LANCASTER TRIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1932, Page 5

LANCASTER TRIAL

MORE EVIDENCE ' FRIENDS TESTIFY FOR DEFENCE. (United Press Association—By r Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) . MIAMI, August 9..... Captain Lancaster related occasions, on which all three of them drank, whisky together. He said one of the persons Who brought it to their house was Peggy Brown, a Miami girl, who told him that she expected to marry Haden Clarke.

Keith Bon, a retired rubber merchant, of Singapore, who was called as a character , witness, testified that Lancaster had a good repxitation among his friends and associates in England, Australia and United States. Bon, who has been enjoying a vacation, in France, came here for the sper cific purpose of aiding Lancaster, who visited has home during his LondonAustralia flight. Three aviator friends of Lancaster testified that his character was good, They were Clyde Pangborn (transAtlantiO flyer), Irving Boyer and Rex Gilmartin. /v/'i/v/vr:-

LANCASTEft FORGES NAME. • • ' TWO "SUlcTok" NOTES,; , (Received this day at 10.25 a.iu.),*., , MIAMI, August 10. Lancaster said “Clarke apparently consentted to sign two suicide, :i ,notes (which' Lancaster has admitted he forged), lnit could not do 50,.. I looked around the room, out in the hall, and on the table, and I could find, no notes or anything to indicate what had happened. Then I Sat down, and wrote two suicide notes. I asked Haden if he could sign them! There was no answer, but a groan and Clarke’s head moved feebly back and forth. Then. I did something I should not have done. 1 took "the pencil and signed the notes,; one ‘Haden’ and' the other ‘H.’ ”,

Lancaster told of waking Mrs Miller, calling the doctor, and of Mrs Miller’s bathing Clarke’s head with a towel. He said ; that the pistol, with which Clarke was killed, was one he had pawned. He : and Clarke dispussed the pistol and he warned ■ Clarke/ that it was loaded, when he placed it on the table between their beds before they retired. ' v

Lancaster then described what he’ called “the suicide of Clarke.” . _ “I was awakened by a bang, and 1 thought it was the windows I called:. “What is that; Haden : and I then 1 heard a ,gurgling noise from the bed: t .leaped from . tile bed to find blood streaming from' Clarke’s face and a ( pistol lying tfesid'ejsim.” ■' ~ ’ Accused bald m. and Clarke, After going to bed- thlked over tlfeli tangled love affairs, and only then loavnod for the first time that'Clarke was not divorced, He advised Him to. tell'the whole story to Mrs Miller the next day, ;, r .... “The last-thing I heard‘Haden say’ was: “Bill, you’re the whitest man I’ve ever met.” .