THE BURWOOD CRIME

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1927, Page 1

THE BURWOOD CRIME

ACCUSED REMANDED. BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSX., COPYRIGHT. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug 4. C harles AYiliiam Boakes, aged 37, appeared before Air La wry, S.AI., charged with the murder of Ellen Gwendolene Isobel Searff on June loth, and also with unlawfully supplying a noxious drug to the same girl on Atay 16th. Accused was remanded to Friday, August 12th, the prosecution stating a further remaud would then he applied for. A crowd of over 200 assembled at tlie Court, one third of them being women.

Boakes was dressed in a grey sui and was without a collar. He appen ed calm as tlie charges were read.

Litli'e was seen of him, as tho car drove up to the rear entrance of the Court, tlie police shielding him from the gaze of the spectators.

BEFORE THE AIURDER

GIRL’S MYSTERIOUS AIOYKAIENT

Gwen Searff was discovered dead soon after on o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. June 13, by a boy who was riding after cows. As file was riding into the scrub the hoy saw a short, stockily-built man running away. Ever since then the ixilicc have been searching lor a man who had been .seen frequently with the murdered girl, and whose description corresponded with that of the man seen running The diffiieulty all along has been to discover where the girl spoilt '' - night before her body was found. The facts about her movements at other times are as follow: Wednesday, June B.—Loft her employment- jit Airs Derisley Wood’s without stating her intention of doing

Thursday, June 9.—Registered in the evening at the Hotel Federal under the name of “Aliss Armstrong.” Friday, June 10.—Remained at the hotel during the morning. In the afternoon her mother called and en-

deavoured to persuade her to return home, lire mother had only just left when, in response to a telephone call which she asked to he sent, a taximan called and was greeted by her with the words: “Oil, it’s you.” She conversed with this man for about twenty

minutes in her room. “WE'ARE GOING NORTH

Saturday, June 11.—Telephoned to her mother and said: “W'-o are going, North,” but would not explain what was meant by “We.” In the afternoon she was seen in the street and spoken to by a taxi-driver to whom she told that she had already told her mother.

Monday, June 13.—At the hotel. She was expected to leave on this day, having advised the management that she would -do so, hut she altered this arrangement and advised them that she would leave on the following day. •She spent most of the clay in her room.

Tuesday, June 14.—At the hotel till after 10 a.m. About 10.30 a,m. a taxi-driver called, and at her instructions took her hags to the tramway shelter parcels office, she accompanying them. At 2.30 p.nt. she was seen by the taxi-driver talking in the street near her hotel to a “stockily built man.” At about 5.44 p.m. she left the Federal Hotel, walking. She had settled her account, after having had to obtain money from some other person to do so. Her movements that, night are unknown.

Wednesday, June 15.—Body found shortly after 1 p.m. in the scrub at Burwood. A man described as short and stockily built was seen by Erie Mugford running away from the body.

A mail answering the same descriptic u was seen by the taxi-driver last referred to running through the scrub in the vicinity of the murder. The woman was judged bv the Rev. A. C. Tobin fo have been killed about noon. Her wristlet watch, smashed on her arm. had stopped at 12.30 o'clock. On the day after the body was found the police detained IJoakes at the Central Police Station for eight hours, but no charge was made against him then.

For some time after the murder the police, were engaged in searching the scrub. The most important discovery was that of a blood-stained spanner, with -winch it is believed the gul was killed.

MURDERED GIRL’S INTENTIONS. Host of the in formation t regarding

the girl’s liutent ions came from a woman friend in Christchurch, in whom she confided. She constantly referred to a man whom she called “Charlie,” and said that she was going away to the North Island with him. She admitted being intatuted, and could not he persuaded, either io abandon her intention or to confide in her mother.