THE RUNANGA MURDER.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16156, 9 March 1918, Page 10

THE RUNANGA MURDER.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE I'RESS. Sir, —The- following is an extract from a letter which appeared in this morning's issue of "The Press" under the above heading, and signed by "Analyst":— "Were the bullets found in the body of Coulthard proved conclusively to have been fired from a revolver in the possession of Eggers? No. lhe bullets in the murdered man's body were 32in calibre. The revolver in possession was, I am led to understand, a 38in calibre. It was admitted in evidence that it was possible for .a 32 in bullet to have been hrcd, but the gun expert stated that if so the magazsne of tne revolver must have been very carefully cleaned, evidence which I should consider very inconclusive." It is obvious that the above pai-a-graph relates to the evidence that 1 gave in Court, but it contains soveial mis-statements of what I actually,, end Ray, and I therefore feol it necessary to bricliy reply. Thy weapon found in the possession of Jiggers was a .32 calibro automatic pistol, and not a .38 calibre revolvui, as stated by "Analyst." lhe pistol had eight cartridges in the magazine: there wc.re a number of .32 calibre automatic cartridges in the handbag carried by Eggors, and a still larger number of similar cartridges we found in a box at his lodgings. lhe above-mentioned cartridges were manufactured by two different firms, but tho bullets of one make could be readily distinguished from those of the other.' The bullets found in tho bodies of Coulthard and Hall, and also ia the car, were ail .32 calibre automatics were of two different makes, and exactly similar in every respect to those found on Eggers. Ail the loose empty shells found on. tho sccne of the tragedy wero- made for a .32 automatic pistol, and hero again there were two makes. I was asked if the weapon found on Eggers had been recently fired, but tins I was unable to state, as the pistol had been most carefully cleaned. The weapon used by Hall was a .3S calibre revolver, and when found it contained four empty shells, and one live cartridge. It would be quite impossible to lire the .32 calibre automatic pistol cartridges from the .38 ealibra revolver, or vice versa. I fully realise that my evidence was most difficult to follow, as I had so many "exhibits" to deal with, but I am sorry your correspondent did not ascertain his facts, as he could have done so had he kindly favoured me with a visit.—Yours, etc.. W. H. TISDALL March Bth, 1918.

TO Tire EDITOR OF "TOE mKSS." Sir,—l have read "A Psychological Puzzle" iu your issue of the Gth iust., also "Analyst's" letter this morning. Will you be good enough to enlighten ire on one point? Did it come out in tho evidence that two persons "were seen at the time of the crime as tho supposed perpetrators, or was it only ono ? (It runs in my mind that there were two). Whilst I am perfectly sure that Eggcrs committed murder at Bunanga. I am not so sure that _ he killed the man he was charged with. A minute or two before leaving th.'s world he stated: "I did not kill John Coulthard.'' I think he also said that' another man was offered £500 to do the deed. It is quite possible Eggers remembered for certain che man he aimed at and shot. Was not Hail, his victim, and was not Coulthard shot by ilie other man he referred to? If this theory in correct, jiggers durir.r; 2; is trial would have considered that it' he divulged that other person's name to save himself, his sentence might be postponed until .the dis-

coverv and trial of that other person. What woulvl bo tho position in sueli a case bearing in mind that the chargc of murdering Hall was then pending. Probablv Kggers felt that m the cud his case would be hopeless, ior it it wore proved that he did not kill one, he killed the other. However, go ouestions I ask myself are these: JJid lie kill the person for whose murder there has been 110 trial? Has he suffered the penalty of another person, s crime, and is there any significance iu the fresh diseoverv at Runanga, ves-terd»y?-Yoi,rS, DELVER. "