MURDER TRIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1932, Page 5

MURDER TRIAL

THREE WOMEN SHOT

GUILTY, BUT INSANE.

(United Press Association—By Electric

Telegraph—Copyright;

LONDON, November 25.

James Thomas Collins was found guilty of the murder of two women and a girl, but insane.

The jury commended the bravery of Constable Chapman. The Judge said that it was one of the pluckiest things he had ever heard of.

Collins, a young soldier, was accused of the murder of two women and a girl in a Kent wood last June. The victims were:

Mrs Janie Tremayne Swift, aged sixty-nine, of Ye -Olde Sportsman’s Inn, Seasalter, near Whistable, Kent. Mrs Janie Tremayne Stemp, aged thirty-five, of the White Hart Inn, Wadhurst, Sussex, her daughter; and Peggy Stemp, aged thirteen, Mrs Stemp’s daughter. Collins made the following statement to the police:— “I am a private in the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs. I left the rifle range, Hythe, about 4 a.m. yesterday, Julie 13. I walked along the* beach and came over the cliffs in the direction ot Ashford, “About three miles the other side of Ashford, on the way to Chatham, a light racing car passed me with three women in it. They passed me slowly and laughed at me and said, ‘You are making a good walk of it.’ “About a quarter of -an hour afterwards I caught up with the car, which had stopped. I saw one of them drinking from a bottle. “I had my rifle with me and twelve rounds of ball ammunition. I cannot remember what happened afterwards, hut they were killed, and no doubt I did it.”

Drove to London. Collins went on to say in the statement that he drove the car to London and put it in a garage. Then he went in a taxicab to Finsbury Park. The statement proceeded:— “I remember now I went by bus to Broad Street and then rang up Scotland Yard, and told them three women were badly injured somewhere on the road between Ashford- and Chatham.

“They asked me who it was, and I said, ‘Don’t ignore it.’ I refused to give m y name. “After leaving Finsbury Park I walked to Harringny and got on a bus to Southgate, • “I then walked to Osidge Latie ana got over the fence and stayed there until it was dark,

“I was going towards Potter’s Bar when a policeman stopped me and asked what I had got, I had the rifle wrapped in a raincoat I took from the car. I took the wrapper off the rifle and pointed it at him and said, ‘Don’t come any closer, 1 don’t want to hurt you.’

“I had a talk with him. I showed him the empty cartridge cases and told him I had shot someone, and told him it was my corporal. “I walked away, but the policeman fallowed me, and I said, ‘Don’t be foolish following me.’ He said, ‘Don’t you be foolish.’ He blew his whistle and I got over the fence and ran along the railway to the golf course. I had a lie down, and later got into the road. “I saw people were looking at me, so I got over the fened and ran away. I saw I could not get away. The police were all round me. I fired eight shots in the air and I turned round aud handed the rifle to the policeman who arrested me.

“I don’t remember shooting the three women. I lose my temper sometimes.”

UNITED FRONT. NEW YORK, November 26. Irrespective of widespread sympathy as to British conditions the American Congressional attitude remains still as it wag, even towards Britain, by reason of the so-called “United Front” on th e part of the European Powers in dealing with the United States in reference to their debts. It is l'ecognised that such a United Front is imperative as the result of 'the Lausanne agreement. Nevertheless, it is poiuted out that there have been many warnings from the American Government against treating the debtors as a group.

PAYMENT REQUEST. NEW YORK, November 26. The State Department incidentally to-day. notified ‘Poland and Czechoslovakia that the debt payments would he expected on December 15, there being no extension of the moratorium that Mr Hoover was prepared to recommend to the Debt Commission. These notes are in line with the others. FRANCE’S POSITION. NEW YORK. November 26. It would be idle to attempt to eoo(■"■d tb.< fact that there is unquestioned -n S o-i|iie rit among Ann ’Uc-n people r'' r tienlarlv ; o o”gre-‘- over attacks rlßsredly made by French iator'vfs la c t year o> American financial ilitv with r ui« on the dollar end wholesale v itfiflrawals of French balances here. That this in a erreat part, is responsible fo r the apparent intransigence in the An’e ,, ienn attitude it, would he difficult, to deny.