THE RONA BAY CASE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 5

THE RONA BAY CASE

INQUEST & GRAVE CHARGE.

THE POLICE AND A WITNESS.

The inquest concerning the death of the child Thelma- May Davis, whose body was found under a house at Bona Bay on November 16 last, was continued bofore Mr. AV: G. ftiddell yesterday. 'Mr. T. M. Wilford 1 appeared for accused, Margaret Seymour, and Chief Detective Brobcrg and Detectivo Eawlo for tho police. Jeannio Dixon, stewardess, in the employment of tho Union Steam Ship Company, produced in court two tickets and a passenger list, purporting to indicato that a Miss Seymour and a Master Kershaw had travelled from Lyttelton to .Wellington by tho Wahinc.

Tfio Dress Basket. Leonard Jackson, plumber, residing at 221 Ingestro Street, stated that from September 27 to Novomber 15 ho had lived with Miss Seymour at Cumhrao House at Eona Bay. They had lived there as Mr. and Mrs. Seymour. Ho remembered tho day accused had arrived from Christchurch with the boy Kershaw. Ho had met her at the boat with' accused's sister, Miss Ethel Seymour. Sho had luggage with her in the shape- of two dress baskets, etc. When putting accused's luggage on tho hansom witness had remarked that one cf the baskets, a telescope dross basket, was heavy, and that she must have brought a lot of clothes. They 'had gone over to Day's Bay that evening, and had lived thero till November 15, when tho detectives interviewed him. Somo days after tho arrival of accused with the luggage he had noticed a stuffy smell in "tho house- grow stronger. On October 27 accused had given birth to a child, and Was attended to by Dr. Foil. From that dato up to tho dato that she. was arrested ho did not know that sho had had a child previously. When digging. outside the house'on tho dayafter October 27 he had noticed what he thought was a bundle of clothe-s under the house. Ho touched the bundle with his shovel, and it had an uncanny feeling. Ho had not investigated further, but ho had made a remark to tho rccused's sister about the bundle. Tho next time that witness had hoard of tho bundle under the house was when, tho detectives Lad interviewed him on November 16. Witness and. Detectives. Ethel Louisa Seymour, sister of accused, gave cvidenco that accused arrived from Christchurch about 10 weeks ago in company with Leonard Jackson. She described other occurrences. Somo timo afterwards she had noticed a bundle of what she thought was old rags '-under tho -house. On the morning of November 15 sho was looking for somo kindling wood, and in pulling some props from under the house at tho same spot where sho saw tho bundle sho had pulled out a small shoo. Mr. Wilford: How many hours wcro you with the detectives giving evidence?

■ AVitness: From 10.30 in tho morning till 5 in tho evening with Detectives Bawlo, Mason, and Broberj* questioning rne. Mr. Wilford: In what tone of voice did they address you ? . ■ Witness:_ Detective Rawlo said that ho was going to arrest tho lot of us, as ho was not satisfied with tho evidence given. Ho told us to bring our children with us, and we wero all.taken by motor-ear to the police station. Mr. "Wilford: Had you any lunch during that time? Witness:-I'-was without any refreshment. They"asked mo' would'' I 'havo a cup of tea, and that I would havo dinner later, but I refused. Mr. Wilford: So from ten in,tho morning till five in the evening you and your sister and tho two children wero kept in tho detectives' office without food? Witness: Yes, except that tho hoy had three-pennyworth of bispuifs and a drink of water, while tho baby, who was threo weeks old, had to content itself with tho milk in the bottlo that was brought away from tho house in the morn inc. Detective Broberg then proceeded to cross-examine tho witness. Ho produced a written statement made by tho witness to the detectives, in'regard to the skirt produced in Court. "Is that correct?" ho asked. The witness avoided a direct answer. Detective Broberg: Answer my question 1 Mr. Wilford (interrupting): You just answer tho question any way youlike! Detcctivo Broberg: Don't you interfere. Sho is my witness now, and I am examining her. .Air. AVilford: But I will seo that you don't Lully her. The cross-examination then proceeded, tho witness admitting that so far as sho know a statement made to Detective Mason in reference to a certain skirt was true. Detective Broberg then proceeded to examine accused in regard to her statements of froing from 10 to 5 without food. "Will you swear that wo did not offer you dinner?" ho asked; "and will you swear that you were in tho detective's room before 12 o'clock?" AVitness: No; but it was before din-ncr-timo that you brought us to tho station. Detective Broborg: And do you not remember that at about 1.30 p.m. Mrs. Br-ck asked you to come to dinner? — "1 said I would not havo anything tb cat." "Jetectivo Broberg: And will you say that you wero within tho detective'a room'before 12.30? Remember, you have just sworn to Mr. AVilford that vou wero there from 10 in tho morning till 5 in the afternoon.—"That I won t Bay." ' Detective Broberg: And you said you were questioned there by Detectives Bawle, Macon, and myself. Did I question you at all? —"You just asked mo something <in tho passage." Detective Broborg: And have you anything to complain about the behaviour "No. Only' about being asked to go there also." '. Detective Broberg: And wero you treated with civility?—" Yes." The witness further admitted that Detective Dempsey had heated tho milk j for tho b.'iby. but could not swear as to whether she had been asked if she would ) like some milk for the baby or not.

