ACCUSED'S MOVEMENTS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 November 1948, Page 6

ACCUSED'S MOVEMENTS

h'^.sa Assoctation :

Evidence Given At Cranston "" Murder Trial

(Per

WELLINGTON, Nov. 8. Evidence of accused's movements about the time the crinie was comniitted and subsequently was heard ih the Supreme Court this afternoon jn. the trial of Edward Rayniond'Horton, aged 20, blacksmith's striker, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Mrs. Katheripe /Gladys Cranston on Mbunts y ictpria-bn September 26. iThe Chief iuftice, Sir Humphrey O'Leary, presided. The Crown Prosecutor is Mr. W. H. Cunningham and accused is represented by ,Ajr. ;A- J- Mazengarb. : .Foilowing Mr. Cunningham's onening of the case, details of which were published yesterdav, Eric Davidson Wollett, a Ministry of Works photographer, the first witness, produced prints of aerial photographs of , ihe scene of the crime.- ^ Evidence was given by Mrs. Muriel Haydu Durward with wlioin Mrs. Cranston had lived in Wellington, and Ueorge Josepli Wood, a technician in the nieteorological service, who told in evidence how he and his wife while sitting 011 the slopes of Monnt Victoria on the Sunday morning had been approaehed by a woman (identified from photographs as Mrs. Cranston) to wlioin tliey gave direc.tions for getting to Paliiser Road, Charles Norman Smith, watchniaker, who exaniined the wristlet watch found at the scene of the crinie, said it oiopped at four minutes past 12 o'clock, the lialance staff having been broken. Tliomas Itichard Baker Clemas, aged 15, apprentice mechanic, and Russell Iveitli McGregor, aged 17), sliop assistant, told how tliey, in conipany with six vtlier boys, found Mrs. Cranston 's body tiear the gunpits 011 Mt. Victoria. Grnesome Photographs.

Aiuorig lnenibers of the police who gave evidence, Constable llaroid Visher Eissetle, attached to the criininal regislraliou brancli, [iroduced photographs takou bofore Ihe body was removed froni Mt. Victoria, photographs !«i tlie body as found and photographs oi' the body at the morgue, the latter sliowing the injurios in detail. The Crown Prosecutor suggestea lliat. the pliotograplis takou at the oiorgue be 110L shown to the jury uuless it sltould ask for Lheni. llis Honour: You liear tliat .Mr. Poreniauf 'Jiiey wili be available it you wisli for llium. Tlu: foreiuan: Y es, your llonour. , i lliiuk it lmd enougli as it is. llis llonour: Persoually 1 agreo with you.

Was Ilomely Woman. Charl.es McCytnbie, JPpuward, insurauce clerk, of i \j|l%abeLh St-oot, said Mrs. (ianslou was his cousiu. Hhe wufi a widow i^ud |iadjio cliildreu. Ghe was a' honielv pcrstm Who iia'd lio nien frieuds. Witness reiated how shc failed to return after going out Hr a sliort walk at 11.20 011 Hcpleiuber 26 aml also subseipteut .ondeavours he niado lo Jind oul what hiid Jiappened. O'hanged Clothes. Prederick .John Williain CJark, orch ardist ((.'hrislchurchy, said he had kuown accused in Christcliurch for 9 or 10 months. Jlo"JutdM£aveilgiiiwAh Norton in the llinenioa to Wellington 011 ihe night of SepbelMbei' 22. * liorton had littJo nioney. Aftef t.heiv arrival he had. been with Norton at odd tiinos untii .SepYe'it'ber 25. In tliat timo he had gi\en Norton monoy. ile lefl accused Oetween 4.30 . p.in. and 5 p.m. 011 Saturday, September 25, in the New Citv llolti, Courtenay l'lace. At tlial tinie accused was dressed in a blue-grev suit, blue shirt and khaki-brown pullover. Tlie clothing produced in Court was siniilar to tliat woru b,y accused on the Saturdav. He had not seen accused on the SuudayC He was wearing different clothing on tlie Monday vvhen witness next saw liim. Tliey were a lot better tliau the clothes he had been wearing. "Norton replied that he had borrowed the clothes from a friend nained Eoy Elliott, " witness said. Cut Hand. Accused lrad coniplained of a cut on oue haud as his hand was sore. Norton said he had been in a Jight. outside the i Silver Grill restaurunt, had put up a ' bottle to proteet himself from a blow u.nd the bottle had broken in his hand. A k witness was vvalking on the Wellington station on Monday night, Septeniber 27, accused had come up to him and said he wanted to go to Palmerston North with him. Norton said he did not liko Wellington imich. "1£ he coukl not get to Palnierston North he said he would like to go to Nelson," witness addtld. The conversation had been interrupted by a police constable. Cruss-exaiuiued ov Alr. Mazengarb. Clark said he met Norton in Paparua prison. Witnessj in ruply lo another quesliou, said he (witness) was now in Mt. Crowford prison. Mr. Mazengarb asked: Wlieu the police inteiTupted you 011 the station, did you disuppeari? Witness: I was asked to identify myself and then just waudered oJT. Counsel: How long did it take the police to1 lind you? Witness: The police locuted iue on

