BUM MURDER CHARGES

Evening Star, Issue 21742, 9 June 1934, Page 10

BUM MURDER CHARGES

EVIDENCE OF PATHOLOGISTS BLOOD AND OTHER TESTS [Pek United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, June 8. On the resumption this afternoon of the trial of William Alfred Bayly Mr Leary again questioned Dr Gilmour on the value of the blood group testing. “ Assuming that Mrs Lakey’s blood, the blood at the implement shed, the blood on the wheels, and the blood on Bayly’s clothes had been tested for type, it was possible that vefy valuable evidence may have been available for the jury?” asked counsel. “ Yes,” agreed Dr Gilmour. “ Then it might have been shown that all the blood on the Lakey property came from Mrs Lakey?” “It might have been feasible to show that all came from the same group.” “ If two kinds of blood were found on the Lakey property it would have been proof positive that two people were dead there?” “ Yes.”

“If the blood on the suggested assailant is of a different group from that on the suggested victim it would be proof that it would not be that of the victim ?” “Yes.”

“ If the blood on the assailant and that on the victim were of the same group, that would show it might have come from the victim?” “Yes.” “ But it would not prove that it came from the victim ?”

“No.” “Then the value of the tests is to show innocence and not guilt?” “Yes.”

Re-examined by Mr Meredith, witness said he had to make fifteen experiments with different stains on these lines. “As a result of my experiments the test is not sufficiently reliable to warrant its use in medico-legal work,” continued Dr Gilraour, who added that if the blood was still wet; and fresh there was,a possibility of success, but if dry it was unreliable. He had tried to test Mrs Lakey’s blood, taking a stain from a piece of wood used to open her mouth. He got no result. 1 “ Was there any wound on Mrs Lakey which could have caused the stains on the implement shed?” ‘ “No. Some of the stains were obviously caused by spurting blood.”' In reply to His Honour, witness said he was of the definite opinion that the stains on the implement shed were not Mrs Lakey’s blood. He could not have done both the grouping and the precipitin tests on Bayly’s trousers. There was not enough blood for both purposes. The bloodstains about the implement shed were not fresh enough to make a group test. Requested by the Crown Prosecutor, Dr Gilmour read a summary from different authorities detailing the time occupied in burning human bodies in various types of furnaces. He detailed various stages of the burning during the experiments. The carcasses were reduced to small fragments of burnt bone. Witness produced a package of bone left at the conclusion of the second experiment. Less residue was obtained in the first experiment. “ What was the most difficult thing to burn?” asked Mr Meredith. “The internal organs and intestines,” replied Dr Gilmour, adding that the intestines of an animal were much more bulky than those of a human being. At the conclusion of both tests some fuel remained unburnt at the back of the drum.. In the case of comatose asphyxia the air was not cut off. There was a market difference in the appearance of persons who died from drowning and who died from comatose asphyxia. In cases , where oyzgen vyas cut off there were marked signs of carbon dioxide in the blood which was noticeable in Mrs Lakey. The fact that five men who, saw the body removed from the water noticed frothy blood on the face corroborated witness’s conclusions.

“ Can you say how many postmortems you have made in the course of your professional career?” asked the Crown Prosecutor.

“I have conducted 2,000 to 3,000,” replied Dr Gilmour. The tests made of the matter adhering to the tuft of hair showed that it might be blood. The reaction was strong and immediate, indicating that 1 it almost certainly was blood. !

In reply to His Honour, Dr Gilmour said the amount of hannorrhage resulting from a wound from a shot or being struck depended entirely where the individual was struck.

I)r Phillip Patrick Lynch, pathologist, of Wellington, defailed the handling or a number of exhibits. The tuft of iiair produced comprised 200 to 300 hairs about 2Jin long. At the base of the hairs was a matter which gave rapid reaction to the benzedene test, indicating that it was dried blood. Further crystalline precipitin tests failed to give definite results. The precipitin test failed if heat had been applied. “ Prom the appearance of the material as the result of the benzedene test I formed the conclusion that it was coagulated blood,” continued Dr Lynch. ‘‘The bones in all groups had certain features in common. They were all burnt, and they were all associated with wood and charcoal. They were all fragile, some extremely so. The edges m all cases were free from weathering. “Are you referring to your notes?” asked Mr Meredith.

“No,” replied Dr Lynch. They had on the surface a dark material which suggested that they had all been freshly burnt. There was a general similarity in their appearance. There was no dirt ingrained in the fractured edges, as would be expected if the bones had been exposed to the weather for any long period. One bone exhibit was that of a muscular individual. It displayed a dark bubbly material which, however, was not present in the joint at the surface. The broken edges were sharp, without signs of wear or weathering. Dr Lynch then demonstrated the human characteristics of certain bones exhibited, including the cheekbone, the atlas or upper vertebra, and portions of the vault of the skull, which showed two layers separated by a spongy layer. In regard to the skull bones, the curvature showed the size of tho brain, which was larger in man than in other animals. The pacchionian pits were made by the blood channels, and were of some importance in fixing the age of the individual. They deepened with age. “One would judge that this portion of the skull came from an individual of middle life,” continued Dr {jynch, who answered questions by members of the jury. In every case where he handled bones he claimed they were characteristic of human origin. Witness stepped in front of the jury box and gave a detailed explanation. “I would say that the bones were from one human individual from the general points of similarity,” declared the witness. Among those recognisable as human were a heel bone, portion of the base of a skull to which the muscles of the neck were attached, and bones

at the vault of the skull, all showing the same general features. Among bones not definitely # recognisable as human were some which could be from tho pelvis. In one exhibit were seven pieces of cloth which witness had not classified. The court then adjourned till to-mor-row morning.