THE MOUAT CASE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1925, Page 3

THE MOUAT CASE

JUSTTCF ADAMS’ ADDRESS. Mr Justice Adams in his charge to the Drand Jury dealt with the main features of the Crown's ease against Mount. IDs address lasted about Oventv minutes. MAnDI BLOOD. The aeeu..cd. his Honor, said, had some Maori Inonl in bis veins, and appeared to have keen married about lilteen years ago in England'. He came hack to .New Zealand with his wife in 1021. Some lime iii 102-t he book over the Dlenavv Hotel, which be carried on lor about a year. A witness stated that on two occasions while the couple were at the hotel lie witnessed assault., by .Mount on hi- wife. The .Mounts left Dlenavv about August la-t year and lived with a .Mis Hardy in Mntiie.son's Road lor about ten weeks, i'liey then got a liou.-e. No Hi Reekford Slr-vl. St. Martins. The house wa.s bought on a deposit of CRK) and then-niter, apparently, monthly ilistalmeu is. M(>UAT'.X MOVEMENTS. From December 10. 1121. to February Id. Pi2o. M mat was working on drainage' work-. On February Id lie told his employer he was going to Oamarii on business, and lie drew £~>. saying he

was not returning to work. Il appeared that he did not go to Oaniaru. but remained at home. At this time, he .seemed to have been in financial difiienlties and on Thursday, February I!) lie appeared to have known that his money was gone. Apparently be told hi- wife that. At alioiil 7.d0 that evening. Mrs Wallow, wife of the per-

son who sold the house, called for tin ront, and .she wa.s paid a cheque fm £lO. This wa.s dishonoured on presentation. Another cheque given le: .Mount to his lirother-in-law was also dishonoured. KVKNIND OF FKRDUADY 10.

On the evening of Thursday. February Pk .lames 11 coney. a barman, had lea at Mount's, and the three went to Mrs Pro.-sor.s house, adjoining, in Beckford Street. iloeiiey left at nine o'clock, niul accused and his wife about leu o'clock. .Mrs Prosser saw them to the gate, and that an) eared to have been the last time Mi.s Mount was set'll alive by anyone exeepi her husband. It was the custom of Mrs Hardy to visit .Mrs Mount about twice a week. The las; ncea-ion she visited her was oil Wednesday. February IS, and Mrs Mount arranged to meet her in the

Square next morning alter the arrival of a tram at a quarter past ten. Ii would appear that accused knew of this arrangement, Mrs Hardy met the 10.17) tram and also waited for the two following trams from St. Martins. Inn Mrs .Mount did not come by any of them. A PKOJFCTFD TK IP.

Mount and bis wife had arranged to go to Dunedin together on Saturday, February 21. the arrangement, accused said, being made after they returned from Airs Prosser’-. .Mount and bis wife slept together that night. According to Mount's statements. Mr.Moiiat left on the following morning (Friday), saying that site was going to meet Mrs Hardy, and also stating that if she did not come hack he was to meet the express for Dunedin the next day. .Mount understood her to me;''

the .second express. .Mount saw her ;-n away, and he described the costume, jewellery and other articles she was wearing. .Mount said that was the last la' saw of hi- wife. CASK. FDD Til F CROWN.

The ease for the Crown wa.s that Mrs Mount never left the h.uii-e al any time alter her return from Mrs Prosser's at ten ok I’ock on Thursday, pchrunry 111. but that she was killed by accused, and that her body was destroyed by lire. His ![on r said it was not nece-.-ary for him !o do more than indicate generally the nature of l lie ovidi'ice for the Crown. Part ol ii '.‘.a- scientific.. It was said by tile Crown that tile whole ol Mrs Mount s wardrobe had been found in the hnn-o including the cost nme and i I her a r tteles which licensed des-ribed as being vurn by her on the ninriiing of Fridnv. Febrilerv 20. also Hint her lunnlhag. corsets, shoes and nriilicinl teeth were found in tile house. Tin* inlerence the jury was a-ked to draw from this was that she must have left without clot king.

AIOPAT'S COX DUCT. Then the conduct of .Mount was retied mi in a great many particulars. Bearing in mind the fact that. .Mount saw his wife on the morning of Friday, February attention would be directed to various fact.-, such a> that at lour o’clock on the .-nmc day. seven hours after slid Went away to meet All's Hardy, and nfu-r she had told him that if she did not mine hack he was to take her bag to the station he sold part ol her jewellery to a pawnbroker in Christ-,-I,tin'll, and !m did not return home to sleep that night. Me slept at the Rotheriield Motel, ami lie also slept there on the three succeeding nights. Saturday. Sunday ami Ahmday. being about the house in Xo 10. Beck ford St reel, part of the day time. MOST IMPORTANT part < IF CASE. |Jv far the most important part <d Lin* case which the Crown alleged was the evidence to show that accused had tires burning on bis section nltei the disappearance of bis wile, that fires were burning on the section, outside, also under the copper anil in the fireplace of the (lining room; that on the site of these tires had been found a number of bones and pieces of bone, sotme of which had been identified as j human banes; that the hones wore smaller than average size, and (ha. | Mrs Mount v.as a slight woman. Mis i Honor said that there were other cir--1 eumstances in relation to this, which I In- would not enter into, such as the I use of J eye- fluid round the dining-

room lire. NO INQUIRY REGARDING MIS AY IFF.

Circumstances in the conduct •»! Mount were also put forward as indicting guilt his conduct in making no inquiry regarding his wife or pursuing m, vigorous search; his actum in absenting himself from the house on the evenings and nights following her disappearance: and Ids getting out of the wav at a later stage. All these questions would have to he inquired into with particularity. From the "hoe „f the evidence, his Honor concluded, the jurv would have no doubt that the ease might to be sent on to a mmjury and that accu-ed ought to 1-e put on trial.