ARUNDEL MURDER CHARGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 22, 19 October 1937, Page 5

ARUNDEL MURDER CHARGE

-Pieas Aasociation.)

Evidence of Accused's Movements CHEQUE TRANSACTION

(By Telegrapti

TIMARU, This Day. Evidence at the hearing of the Arundel mnrder cliarge in the Timaru Ma-' gistrate's Court this .morning concentrated upon the movements of the accus.ed, Randall Reginald David Smitli, , lahourer, aged 28. Smitli is on trial for the murder of William Gaby, a 73-year-old storekeeper of Arundel, near the southern approach to the Rangitata traffic bridge, nine miles north o"f Geraldine. Gaby, who- was a baclielor living alone on his premises, was the victim of a brutal attack and was found dead with a severe wound on his foreiiead on the morning of September 11. Mr. W. D- Campbell is the Crown prosecutcr and accused is represented by Dr. A. L. Haslam, of Christchurch. Jessie Jones, boarding house proprietress, of Seacliff, said tuat accused waa like a man who came to her boarding house on September 12, but she could not swear to it. He left on September 13. Gordon William McHardy, storekeeper, of Seacliff, said that accused caslied a eheque which was signed by David Bell. -D'etectiyes took possessicn of the cheque before it was tendered . at the bank. Detective J. Gibson said that the cheque was made out to and eudorsed by Jack O'Brien. James Daniel McKechnie, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Geraldine, said'that the cheque produced was from a cheque hook purchased by Gaby on May 11. No-one of the name of David Bell had an aceount at the bank. When Allan Cliarles Herring, warder in charge of the Mt. Eden prison bookshop, was called, Dr. Haslam objected to the nature of the evidence . to h0 given. The matter was discussed iu chambers for four minutes, aft%r which Herring was allowed to give evidence. He described the types of bootlaces made at Mt. Eden. He knew of ao other place or firm in New Zealand where laces were similarly made. 4i* far as he knew the only place the laces produced could have been made was Mt. Eden. Accused -had been in Mt. Eden and was discharged on August 19 last. " . '• Dr. 'Haslam' s objection to- all of Her-. ring's evidence was recOTded. (See earlier message on Page 3.)