Another Detective Called. Detective liawle gave evidence as to in-resting accused, and of a statement rmdo by her. Ho had asked her what she had do no with her baby chad, 'IVlma. Davis, that she had.lt'll Christy church with. Accused liad answered' that slio had left her baby ilielnia with a- J]rs.< Smith, whoso address she did not know. Slio further stated that tho rluv she left Christchui'ch she had callrd'on Mrs. Miles at (i-t Trafalgar Street, f'liristcliurcli. lor the baby, which she ra'l later handed to Mrs. Smith at tho top of Colombo Street, Ohi'istclturch. Accused had said that she met .Mrs. Smith eight months ago at a dance, and that she had loft tho baby with her so that slio could proceed on to "Wellington -to bo confined. Accused had repeated that she. had never brought any baby to Wellington, but had travelled, accompanied by her sifter's brother, Fred. She had not heard about the baby sinco coming to Wellington. Witness then produced a signed statement from accused, in which she stated that she did not know anything about tho body found tinder tho house. She further stated that she had never before been confined with a baby before tho birth of tho baby at Itona Bay. After the luncheon adjournment, Dc-

tective-Sergcant Eawle continued his evidence. To Mr. Wilford: Ethel Seymour was in his charge practically six hours before sho was let go. . Mr. Wilford: Then you wcro interviewing her for six hours? Witness: Oh, nonsense I No! Proceeding, in reply to Mr. ilford, witness said that for the- greater part of the timo Ethel Seymour was minding tho baby, and ho daresay that she could have gone away any time on request. The actual taking of her statement occupied about three-quarters of an hour. Detectivo Mason did not question her at all, and at no time was she under arrest, or told that she was going to be arrested. Detective Mason said that on November 10 he was present when accused was questioned, when sho mado a statement which she said was true am si"ned. On November 17 witness and Constable M'Kclvio stripped tho body of its clothes, and on November 18 ho accompanied Detective-Sergeant Eawle to Sidov Street, where tho latter questioned her. Witness also heard accused reply "I am innocent" when charged with tho offence. He showed tho witness Ethel Seymour three garments that ho had taken from the body, and she then made tho statement produced in court earlier. On the day |hat accused was arrested she and her sister wore ottered lunch, but each replied that she could not eat anything. Ho told the witness Ethel Seymour that she was at liberty to go away and get something to #at elsewhere if she liked, but she declined the offer.

Detectivo Ward, of Christchurch, produced a copy of the birth certificate of Thelma May Davis, born at Christchurch on August 20, 1912. The name of tho mother was given as VioletDavis.

Jane Smith, of Sydenham, ' Christchurch, said that sho knew tho accused, but had not/" spoken to her for about two years. She last saw accused four months ago at Sydenham. She had never seen any of tho accused's children, nor did sho ever receive a child from tho accused.

Emily Smith, of Christchurch, said that sho did attend the St. Asaph Street dances, but she did not know the accused, nor had she during tho ■past six months received a young child from anybody. Ada Smith, of Christchurch, stated that sho knew tho accused by sight for nearly two years. Sho nover knew i/iat tho accused had had a child. This concluded the evidence, and tho inquest was adjourned sine die, ponding a medical examination of the body. Murder Charge in Court. The hearing of tho charge of wilful murder against Ellen. Margaret Seymour was taken in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon by Mr. W. G. Kiddcll, S.M., at tho conclusion of tho inquest. At the suggestion of tho Chief Detective it was decided to shorten the case by reading over to each witness their depositions given at tho inquest, Mr. Wilford assenting to this course. Accused reserved her defence, pleaded not guilty, and was committed to tho Supreme Court for trial.