ROBBERY & MURDER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 124, 12 February 1918, Page 8

ROBBERY & MURDER

EGGERS'S TRIAL OPENS JUDGE'S CHARGE TO GRAND JURY THE CROWN'S OUTLINE By Telegraph—Press Association. Christciiurch, February 11. In his charge to the grand jury at the opening or the criminal sessions or' tho Supremo Court to-day, Mr. Justico Chapman • referred first to the West Coast highway robbery and murder, for which Frederick William Eggers was to stand his trial. Since the deed was committed, a second victim had been added to the tragedy, and it had been necessary to lay a special charge against tho accused. _ The evidence was voluminous. His Honour briefly outlined the leading incidents leading up to tho arrest of Eggers. The most striking point in connection with the search for a man who had stolen the money was the finding of practically the whole sum of £3859 16s. Bd., the shortage being about £50 only, in a trunk belonging to the accused in a house in Gloucester Street, Christchurch. Most of the money was in the original bundles in which, it had left the bank, and the numbers agreed with the bank records. There was other evidence in regard'to the identification, including the revolver and the bullets. Expert evidence would bo called to show that the Lullets extracted'fromthe body of C'oulthard and recovered from others injured fitted the revolver found in Eggers , s possession, and were identical with bullets in cartridges in Eggers's possession. The robbery, stated His Honour, evidently had been deliberately planned. The grand jury would not experience difficulty probably in arriving at a finding in the case. . , After a quarter of an hour's deliberation, the grand jury returned a true bill against Eggers.

The trial of William Effgers M'Mahon, otherwise known as Frederick William Eggors, who is charged with having murdered John C'oulthard on November 9, 1917, near Greymouth, and with having on the same date, at the same time and place, attempted the murder of William Hall and Isaac James, and with having stolen the sum of £3659 16s. -9d., was commenced at tho Supreme Court at noon to-day, before Mr. Justice Chapman. Mr. S. G. Raymond, K.C., prosecuted in behalf of the~ Crown. The accused was defended by Mr. W. J. Hunter. Eggers pleaded not guilty. The Court was crowded when the proceedings opened. There are about fortyfive witnesses to be examined, and it is anticipated that tho case will last for several days.

The Crown Prosecutor, in opening the proceedings, said that the case would be taken in two stages, the first being the establishment of the murder, and the second that of fixing the guilt on the accused. Mr. Raymond described the history of tiie case up to the present proceedings, mentioning details, that ■already have been published. At the outset he stated that Couithard was driving with Isaao A. James, the mine manager next to him, and Paymaster Hall was in the hack seat with Hie money which Tie had drawn from the bank for the purpose of paying the miners at lhinanga mine. Mr. Raymond recounted incidents of the actual hold-up. Yv'Jien Couithard stepped out. James saw a masked man at the bide of the road, which was lined with bush. Tho mask was like a lady's veil. The man immediately fired rapidly from two revolvers which lie held, ont> in each hand. Couithard fell and died shortly after. Hall was hit in the forearm, and also in the upper arm, the bullet in this case penetrating the body and lodging in the spine.' Hall died on December 27, and on the day of his death a bullet vps extracted from his body'. Shots were also fired at two eye-witnesses .-nino panic on the scene, but they escaped into the bush. Evidence would be giv.on to the effect that a man was seen decamping with a hajj in which, it was subsequently discovered, was the money that was to !ie takeni to the miners. Mr. Raymond said that the automatic pistol- would play an important part in the evidence. A revolver (produced), a 38-calibre one, belonged to Hall. The revolve! , did not affect:the cases. It whs an old-fashioned weapon. The Lullets found in the bodies and in James's wound wore all of 32 calibre, and were either of Peters's or Winchester manufacture. From Coultliard's bode there ■Was extracted one 32-calibre bullet. From Hall's body a l'2-calibre bullet was taken daring his illness, and at the post-mortem another 32-calibre bul--Ist was extracted from the spine. A 32-calibre bullet was also removed from James's leg. One 32-calibre bullet was found in the frame of the car, and two 32's were recovered from the body of the machine. Alt-gether sevei. bullets of 32-calibre, either i'eters or Winchester manufacture, were recovered Five cartridge cases were also found, one close to Coulthard's body. At the request or Mr'. Hunter all witnesses, with the exception of medical witnesses and Detective Ward were ordered out of Court. ' Tho tirso.chiiige taken was that of murdering Jonri L'oulthaid. Air. llayniond detailed :-übse,iuent events on the Uoast, and then charged tlie scene to Ciinstcnurcn. i< acts wmeh had come out as to Jiggers's association witli a local barmaiu were referred to and tiie circumstances connected wiin the arrest of tiie accused on Thursday November id, were enumerated. Jig! yt-rs was stun by two deteeuwis in uTu mning-room of tiie jßJmpire Hotel ivitu ino Uiirnianl. Un ins coining out lie was accosted, and twice lie nuiue tuques tiuic mw-unisi bag .did two parcels wmuii iie aimed snouiu be left in tiie .ioicl Tills was reiusud. Jiggers cuing io wt, bimi Oiig, ami subsequently was i.0w0 , - Oα iumuniig wiin soiiieuiing ji.siue it. 'xiie deiKLives, noticing n ■ evoiver, made sure of tilings, ;md haiKtauii'xi die licensed, in uie brief l.ng was iuuiid u iully loaded Colts auwin.itio revolver oi \?A calibre, riiere vcro'iivu 32-c:ilioro bullets of i'eters's mamuacture, and three 'JZ's ol Winchester maKe in the magazine. After Jiggeis 'had been searciii'd the detectives proceeded to the house in Gloucester Street where Eggers and the woman mentioned occupied a room. There uie trunk was examined and the missing money discovered. A suit case (produced) was found in the room, it contained money, in two books were 14)0 iieir 115 notes, whiuh, it would be proved, had been handed to J'ayimutei Hall at the bank on the morning of the tragedy. There was also a book rf l(Js. notes and three marked half-crowns. When arrested accused had some of tht> notes on his person. Mr. Raymond submitted a table giving particulars of the money as it was handed to Jlr. Hall, and as it was afterwards found in accused's possession. Thero were also three £10 notes, but Uiese wero not part of the money handed io Jlr. flail, and it was assumed that they iwd been obtained by changing Fix of the £5 notes. Pistol covers were also found, and cartridges to fit a pistol of .32 calibre. It would be shown that Kggers about four years ago had made the acquaintance of a barmaid, who had come to Christchurch in February, 1f11.7, and on April 10 had again met ISagers and taken up residence with hiln in Gloucester .Street.. The movements of the accused were tra;ccl from October 2, when ho stayed ui Greymouth, until October 10, and through the essential period. On _ October 12 i Eggers was seen at Dunollie mine.

