THE MOUAT CASE.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1925, Page 2

THE MOUAT CASE.

J IDOL’S ADDRESS TO GRAND JL'BY. CASK FOR. 'J'HE CROWN. [in telegraph—rut press association. ( lIBISTCHCBCH May 12. in hi,- address to the Grand Jury in the charge ol murder against Frederick IVtcr Mount. .Mr Justice Adams said that the ease for the Crown was that .Mrs Mount had never left the house at any time after her return fiom Airs Prosser's at ten o'clock on Thursday, February 111, hut that she was killed by the accused, and that her body was de-troved by lire. His Honor said it was not necessary for him to more than indicate, generullv. the nature of the evidence for the

Crown. Part of it was scientific. 1. "a- said by the Crow n that the whole of Mrs Mount's wardrobe had licen found in the house, im hiding a costume and other articles which the accuse 1 described as being worn by her on H e morning of Friday, February 20; and. also, that her handbag, corsets, shoes and artilitial teeth were found in tiie house. The inference which the Jury was asked to draw from this was that -he .must have left without clothing. I him tlie conduct of Mount was

relied on m a great many particulars. (Ii Bearing in mind the fact tint v ~ Mount saw his wife oil the morning of Friday. February 20. attention would he directed to various facts, such as that at four o’clock on the same day,

■even hours after she went away l - meet Mrs Bardie, and after she had told him that if she did not come hack, he was to take her hag to the station, he sold part of her jewellery to a pawnbroker in Christchurch, and he did not return home to sleep that night. He slept at the BotherJicld Hotel, and he also slept there on (lie three suci ceding nights. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, being about the house in No. 10 Beeld'ord Street, part of the day time. By far the most important part of the case which the Crown alleged was the evidence to show that the accused had iires hunting on his section, alter the disappearance of his wife; that lire- were burning on the section outsule. also under the copper, and in the fireplace of the dining room; that on tlie site of these (ires had been found a number of hones and pieces of hemes, -cine rf which had been identified a- human hones; that the bones were smaller than the average size, and that Mrs Mount was a. slight woman. His Honor said there wore other circumstances in relation to this which he would not enter into, such as the use of J eyes fluid round the dining room lire. Circumstances ill the conduct of Mount were also put forward a- indicating guilt, such as his conduct in making no inquiry regarding his wife, or pursuing no vigorous search; liis action in absenting himself from the licti-e on the evenings and nights following her disappearance; and his getting out of the way at a later stage. All these questions would have to be inquired into with particularity.

From the. whole of the evidence, His Honor concluded, the Jury would lutvo no doubt Til it t the ease ought to he sent on to a Common Jury, and that the accused ought to he put on trial. ~ The Grand Jury returned a true hill. CROWN BBOKLCI TUB’S ADDRESS. Mr A. T. Don nelly, Crown Prosecutor. in opening the ease for the Crown pointed out the gravity ot the charge. He said that Mount must he tried on the evidence in the Court, suit! not on other evidence. If the Jury had any reasonable doubt, a.s to his guilt-, they should acquit him. Counsel hoped the Jury would give the ease the same unprejudiced consideration as they would give to any minor and less sott--atioiial case. Tt was necessary to ask them to dismiss from their minds any

| iviurii cs, impression, or opinions, formed from gossip, rumour, or what laid t'ppi'urcd in the newspapers. It wn prup.’i' lo warn them in dismiss (rum t licit mind- anything they had

read in the newspapers, heeail.se it was a sdisat ional ease. The I acts had

been discussed in the newspapers, reinforced liv the camera, and the newspapers had been very active in respect to the case. Counsel was not suggesting the Chi istchurdi newspapers had been guilty of any impropriety in what they had published, and the Jury must he very careful that in no particular should they he swayed or influenced by anything of that nature. It was vital that Mount should have the same fair trial as would be given to any person charge..l with a minor offence. The possibility of injury to the fairness < f a trial had become so marked that Parliament might have to consider wlctlier or not. in the interests of fail* trials. I’nrli'ament should devise Rome standard of fair and proper criticism of the reporting, ■which would define what was fair and proper with greater clearness than could he a,plied in Die stress of competition between the newspapers. A large quantity of evidence would he given, including three statements by Mount. The whole of the evidence was addressed to prove two simple tacts, cm which the Crown based the charge.

