PIHA FIRE CASE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 118, 22 May 1939, Page 11

PIHA FIRE CASE

TRIAL COMMENCES

THREE CHARGES

A LONG HEARING

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

The public space in the Supreme Court was- crowded and the front row of the. women's department was also filled today when the trial commenced .of two Australians, Gordon Robert McKay, aged 43,. alias Tom Bowlands, wool and hide dealer, and Jan.cj Arthur Talbot, aged 38, labourer, on charges on. which they were committed for trial by the Lower Court. The charges were that on or about Febru- . ary 12 they wilfully set fire to a dwelling-house, thereby committing arson, and that on or about February 10 they interfered with a dead human body. They were further charged with conspiring by deceit to defraud the Mutual Life and Citizens Insurance Company, Limited, Sydney, of £25,500 by representing that McKay was dead. • Mr. V. R. Meredith, with him Mr. N. I. Smith, appeared for the Crown, and Mr. .W. Noble defended McKay and Mr. J. Terry defended Talbot. Before the jury was empanelled Mr. Justice Fair, who is the presiding Judge, announced that during the trial jurors would be kept together. He said the'hearing was expected: to last for four or five days. Each accused pleaded not guilty; ] "This ca|se has created very lively public interest, with the result that ac-j tive newspapermen have published a great deal, even including rumours which may not be correct,'' said Mr. Meredith in addressing the jury "I ' ask you to lay anything you i may have read and base your verdict entirely on the evidence given in this Court." Mr. Meredith added that it would be well to bear in mind the association of the two men for a number of years in. Australia. McKay was married and Talbot was a single man. Talbot had been a.n occupant of McKay's house for some years. Last year they -went to" England, but before that they went to the T. and G. Company and McKay insured his life for £5500, in addition to £4500 he already had. He took out a further £ 15,500, making the total £25,500. He paid several hundred pounds to get the policies in existence and had to pay further several hundreds to renew the,policies on March 1 last. They were whole life policies- ' ARRIVAL AT AUCKLAND. Mr. Meredith said that McKay and' Talbot xeturridd .to Sydney from Eng- i land on January 10 last. They arrived at Auckland by the Mariposa on February 6, five days after the premium' on' the 'policy. was. really due and when the period of grace had begun. They were met here by a man named Jones: and rented a double room. Mr. Meredith next , mentioned the deatlrof Patrick Henry Shine, returned,, soldier,' who served ;wit'fr: the Australian troops. He was a smallish man, sft' 7in Jn height. He died at the Auckland Hospital on February 8, two days after McKay and Talbot arrived. He died in a very emaciated state, and he had no natural teethi After'death the mouth was packed with cottonwool. .A death notice appeared in a newspaper on the morning of Thursday, February 9. Towards midday, the evidence would show, a stonemason at the Waikumete Cemetery was approached by McKay, who1 asked where "a returned soldier" was to be buried. The portion of the cemetery where he was- buried was comparatively close to the main road. The evidence would show that when young Shine, a son of the deceased, was taking a wreath home on Thursday, the day of the funeral, he met McKay • outside the house, and McKay made inquiries about Shine's teeth. A bach was taken on the night of Thurs- ' day, February 9, the advertisement of the funeral having' appeared on Thursday morning, and McKay had seen Shine,, jun., shortly before the funeral ©a thai day. ' ,

(Proceeding.)