MURDER CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1931, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

FURTHER EVIDENCE.

(By Telegraph—Per Press A ssociation)

WELLINGTON, August 14. The murder trial against Coats was continued to-day. Isabella McKenna gave evidence of letting a room to Cents from June 29 to July (j. l\o girl came to s e aim due mg tliat time, and he had not a di.g. Olive Kene Claire Smith of 140 Adelaide lload gave evidence of letting a room to a Mr and Mrs Coats, at 18s 6d a week, plus 2,s 6d for gas on or about April A Tew weeks later she no .iced Mrs Coats was pregnant. They appeared very hard up financially. Mrs coats was vtrv shy and quiet. Witness said Demaine and Glover were f'ijequoiiit visitors; also tor a period a lady she understood to be Coats’s sister

About June 21th, when Coats was two weeks behind with his rent, she asked could he let her have it. He said if things did not get better with him lie would have to send his

wife home and take a cheaper room

On the afternoon of June 27th she again a ski d for the rent. He said lie had licit the money then but Was expecting some and that lie had Sent his wife home. Mrs Coats did liot say good-bye to witness aiid never mentioned that she wus leaving, On itiihe 29th Coats said he was going to ft i lace in Broughton Street and that liis wOfe would return after ton and clean up the room, That was the lest witness saw of him. Do Maine called that evening. Witness took the key from him, and herself went into' the room and got a cushion for which he said he had come. Mrs Coats never came back to clean up. There was a broken string of beads on the floor that Mrs Coats used to wear, and a bottle on a duchess labelled poison. Witness identified certain property she had handed to the police—a pair of slippers, two pairs of boots with, clay on them.

Witness said she did not. search under the mattresses and did not notice the letter subsequently found by Gloved. The fire place was nearly full of burnt paper. While accused was at her house, he did not have a dog. From April 23rd. to May 3rd. witness conducted a small green grocery in a shop at the front of the house. She used to get Telling, one of the boarders to buy vegetables. She brought six sacks of vegetables and as the sacks were emptied they were put in the coal house. The sacks were numbered and marked when she received them, and the numbers and marks were shown on the invoices produced. Witness identified five of the sacks produced. On Julv 18th., she was present when the police checked the sacks With the invoices, and five Corresponded with the invoices! The missing sack according to the invoices wan marked sixteen in numerals, They had contained parsnips. The sack produced was shnlljar to one which lmd been missing. To Mr Treadwell—Witness said the Coatses gave the impression of being a happily married couple. He was always very effeetionate to her. On tiie last day witness saw Coats, his manner was normal, the friendly manner he had always adopted' towards witness. She never on any occasion heard them quarrelling during their stay in her house. When she received the sacks of vegetables, she entered the details in a book which was in the possession of the police. Questioned in regard to Glover v.sitin the room after Coats had le't, witness said she did not know lie had -been to Coats’s room but he could easily have been there without her knowing.

Maurice Eric Teeling gave evidence as to purchasing at the market for previous witness, marking of bags and identity of missing bag.