YARRA MURDER CASE.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1923, Page 4

YARRA MURDER CASE.

(■IIKAT t’I'RMC IXTKJIEST. AU.STIIAI.IAN AND N.Z. CAISI.K ASSOCIATION. MKT.BOURXK, April is. Tlio trial of Hamiali Mitchell, charged with murdering a <riil named Bertha C'ottghkut, ha-. commenced. The firest public- interest in the trial was evidenced by the large croud waiting outside the court, a few only of whom were admitted. Besides being charged with the murder ot Henna Coughhin. an unexpected second charge <d murdering M ine person unknown was laid against .Mitchell, who pleaded not guilty to both charges. in outlining the case, the Crown ibnserntor said it was not suggested that iln- nccu.-cd had murdered two women. But possibly the identity of tin deceased at; Bertha Coughlan would not he established. Fvideme similar to that given in the Lower Court was then entered upon. Wink- drnsHk.K t!.e Vam, ]>iv,r early in I ehruary the police tli-covered the deciipitaied body of a young girl in a hag. The head was found ir, a .senaid hag. The decomposition of the body indicated that the girl had been dead for sonic months. The doctor who made a post mortem extuninntmn ol the I od.y said it was too mileli decayed lor him to he able to give the can ■ of death. The head had not been ven I. li.it had upparentK dropped e!i " hen the body wa ■ removed from

Three wi.niea-Hannah Mitchell. •Margaret Mitchell, and Margaret Milward - have been arrested. The lirstnaiued was charged with murdering in Xovemher a girl named Bertha Coughhm. The others were i barged with being acces-orics alter the find. Tile police evidence showed that Coiighhm went to Melbourne from Omen to receive medical treatment. She went to the house of Xurse .Mitchell. Xext day the nurse secured a | ear and allegedly took a body supposed J to he that of Coughlan and hid it in a I gully forty-live miles from Melbourne. | The police, acting on certain information received, discovered where the j body had been removed from the gully lull lost trow of it. until they received a telephone call from a man stating that he had seen two men dumping a hip; package from the Anderson Street bridge into the Yarra.. Dragging operations rc -lilted in the discovery of the body of tlie gill At the time of her arrest. Hannah Milrlc II wa- out on hail in connection with a -eusat ioaal shinning a (fair in i fecemhor. i t'cughlan v. as the daughter of wellj known r< iih uis of Omen. Her relaI tiic were not aware that anything unj toward bail happened to her. I lie;, j -i;; | ,,isid that after vi -iting Melbourn • to rotoive attention to her eyc-s. she