THE BAYLY TRIAL

Evening Star, Issue 21744, 12 June 1934, Page 8

THE BAYLY TRIAL

LAST OF CROWN’S MEDICAL EVIDENCE BOVERNHENT ANALYST IN THE BOX [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, June 12. The last medical witness called by the Crown, Dr A. G. Waddell, resumed his evidence' when the hearing of the Bayly murder charges was continued in the Supremo Court this morning. Despite continuous rain all morning, the court was again crowded. Dr Waddell, after detailing the postmortem examinations of Mrs Lake}’, gave his opinion that she died while her face was immersed in the water of the duckpond, .death being due to drowning. If unconscious, and, a person’s breathing were shallow, there might in such circumstances be no water in the lungs. Mrs Lakey’s hair was very long, and definitely grey. It had probably been reddish. He said he had seen no frothy blood. At the first post-mortem he thought Mrs Lakey died from asphyxia. Further cross-examined, Dr Waddell admitted that he had not stated in the lower court that death was due to asphyxia owing to water cutting off the air supply. “ Was your opinion influenced by any communication from Dr Gilmour? ” asked Mr Leary. 44 Not necessarily,” replied Dr Waddell, who said that when Mrs Lakey was unconscious, if her breath was very shallow, it was possible a person might conclude that she was dead.

Kenneth Massey Griffin, Government analyst at Auckland, stated that he had received Mrs Lakey’s stomach with the contents, and’ also other organs. They were examined for- poison, but none was found. In the stomach was an ounce of what appeared to be fresh blood. Witness received an exhibit labelled “ scraping from shovel in Bayly’s cowshed ” on November 26, and classified the contents, which comE vised wood, charcoal, charred bone, one burnt white, and burnt sacking. “ Why do you get some bone burnt white, and some black? ” asked Mr Meredith.

“ The bone burnt black has not been completely burnt, and has got matter adhering to it. The bone burnt white has been completely calcined. All the other matter has been burnt off,” plied Mr Griffin, who detailed the contents of other exhibits, labelled “ from the cut oildrum at the well.” This material consisted of wood, charcoal, and fine fragments of bone burnt white. There were also globules of melted lead, which weighed 0.3 grain. Other material included small bootnails and staples. Witness handed the glass jars containing these exhibits to the jury, who examined them individually. Another exhibit labelled “ scrapings from the floor of Bayly’s cowshed, proved to contain wood and charcoal, from which witness obtained several pieces of molten lead, weighing 17.4 grains. Mr Griffin stated that he had weighed the 1.C.1. pea-rifle bullets which weighed 28.7 grams. The exhibit labelled “ from Bayly’s cowshed where the oildrum stood ” contained charcoal and fragments of bone. A further exhibit labelled “ Scrapings from the floor of the cowyard where the kerosene furnace was ” contained wood and charcoal only. Included in another exhibit obtained from the bottom portion of the oildrum was molten lead, weighing 3.2 grains. Witness marked the spot on the drum where the lead was discovered.’ The lead was melted on the drum, and witness had to use force to remove it._ The drum then was not as rusty as it now was. “ The bottom portion of the drum then appeared as though it had been strongly heated. The sides of the opening were burnt smooth by the action of heat,” continued Griffin, who added that the whole bottom portion seemed to have been heated strongly, except the cut edge, which had rust and showed no signs of having been heated since it was cut. The- cuff edge was jagged in contrast to the sides. The opening of the upper portion of the drum, which fitted the bottom portioji, by irregularities on the cut edge showed heat. The scale portion, which corresponded with the opening of the lower portion, had been smoothed by heat. The cut edge of the top portion showed rust in a more advanced state than the lower portion. . . “ The top portion in my opinion had been heated,” proceeded Griffin, who stated that he had examined the two pieces of concrete produced. They had been heated on one side. Witness detailed his examination or other exhibits obtained on Bayly’s property, which included a piece of rubber and canvas, similar, portion of rubber on footwear, and portion of the vulcanite stem of a pipe. Mr Griffin then described the contents of the exhibits obtained at Bayly’s sheep dip and pig wallow, containing charcoal, burnt wood, a piece of burnt leather, the wad of a shotgun cartridge, charred bone, and burnt sacking. Witness examined the complete sack exhibited, and found that the material structure of the sacking was similar to the material and structure of the charred sacking. At His Honour’s request Griffin displayed the sack to the jury, showing the brand “ Challenge ” printed on one side. The exhibit labelled “ From the sludge in Bayly’s sheep dip” was found to bo leather which had been heated in the absence of air, and which had

adhering to it a piece of bone and portion of ti-tree bark. In another exhibit were two false teeth labelled “ found in Bayly’s garden.” Witness examined these and found burnt vulcanite adhering to one. Both teeth had been burnt from their setting. Porcelain teeth could be heated very strongly but remained white, while human teeth broke into fragments under similar treatment. “ I have made experiments and tested them,” added Mr Griffin. The exhibit labelled “ from Bayly’s car shed ” contained springs and screws which were parts of a benzine lighter. They fitted the lighter previously exhibited. Griffin then demonstrated with both a similar lighter and a lighter exhibited where ho considered the, springs and screws fitted. The exhibit labelled as “ burnt cloth and sacking from Bayly’s garden ” had been classified as thread and knitting wool which had been heated, burnt string, and burnt sacking or similar material to that of the whole sack produced. In the same exhibit were coarse woollen flannel which had been charred, unburnt fibre packing, burnt string, rubber, fine woollen material, and fine cotton.