the foilowing Friday. Counsel: You did not atteinpt to catch the traiu on the .Monday night 1 Witness: No. Counsel: What clothes was Norton vvcai iug bcsidos a suit and sliirt? Witness: He was wearing a pullover. Counsel: What eolour? Witness: Ixhaki or brown. Bloodstains on Clothes. 'Williain James Davis, hotel barman, said he was liviiig in room No. 1 at the People 's Palace, sharing it with Eay Nellyer. Accused had come into the room with lleilyer on the eyening oi tSaturday, Eeptember 25, and had stayed tlie night slccping with lleilyer 011 Nellyer 's bed. On Punday witness and lleilyer stayed in bed all day. Accused uent oul dur'uig the morning and cauie back about 3.3U p.m, Accused hadI'igurettes and swey.ts ,uu«l. ls 2d in juouev wlien . he rcturned. Later he heard* accused ask Nellyer for tlie ioan , of a pab' of navy. bejl Uottojp Ijp.useirs, giving tlie reason that he wiinted tp put his own' in Ihe dry cleaners- 011 l\l.on ( day. " N ellycr lent. the trouscrs ...and accused chauged into theni. . Accused /igain siept the night -in- Nellyer 's bed. I In the morning accused asked Nellyer I for the loan of 7 lleilyer 's doublu breasted grey sports jacket. Witness j'ose about S a. ni. ' 011" Monday. No saw • tlie shirt. accused had; been .wieuiningi yn. Siindav lying on the Ilour between the beds. There w ere bloodstains on part of it. ILe -also saw -bloodstains 011 the l'ront of accused, s tyousers. Accused was stili ifi, the rpom /'Fhen witness left'., Accused had gone 4^0 tlie/Pw1' just after lli a.m. that day %.aml hiid asked witness. for 2s yto go opt to Lo\Vfer llutt. Witness noviced then tliat cused had a cut on hjs linger which was swollen. .. '« • ... ■ Cross-oxamiiied bjw Mr. ..Mazougv'b, witness said accused had left the budroom not long beftire tlie dinner gong went on yunday. Accused was wearing lus evvn suit, a sliirt and pullover then. Witness did not uoiice any bioodstainb 011 accused's clothes either before he went out or when he came back iu the afternoon. Kayiuond James lleilyer gave evidence of taking accused to share his bed at the People 's Palace and of accused leaving to go out 011 buuday' morning. Witness tliought the time accused left would be about 9 a.m. It was about live or ten minutes after accused's returu in the afternoon that accused sought the loan of witness 's bell bottoni trousers. Accused had a cut 011 his right haud at the time. Witness could not say if accused had blood on his clothes then. :Next morning wit-: ness lent accused nis jacket on coudiliou that it was returned tlie same evening. Witness then .noticed blood-j staius 011 accused's ■clothes... .Witness 's; clothes were to bc. returned to .him at 7.30 p.m. tlie same d'ay but accused did not keep the appointmeut to returu theiu. O11 Tuesday witness learned that accused was at ihe police station. \Y i'tness was takou there by the police and saw accused. Ile realised that the only vvay he could get his own clothes back was for accused to have his own. Accused told him tliey were iu a closei in the room at the People 's Palace bul witness knew . tliey were npt there. Accused had said nothing that witness could remomber about telling the police about tlie clothes. Witness had not y-et got thoiu back.