MURDER CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1931, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

CASE CONTINUED. ( By Telegraph—Per Press A ssociation) WELLINGTON, August 13. The murder charge against Coats was continued this morning. The Court was again crowded. In further evidence regarding conversations between witness and Coats in regai d to Phyllis was given by Glover. On one occasion he told witness no had done something to her hut would not say how. On a later date lie- said he had got a beauty on to her the other night. 1 took her out to Hataitai and tapped her ou the back of the headwith a: piece a pine and knocked her out. She said on coining to she felt cold all over and he kidded her she

was going to ej.e. Quits told witness to keep this under his hat. On 25th. June witness was at Coat’s place and Phyllis said they were back in their rent and were going to shift over the week-end. That was the last he saw of her alive. He called at the place on the 30th. of June. There was no one in the room, He turned the mattress on the bed and found a letter (produced) which he gave to Phyllis’ father on the sth. of July. Mr Treadwell asked accused if lie was quite sure that the letter produced was the one lie found.

Witness said .he could not read it when he first found it owing to badi eyesight. He first know ..the full contents when he handed it over to Symons. He remembered something in it about suicide. He remembered she said Coats was doing his best to keep her i.n food and that she wanted her parent’s consent to marry Coats. Robert Brockie, married, said he'was engaged on relief works at Hataitai. He remembered! the Hutt-Wellington football match played on June 3rd. During that week he saw accused excavating a hole in a bank. He did this every day. On all occasions he was not working.

W itness identified on the photo produced the place where Coats had dug the hole. Witness said the hole would he very quickly covered up by the spoil being tipped over. To Mr Treadwell—Accused was working on the hole for about four days, while witness was there. FURTHER EVIDENCE. WELLINGTON, August 13. Sydney Penketfi, another relief worker, said from June Ist. to June 4th. he was on the lower tip with Coats as a mate. He saw the accused digging a hole on several occasions. He asked him what it was for, and Coats said for shelter from the wind, but witness never saw him in it. On one occasion, one of the foremen asked Coats what it was for, and Coats said to bury a dog. , Accused told witness that a chemist along the road often poisoned dogs and buried, them there.John Dunsmuir, another relief worker, said that on June ’2sth., Coats came to where witness and another man named Cntfield were working and asked for the .loan of a shovel to bury a dog. That was near five o’clock, and the three of them left the job together, witness putting the shovel under the truck, and another with it to oblige the accused, instead of putting the shovels away as usual. On the way home accused remarked that if he could get a job he would go to Napier. > Willoughby -Brnssey Cutfield. a brakesman on trucks, corroborated the leaving of a shovel. He said Coats had some letters in his hand and said he was going to Auckland; for a job. He was undecided which route he would take, but might go to Napier bv boat. Leonard Oswald Gvde, a truck driver, was giving evidence, when the lunch adjournment was taken.