INTEREST IN PIHA MYSTERY,

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 13

INTEREST IN PIHA MYSTERY,

Large Crowd In Court In Auckland

TALBOT REMANDED <9 Magistrate Declines To Reduce Bail By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, .March 17. Further interest in the Piha fire mystery was shown by another large crowd that assembled in the Magistrates’ Court for the second appearance on remand of the Australian labourer, James Arthur Talbot, aged 38. who was arrested by detectives eight days ago and charged with improperly interfering with a dead human body, that of & Patrick Henry Shine, in Auckland, on or about February 10. A further remand till Thursday, March 30, was granted. People began to assemble at the side entrance to the Court some time before 10 o’clock. There was a stir when a ■police van arrived at the back of the Court and accused stepped out, in company with several other prisoners. When the doors were opened the public gallery was soon almost filled by about 80 persons, including three women. Some of the crowd were present last Saturday when accused first appeared, but the majority, including the women, were newcomers. Many more police, solicitors and other Court officials were present, than on the previous occasion, the front of the Court also being fairly crowded. Messrs. C. B, Shine and T. W. Shine, brother and son of Patrick Henry Shine, were again in. attendance. Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., presided, the police were represented by Detec-tive-Sergeant Walsh and accused’s counsel was Mr. J. Terry. Making application for a further remand, Detective-Sergeant Walsh said police inquiries had not yet been completed. He had intended asking for a remand till March 24, but if counsel had no objection, it was desirable that a remand till March 30 might be arranged. He added that the police had no objection to bail, if allowed as formerly. Plea for Early Hearing. Counsel said he had no objection to the extended remand if he could get some sort of indication that the hearing would take place on March 30 or as soon as posible after that. The Easter vacation began early in April and the next Supreme Court session opened at the beginning of May. He realized that extensive inquiries had to be made, but the police had elected to arrest his client and seemingly it might be some time before the offence was gone into. Repeating that considerable inquiry yet had to be conducted, DetectiveSergeant Walsh said he could give no indication when the case would go on. “In that case,” counsel asked, “will the detective-sergeant meet the position in regard to bail? Accused is a stranger here and the finding of the amount of the bail, specially the two sureties of £2OO each, is impossible, as one might expect. I am willing to agree to any term as regards reporting to the police. It could be made three times daily if desired.” The magistrate intimated that without consent being given by the defence he could grant a remand for only eight days.

“I have no objection to a remand till March 30,” said Mr. Terry, “but I ask tlie police to go on on that date so that it will give sufficient time for the defence to prepare a case for the next Supreme Court "sessions.” The magistrate: I take it that the police are doing their best and hurrying the case as much as possible. I know a good deal of investigation has to be made in a case of this sort.

Counsel, again asking if the police would meet the matter of bail, said it was unfortunate that accused should remain in custody all the time the investigations were being made. Detective-Sergeant Walsh said be had not objection to a Renewal of bail.

“I have indicated that that is impossible,” said counsel. He then consented to a remand till March 30. The magistrate, in granting the remand, said he hoped the police would be able to proceed with the case on March 30. Bail would be renewed at £4OO for accused and two sureties of 1:200 each. "When counsel asked if he was disposed to reduce bail, the magistrate said he could not see his way to do that.

Accused stepped from the dock and disappeared into the prisoners’ room. Almost immediately he reappeared with Detective-Sergeants Aplin and Trethe-

way, who escorted him to the police car which was waiting outside the main entrance to the Court in Kitchener Street. Detective-Sergeant Nalder was also an occupant of this car, in which accused was driven to the central police station. Later accused was taken in the prison van from the police station back to the Auckland jail, where he has been in custody since his arrest.

POLICE INQUIRIES IN CHRISTCHURCH

By Telegraph—Press Association,

CHRISTCHURCH, March 17.

The search for Gordon Thomas McKay, the Sydney business man and alleged victim of the’Piha fire mystery, has extended to Christchurch. Dominion-wide inquiries on a scale unparalleled in New Zealand crime history are being carried out with meticulous detail. Armed with a head-and-shoulders photograph of MeKay and a sample of his handwriting, Detective J. J. Halcrow has this week canvassed every hotel in the city. He has shown the photograph, aud handwriting to publicans in the hope that McKay might have booked in at a Christchurch hotel.