysterious disappearance of the young man John Osmond, who has been missing since the 7th of July, was cleared up at about half-past eight this morning when his body was found in the harbour. The circumstances, connected with this mystery are known to most of our readers, but a few lines as to the cause which led up to the young man's sudden disappearance will hot be out of place at this stage. It will be remembered that deceased and Agnes Campbell, a tailoress, aged twentyone, had been keeping company for some years; that on the night of the 7th of July they were seen together near the girl's house in Athol place, and that on the afternoon following her body was found in a sitting posture on Tanna Hill, in Union street. Osmond never returned to his home, and on search being made for him his hat was found in the water under the Jetty street wharf, near the Otago Rowing Clubs Shed, and a handbag, which he was carrying when last seen alive, was picked up at the end of the tongue wharf. The harbor was dragged, but the police and his relatives were unable to find any trace of the body. An inquest was held on the young woman's body, and as a result of the evidence given by two medical men the jury returned a verdict that deceased died from shock caused through improper interference, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show by whom.
As week after week passed, and there was no appearance of Osmond, dead or alive, all sorts of wild rumors were circulated, without the slightest foundation in fact, and the detectives' theory that the body would eventually be found in the harbor was fully confirmed this morning when it was discovered jammed between some of the stones underneath the tongue wharf. It was removed to the morgue where it was afterwards identified by deceased's two brothers.
The circumstances point to suicide. The legs were tied round the ankles with a blue handkerchief, or necktie, and the body was fully dressed with the exception of the hat. The face was very much decomposed. All that was found on the body was 19s 6d in money, two keys, and a tobacco pouch. Deceased, in addition to his ordinary had on a white sweater and a rainproof overcoat.
Young Osmond was well known in South Dtmedin, where he resided with his parents. He was a carpenter by trade, and about twenty-three years of age. An inquest will be held on the body at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. -Evening Star, 14/9/1903.
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