MURDER TRIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 9

MURDER TRIAL

PICTON TRAGEDY

OCD MAN'S DEATH

CLUE OF A DOOR-KEY

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ■ BLENHEIM, This Day. Extraordinary public interest was shown this morning in the trial at the -Supreme Court before his Honour Mr. Justice Blair of Edward Tarrant, who is charged with the murder at Picton on 3rd I November, 1931, of an old man named James Flood. ... - , A large crowd of people assembled at the Courthouse *at an early hour, and many could not be admitted.. The accommodation available was almost fully occupied by the unusually large panel of jurymen who had been summoned in anticipation of a free exercise of tho right of challenge. Mr. P. S. K. liflfcassey, of Wellington, with him Mr. A! A. Macnab, of Blenheim, appeared for the Crown, while the prisoner 'was represented by 'Mr. ■ Evan Parry, of Wellington, with him Mr. A. E. L. Scantlebury, of Blenheim. The Crown is calling between' 54 and 60 witnesses,: so that the trial is likely to occupy a considerable time. The victim of the tragedy, who was known to keep in a waliet in his possession a sum of about £1000, mainly in oldstyle £20 and £10.notes, lived alone in a two-roomed cottage in Canterbury street, Picton, with neighbours fairly handy on all sides. He was last seen alive on the evening of 3rd November. Forty-eight hours later some neighbours, realising that they had not seen Flood about for a considerable time, made investigations which resulted in the discovery; of his body, practically decapitated, lying in the living-room of the cottage. One door of the cottage had been locked after the tragedy, and a curious discovery was made a few days later when the door-key was found lying on the edge of the Picton Croquet Club's closely-shaven lawn. When tho tragedy was discovered the old man's wallet, which he had carried in a spec-ially-buttoned inside coat pocket, was missing. " . : It will probably be a week or more before the Crown case is completed and the defence is opened. . - Mr. Macassey addressed the jury at length this morning, reviewing the evidence given in the lower Court, and continued his address in the afternoon.