ELSIE WALKER INQUEST

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1929, Page 5

ELSIE WALKER INQUEST

CORONER’S CRITICISM

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Jan. 15

Detective Waterson said that on the niglil the body was found lie received instructions about 11 p.m. to go to the morgue. His instructions were that the body was there, and his investigations were necessary. Among those present were two doctors. ’The body was lying dressed on a slab. Witness examined it for signs of injury. 1L bad the appearance of having been knocked about. The left cheek was missing, and the angle olf the jaw was badly injured. An eye was swollen and the hair was much covered with blood. Apart from the arms, the rest of the body showed no signs ol injury. There was no hat. but the body was fully dressed, with an overcoat buttoned lip. There was no money in the pockets, but two letters and two handkerchiefs were found in the pockets of (lie overcoat. Pieces of the clothing were produced, including a fragment of silk which appeared to be torn or cut. The initials G.N.L.8., those of Godfrey Rnyly, were seen on a handkerchief found in a pocket. Blood stains were observed by witness on the skirt. He was sure the stains were there before be removed the clothing from llio body.

Describing his visit to the place where the body was found, the Detective said that traces of blood were found on leaves under the bush where the girl was lying. In reply to the Coroner, witness said (.he doctors were there when lie was examining the body, and they also looked at it.

The Coroner: Don’t you think it very improper for you to remove tilts clothing?—The regulations say we must thoroughly examine a body.. But see bow essential it was that we should know the relative position of the garments.— I knew exactly bow tliev wore on the body.

The Coroner: But. don’t you see that bv rolling the clothing up as you did, you caused stains to appear in different places, so that no one could tell they were on the front or back? Mr Hunt then asked whose duty witness considered it was to make a report to llio Coroner, to which witness replied : “ It would be made by the officer in charge of the case. Sergeant Kelly.”

Mr Hunt: You knew the girl was missing from the same place as the car?—Yes.

Evidence was given by two men who bad seen a girl early on the morning of October 2. A newspaper carrier saw a girl about 4.45 a.m. near Papatoetou, and a road worker saw a girl about nine o’clock the same morning, walking in the direction oi Panmure. The second witenss said there was a young man in the neighbourhood about two hours afterward. Ho was idling under a shop verandah. Detective Sergeant Kelly detailed the police investigations in the case. Witness said they were first advised of the finding of the body about 8.50 on the evening of October 5. He told Constable Collins to view the body and under no circumstances to remove it. Emm the condition it was found in. about 0.50, Constable Collins rang witness and reported the result of his examination. He said lie thought Llio girl bad either committed suicide or had crawled in Hie scrub and died. “I told him to remove the hotly to the morgue,” said witness. “ What you should have done was to send somebody out to look after the body until morning, and then made the examination,” said Mr Hunt. Von did not know of the stains on her {((lollies at that stage?—l had seen some of the underclothes and the dress. I noted various marks on the garments.

Why didn’t you tell the doctor about the blood —The reason f did not tell the doctor of the stains was because of the fact that the doctor told the Chief Detective that the girl had not been interfered with, and that lie suspected poison. The inquiry was adjourned till tomorrow. AUCKLAND, January Iff. Detective-Sergeant Kelly gnve a detailed description of the police investigation. Inquiries were made in different routes by detectives and police. All tea shops .were visited, also bouses where the girl might have called aftei leaving Papamoa.

Questioned by the coroner, witness said lie wasn’t- in a position to state what was in the girl’s mind. Kelly went on to mention the clues followed, when, the coroner intervened saying: “ I’m not here for a police inquiry hut to delve into the mystery of the dead. If we got into what clues you followed, we’d he here lor a month.”

Witness said on October 17th he went to Papamoa and Tepukc districts, thoroughly combing them, hut lie could get no information about the car. Ike girl had never been seen in company with any young man except once in company with her cousin Trevor and another mail. I found, said Kelly, that the girl had a reputation of being a nice quiet clean girl. Tim movements of all young men in the district were, traced and all were satisfactorily accounted for. To Mr Nortlieroft —He Interviewed William Alfred Bayly, s wli<> gave him * freely detailed statement of Ins movements. He saw Bill a couple of weeks later. Having meanwhile made certain inquiries, he did not find much to support Bill’s statement. Mr Northmuft: “ What did you find to make you say so? ” The coroner here interposed with some questions. Hie defective eventual-

Iv admitting he had vertified curtain statements of Mill’s.

Mr Northcrol't: “When you examined him the second time you asked him about some of his movements on October Ist? ’’

“Yes, and they were consistent with former statements. Bill ' was well known in Papa moil and Tcpuke. I was unalde to find anybody who had seen or heard of him in the district. It wasn’t reasonably possible for him to travel into the district without ho ill": seen by someone.” Witness attempted to verify Bill’s movements ifrom the housemaid at Ids Auckland boardinghouse-. She had no distinct recollection, but thought she would have noticed if he had slept there on the night of October Ist. After detailing other steps to cheek up the statements by Bill liayley that lie was at a boardinghouse on October Ist, the Coroner asked .Sergeant Kelly, “ Can you explain why the clothes were not handed over to a bacteriologist earlier Y ” Witness: “I was at Papamoa. 1 did not actually hand them over. J went away on October 17th.” Mr Hunt: “That’s all right. I’ll find out before the inquiry is finished.” The next witness was Reginald Charles McMasters. motor manager, who gave evidence of petrol consumption.

The Court then adourned for ten minutes while the coroner, police ollicials and counsel examined a model of a car identical to Bavly’s.

Northcrol't, a witness, said it was possible for a person to strike the head on the bar which crosses the hood. William Alfred Dobbs, manager rtf a dairy farm at Henderson, said he. had been there about a week when Bill and Mrs Bayly went out. He was not quite—.Mr Northcrol't: Another man who can’t remember things. Dobbs, continuing his evidence said i(- wjiK possible lor any one to come to the farm house without anybody seeing him. While Bill was at the farm he had not mentioned being out on Monday. October first. After Bayly’s father and solicitor, Lusk, called on ,Sunday, October 7th. Bill said he had got into serious trouble with this gentleman and had to go to laiiranga. Dobbs thought the wife went with (Bill. Examined by Air Northeroft Dobbs was emphatic Bayly sour., and Busk stayed nearly four hours with Bill. He remembered somebody going into the cowshed with Bill but could not remember who it was.

Mr Northeroft: You memory isn’t too clear on the subject. Witness: I didn’t take particulai notice, because I was not interested. The Court adjourned to 2.15 p.m. The inquest is expected to conclude to-day. Tn the course of Kelly's evidence lie said oiio of the blind clues was a statement hv a man who declared he saw a stranger buttoning up his trousers coming out of a paddock (where the body was found) on the afternoon of October 2nd, subsequent to the car being found abandoned.