MURDER CHARGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20078, 26 October 1939, Page 4

MURDER CHARGE

FATE OF WIFE POLICE WITNESSES EXHAUSTIVE SEARCHES QUESTIONING ACCUSED DISCOVERY OF BODY (Pnr Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The Crown case against Arthur John Patience, aged 48, a labourer, charged with murdering his wife. Harriet. Jane Patience, at Claverley on October 4, was continued before Mr. Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon.

Mr, A. T. Donnelly conducted the case for the Crown, Mr. Alan Brown, being with him. Mr. R. A. Young appeared for accused, with him Mr. T. A. Grcsson.

Constable William McLennan, of Kaikoura, said tluit on October 19 he was informed that Mrs. Patience was missing and went to Claverley. He described the placing of a body on a tarpaulin for removal to the morgue. He said that there was sacking found by the body and this was taken too. A foot was found about 100yds. away.

Ho had been 12 years at Kaikoura and before that another nine years. In. his time no other woman than Mrs. Patience had been missed and not been found.

Mrs. Jessie Posa said that on July 20 she found a human foot in the shingle on the beach at Taratuhi. Arthur Orry Kermode, of Taratuhi, said that lie found on the beach on July 20 a piece of cloth which was produced in court. Marks of Ligatures Constable J. B. Kcarton, police photographer, gave evidence of taking of photographs. Two photographs, lie said, showed marks which appeared to be sacking marks and others which appeared to be marks of ligatures on forearms on the left upper arm. There was evidence of indistinct sacking marks and of what appeared to be ligature marks. The lower portion of the trunk and the upper portion of the lower limbs showed marks which resembled ligature marks. There were indistinct sacking marks and several broad dark marks converging to a point towards the inner side of the left leg. Senior-Sergeant James Bickerdike said he began investigations on October 20, 1938, into the disappearance c.f Mrs. Patience. On October 21, with Detective Watt, he went to Claverley and inspected the but where the Patiences lived.

It consisted of two bedrooms with a kitchenette in between them. There was no furniture in the house _ and there was nothing of a suspicious nature. He locked the (Toor and took the key. Interview at Hotel ' On the next day, with Detective Watt, he went to Blenheim. He there saw the accused outside Barry s Hotel and told him that he was investigating his wife’s disappearance. He asked Patience if he could give any information which would lead to the discovery of his wife. Patience told him it was not his wife with him at the hotel, but another woman.

The witness said he then said to Patience: "Don’t you think it rather early to be staying here with another woman as man and wife, so soon after your’s wife’s disappearance?”

Patience, after hesitating, haci agreed that it was. Patience agreed to go to the police station and there made a statement which was typed. The witness said that on October 24 he inspected the remains of a fire about eight or nine yards from the door of the Patience’s house at Claverley. He found certain articles which were produced in court. On November 23, he saw the accused at Rosy Morn camp and asked him if he had heard anything of his wife. Patience said lie had not. Previous Visits to City On'April 21, in company with Constable Smith, the witness again interviewed Patience at the camp at Rosy Morn. There he took another statement from the accused, who said that Ins intimacy with Mrs. Chapman had existed for some time before her husband’s death. Twice last year he stayed at the Federal Hotel, Christchurch, with Mrs. Chapman as man and wife.

Patience had said that on the morning after his wife’s disappearance, her bed was made. He was positive on this point.

His wife had given him no reason to believe that she had any intention of clearing out. His wife was an honest woman and, although he missed £4B after she had gone, he was not prepared to say that she had taken it.

Patience had said that there was some conversation between himself and Mrs. Chapman about a divorce after the death of her husband, but he told her it was too soon to speak about that. He wanted to get things fixed up with Mrs. Chapman, but did not know how to do it. That was before his wife disappeared. He realised that he did not treat his wife properly, but he did no injury to her. Shown Body of Woman On July 21, 1939, Patience was shown the body of a woman which had been found at Taratuhi the day before, Senior-Sergeant Bickerdike continued. Patience had said it was not the body of his wife. Patience then went to the Kaikoura police station and made another statement.

Senior-Sergeant Bickerdike said that on July 24, 1939, in company with Detective-Sergeant Herron, he called on the accused at Rosy Morn and told him that an inquest was to be held at Christchurch Hospital next day on the body found at Taratuhi. He told Patience that relatives had identified the body as that of his wife. The accused had replied that he was working and he did not think he would bother about attending the inquest.

On August 3, in company with De-tective-Sergeant Herron, the witness arrested Patience at Rosy Morn. After the reading of the warrant, Patience had said, “I didn’t.” Since the disappearance of Mrs. Patience every avenue through which it was thought evidence of her whereabouts might be discovered had been explored.