MURDER CHARGES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 127, 1 June 1942, Page 6

MURDER CHARGES

F.S. SOLDIER SUSPECT

MELBOURNE COURT-MARTIAL (0.C.) SYDNEY, May 29. Utilising the National Security (Allied Forces) Regulations, the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, has quickly solved a problem of international law arising out of the detention by U.S. Army police m Melbourne of an American soldier (it was officially stated that he was a white soldier), who, it is stated, will be court-martialled on three charges of murder of women in the brownout. The women concerned are those whose murder in very similar circumstances, all within 16 days, created a sensation in Melbourne, and brought things to the stage where women working late hours in the war effort were adopting all kinds of devices to ensure their safety on the way home. The three women in connection with whose murder the soldier has been detained, were Mrs. Ivy McLeod (found murdered on May 3), Mrs. Pauline Thompson (May 9) and Miss Gladys Lillian Hosking (May 19). The bodies of Mrs. McLeod and Mrs. Thompson were found in shop doorways, and that of Miss Hosking inside the railing of Royal Park Military Camp. Mrs. Thompson and Miss Hosking had been strangled, but Mrs. McLeod, who had an abnormally thin skull, had died as a result of a blow on the head. Under Armed Guard When American Army police, who were co-operating with Victorian detectives in investigating the murders, detained the man concerned, they lodged him in a wing of the city watchhouse in Melbourne, and hefd him there under their own armed guard, not allowing any of the Victorian police to approach him. The question immediately arose as to the legal position of an American soldier held under American armed guard in an Australian civil police building without any charge being made against him. The further question also arose as to the desire of the U.S. authorities to court-martial the soldier instead of allowing the Melbourne coroner to hold an inquest in the usual way, and then, if he saw fit, commit the man for trial. It was obvious what the outcome of this situation would be. The National Security Regulations were quickly amended to allow the U.S. authorities to deal with members of their forces charged with violating States or Commonwealth laws. However, should any Australian civilian witness fail to attend an American court-martial to give evidence, or if he should commit perjury, he can then be charged with an offence against the Regulations and dealt with by an Australian civil court. University Chemists Co-operate It is expected that the courtmartial of the soldier will last about ten days. In the investigation of Miss Hosking's murder, chemists of Melbourne University, where she was employed as secretary and librarian of the Chemistry School, co-operated with detectives. Scrapings from under her fingernails were examined in the hope of finding traces of clothing which might have adhered to her fingers in her death struggle with her assailant, and might enable the detectives to determine whether he had been wearing a civilian suit or a uniform. The ground within 100 ft of the spot where she was murdered was sifted for traces of cigarette tobacco to enable the detectives to discover the brand that the killer smoked. Investigations also involved an exhaustive check of the laundry at the Royal Park military camp and also of the movements of many American soldiers on short leave in Melbourne.