Mr. Raymond went on to say that Eggers hud inquired from a Mr. Pendel where the State mine was, as he had dropped important papers. Eggers asked: "Has the State,mine car come along yet?" This showed that he had a knowledge of the car. On November 3 Mr. Alcock, owner of the cottage near the scene of the tragedy, had found a man in a darkened room. The man was occupying the cottage. This man would bo shown to bo Eggers. Reference was made to the purchase of articles and food, and to Eggers-having been seen in the vicinity of tne robbery by several persons on different occasions. A Mr. Saunders had seen Eggers on the Cobden bridge on several days immediately preceding the murder, and on the day before November 8 Sannders had met him proceeding over the bridge in the direction of Runanga. Accused had a bicycle, and Sauuders had remarked: "You seem to have a Bond thing this way." Eggnrs replied: "Yes, there are lots of , good things on the road between here and Runanga. The movements ,of the accused subsequent to the tragedy were detailed, and alleged inconsistencies in his statements were mentioned, Eggers had spoken with one witness, and m a discussion on firearms had said that he had an automatic pistol, that he was a food shot with either hand, and could fire thirty-six shots in a minute. Charles Henry Morrison, district surveyor, Hokitika, George Duggan, mine surveyor, Runanga, and James Ring, photographer, Greymouth, gave evidence regarding plans and photographs produced and displayed in Court. Dr. Meade, Runanga, deposed as to Uulthard being dead when he arrived at the scene of the tragedy. \ Robert T. Bush, accountant in the Bank of New Zealand, Greymouth, and T O'Callaghan. teller at,the same bank, stated that money handed to Mr. Hall on November 9 Totalled £3659 -16s. Bd., made up as follows: £2200 in £5 notes,. £1260 in £1 notes, £98 in ten-shilling notes, and the balance in silver and copper. The teller, crossexamined, said that the only money he could identify a.s having been handed by him to Mr. Hall was that in the two books of £5* notes. H F. Hall, exchange clerk, Bank or New' Zealand. Greymouth, who exchanged for Mr. Hall £20 worth of florins for £20 worth of half-crowns, said the top coin of each heap had an ink mark on it similar to the mark on the coins produced. Isaac Angelo James, manager of the State mines, Runanga, described what occurred on the morning of the tragedy. The man who stuck up the car was dressed in overalls and dungarees, and wore a mask. He could not identify the man. After the shooting of Coulthard and Hall he found four shells and two bullets in the back seat of the car He had been cross-examined by the accused in the Lower. Court, and the accused had told him that he. (witness) could not see the car from the position he was in on the railway line. As a matter of fact ho could see it. To Mr Hunter: He was not considerably excited at the time of the occurrence. He kept cool. When the car reached the obstruction, on the road he opened the door and stood on the mudguard till the ear stopped. The words "Hands up!" directed his attention to the masked man. About live seconds later the first shot was fired, and two or three seconds after he heard two shots and saw the driver and Hall fall over moaning. He crouched down by the side of the car, and then ran along the road towards Greymouth for 245 yards, till he reached the railway embankment. He did not run into the bush at the roadside because tho around, was swampy and he might have been bogged. From the embankment he saw and heard the masked man fire three shots into the car. He knew tho Manderson's, who approached the car shortly after the shooting, but did not recognise them at this stage. The Court adjourned till 10 a.m., tomorrow.