A VANISHED WIFE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2883, 14 May 1925, Page 2

A VANISHED WIFE.

THE MOUAT MTJRDEB CASE CONTINUED. DESTRUCTION OF BODIES BY FIRE. Christchurch, Last Night. There was again a large crowd of spectators when the trial of Frederick Peter Mount, charged with the murder of his wife, was continued. Tlie accused followed the evidence with keen interest. Lucy Prosser, a married neighbour, gave evidence on the same lines as in the lower Court as to a party nt her house on February I.oth, and as to seeing washing on Mount’s line at later dates, and smoke coming from the dining-room lire, and as to Mount's statement that he was going to see if his wife was in Oamaru or Dunedin. On being cross-examined, Mrs Prosser said she did not smell anything like burning flesh from the lire on tin* section. She had seen trunks of clothes which Mrs Mount had bought in London. She had not taken those into consideration when accounting for Mrs Mount's clothes. She had noticed a out on Mount’s arm, near the wrist. Mrs Mount had been depressed at times. Deteetive Thompson gave evidenee. as to finding of bones. Cross-examined, he said that all the bones except those in the grate were found in the dug part of the section, or in a targe heap of refuse. To Mr Donnelly: The fragments of hones in (he grate were in a corner. The grate had been well cleaned. W. P. flowland, Professor of Anatomy at Otago University, gave evidence (on lines given in the Lower Court) as to the result of bis examination of the bones found in the rubbish heap in Mouaf’s garden. Many of these bones he classed as being definitely human. In the course of cross-examina-tion, Professor (lowland said lie had not. had personal experience of a human body that had been burnt, lint there were eases of the destruction of the human body by fire in an American work by Peterson and Haynes. It showed that the use of lire to destroy the human body in order to remove evidence of crime was a somewhat common occurrence in criminal cases. In one instance cited, a man weighing lGfllbs was burned expcrienmtally and no piece of bone over two inches long was left. All the pieces that could lie identified as bones could g'o into a large cigar box. Mr Thomas (for the defence) : Tn cremation, it is possible to burn a body in three or four hours? Professor Gowland: ‘‘Yes. The shortest time in which a body has been burnt is one hour.

Arc you able to give the jury any instances of burning of a body in a grade, without drafts, 13ins. by 11ins. by 7 ins. ? —No, because the dimensions are not given in the quoted eases. The Court then adjourned till U> a.m. to-morrow.