(Ii That Mrs Mount was dead. Cl) 'That Mimat killed her. Counsel might say at once. that there was no direct evidence b.v eyewitnesses as to either fact. Nobody saw Mount kill Mrs Mount. Nobody knew how she was killed. But the Crown would prove her death at Mount's hand' by what was called circumstantial evident " - b.v facts that pointed all one wav. and made credit.|e only one explanation. namely Hint .Mrs .Mount was dead, and flint Mom,i killed her. Before coming to details. Counsel said 1,1- could place the case for the Crown b.4oh* tin* Jury by a statement w fii.'li would show how strong the case ; . 1 1 would Hiow that the case was proved by ciiciinisianlial evidence of met hudicn! certainty, just as. ill a >um of simple arithmetic. Mr Donnelly then, in a lengthy address. said: "The ease is one of the 111 e>t extraordinary kind and character, and it is difficult to find in the records in any country of any time a case w ill, facts similar to this. Ihe

contention i,t the Crown is that Mount mi the night of Feb. 10th. murdered his wile; that he attempted to get rid of the consequences by destroying her lnidy, and that lie must have burned Up the whole or part, of it in order to leave behind those banes in the garden. If von accept that view, and that all the facts are capable of one explanation, and they satisfy you that the accused killed this woman. ‘ it would be your duty to convict him on this very grave charge. The charge is a grave one. and your responsibiljtv i> a heavy one. 1 our duty is to consider the case fairly, fully, and

impartially, and to come to a con elusion as reasonable men, basing vein

conclusion on wlsat your expel iente tells von to be trim. If you do that.

your conscience will he easy, and your duty will have been discharged. If you think there is any reasonable doubt to the death of the woman, or doubt that the death of the woman was caused by Mount, your duty will la* to acquit him. .1. B. Mcrrett. Mis Mount's brother gave evidence similar to that given by him in the lower court. Kvidence was also given on the lines of the Magistrate’s Court evidence ot tires being seen on Mount s section, and on the premises after Mrs Mount’s disappearance; of Mount having pawned trinket:*; of hones he>

i njj; found whore ruhhish fires had boon, and of a bag containing; women's apparel being found at the house of Mrs Mount, senior, at, Ptirakaiitii, near Dunedin. The case, which is likely to last all the week, was then adjourned till HI a.in. to-morrow. TO-DAY'S EVIDENCE. (.'HIM STC'IIU KCH. May Id. Again a large crowd of spectatorattended when the trial ol Frederick I’eter Mount, churned with murderinn his wife was continued. Accused followed the evidence with keen interest .

Lucy I’rosscr. a married neighbour, nave evidence on lines id the lower court as to I lie party at her house on February lilth. and as to seeing washinn on the line at later dates and smoke coining from the dining room (ire. and Mount's statement that lie was going to see if his wile was in Oaniaru or Dunedin. Cross-examined. Mrs I’rosscr said

she did not smell anything like hurtling llesh from the lire on the section. AVituess had seen trunks of clothes which Mrs Mouatt had bought in London. She had not taken those into oomjidera.t ion when accounting tor Mrs Mount's clothes. On the Saturday she noticed a cut on .Mount's arm near the wrist. Mrs Mount had been depressed at times. CHRISTCHURCH. May Id. Prnfe-snr (lowland of Otago I'niversitv gave evidence that the police had forwarded him thirty-one hones w 1 c lie considered human. The collar-hone in the collection was broken, hut the two parts fitted. All the hones had been burnt.