BURWOOD MURDER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3685, 1 September 1927, Page 3

BURWOOD MURDER.

THE EVIDENCE. MANY WITNESSES. CHARGE AGAINST BOAKES. Christchurch, August 31. Over thirty witnesses were ordered out of the Court when the evidence was taken to-day on two charges against Charles William Boakes: (1) With murdering Ellen Gwendoline Isobel Scarff, at Burwood, near Christchurch, on or about 15th June; arid (2) with unlawfully supplying a drug to Ellen Scarff. Ellen Martha Gcarff, mother of the deceased, said that her daughter was 20 years old on 18th her, 1926. She was working at a house in Cashmere. Witness saw her daughter at the Federal Hotel on the afternoon of 10th June, and later identified an attache case, hat, umbrella, and fur as belonging to her daughter. The deceased, when seen at the hotel, was very surprised, and started to cry. Witness knew Boakes, who used to be employed as a driver by her husband. The accused was later employed by the White Diamond Cab Company. . Walter William Scarff, a carrier, of No. 1, Thorringtori road, Cashmere, the father of the murdered girl, stated that the accused had been employed by him as a carriur some five years ago.. At that time the deceased was employed in the carrier’s office. Jessie Glen Ross M'Clure told the Court that she was employed at the house of Mrs. Wood* at Cashmere, from 17th January, 1927. Miss Scarff was there then. Witness noticed that Miss Scarff used the telephone bureau a good deal, and after 28th March receive!! through the post a parcel. The deceased tore the label from it. Twenty pills from the parcel were taken by the deceased. Witness knew the effect of the pills was to bring a'bout a miscarriage, but the pills had no effect other than to cause sickness. In company with witness, Miss Scarff withdrew £4 from the Post Office Saving Bank on 12th May. Then witness saw a taxidriver meet her near - the Liberty Theatre. Witness did not know the taxidriver, who was tall, well built, arid clean shaven. One night later Miss Scarff left the house, without a hat, and 'returned an -hour later with a long round bottle half-full of pale, ruddy-brown fluid. When witness went to the deceased’s room early on 9th May she was sick and appeared to be dazed. She was frothing at the mouth and could only mumble and was very ill for the rest of the day. On the following day the murdered girl wrote a letter addressed “Charles Boakes, care Grand Taxi Stand, Christchurch.” The letter, which witness was asked to read, was marked “urgent.” The letter said: “Dear Charles.—You will be surprised to know the stuff has not done me any good. Seeing you forgot to ring, I am writing to •you. And I can' suggest now is that you make a clean breast of it to your wife. When this becomes known, I will ’bej far from my home and the mother of your second child will be stranded. Stiek to me and help all you can.” LETTER CHALLENGED.. ' Mr. C. S. Thomas, who, with Mr. M. J. Burns, appeared for the accused, challenged the admissibility of the evidence regarding the letter. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. A. T. Donnelly, stated that no evidence would be tendered which could not be connected up later.- Mr. Thomas’s objection was‘noted. Continuing, witness said that she last saw Miss Scarff on Wednesday, Bth June, when she left. Her bed had not been slept in the night before. The deceased had burned some of her belongings. Amy Isabelle Wood gave evidence that the murdered girl had been employed ,by her from January. Miss Scarff was very ill on the morning of about 19th May. Her speech •was not clear. Witness told her to go back to bed. There had been several telephone rings for Miss Scarff, which witness had answered. v William Derisley Wood'said that lie had posted the letter given to him by the deceased. The envelope was addressed to a taxi in Christchurch. William Scares, a postman, stated that such, a letter would reach the stand at 11.20 a.m. A milkman, named Robert Lambert Rickerby said that he saw the girl Scarff come out to meet a taxi which drew up at Wood’s house early on the morning of Bth June. Witness did not see the driver of the car, as it was still dark. CHEMIST’S EVIDENCE. Sydney Charles King, chemist’s assistant for J. A. Coltart, said that a man named Brown had introduced him to Boakes, who, over drinks, asked witness if he could get something for a girl friend of Boakes’s. Witness gave the accused some medicine from the shop. Witness asked the accused to let him know how he got on. Witness saw the accused a week or ten days later. The accused said that the pills had done no good. The accused asked for something else, and witness gave him some capsules, which were black. The directions for use were on a flat tin. The accused said the drug had done no good, a week or so later, and then witness gave him a small bottle of extract of the drug. The object of the medicine was to bring about a miscarriage. Witness told the accused that the drug always affected the lower limbs, and might affect the head too. Witness’s employer knew nothing about the transaction. Witness un-

derstood that the accused was married. Bottles, similar to those given to the accused, were given to De-tective-Sergeant Biekerdike. Evidence was given by Leonard Victor Lilley, a tram conductor, and Albert, Edward Armstrong, motorman, that the accused travelled on the 10.31 tram from Burwood on Bth June. Thomas Morton, night porter at the Federal Hotel, said that at 11.30 p.m. on Bth June a man and a woman had asked for a room for the night. The woman gave the name of Miss Armstrong. When the room had been booked the man left, saying to the woman that he would return at 10 o’clock the following morning. Witness could not say positively that Boakes was the man, though he was very like him. Linda Maude iColeman said, that she had taken i breakfast to Miss Armstrong’s room at the Federal Hotel four times. The girl was out for lunch on Sunday, 12th June, but returned for tea. Witness, who knew Miss Armstrong to be Miss. Scarff from the photograph, had last seen her on Tuesday, 14th June, about 1.30 p.m. Amelia Watts, a married woman, stated 'that Miss Scarff had talked with her on. the river bank on 9th June. Miss Scarff, who was wearing a wristlet watch, appeared to be waiting' for someone. When a White Diamond taxi came along Miss Scarff got in. The number of the car was 22. Witness said«thatshe could identify Boakes as the driver. Leslie James Arps, a taxi driver,said Boakes introduced him to the girl last Christmas. He had since seen her around the stand about once a week.. On the night before the girl was killed he saw deceased round the stand at about 6 o’clock. MEDICAL EVIDENCE. Dr. T. B. Davis said that when he examined the body, at about 3 o’clock, it was superficially cold. The number of wounds in the head was eighteen in all. Mr. Donnelly: What kind of instrument do you thing was used 1 ? —“A blunt instrument.” Had the girl died at the time of the attack? —“I should think death was not instantaneous. She possibly lived for some hours.” How long had she been dead? — “About six hours.” Arthur B. Pearson, pathologist at Christchurch Hospital, gave evidence that on June 16 by direction of the Coroner, he made a postmortem examination, and found that death was due to concussion, associated with haemorrhage and fractures of. the skull. She may have lived eight or ten hours after the wounds had been inflicted. To the Magistrate: The majority of the wounds on the head were not dangerous, but a group of four or five above the left eyebrow would prove fatal. Christchurch, Last Night. The hearing of evidence was concluded to-day. Evidence was given by the Government analyst, detectives re the spanner, and accused’s statement to the police and his denial of the charges. Mr. Thomas submitted that there was no prima facie ease against his client Boakes, on 'the murder charge. On the other charge of supplying a noxious thing to Miss Scarff he admitted a prima facie case had been established and Boakes would have to go to trial on this charge. The Magistrate found that Ellen Gwendoline Scarff died on June 15, 1927, having been mdrdered by some person by means of a blunt instrument. In regard to the charges Boakes was committed for trial on the charge of supplying a noxious thing, pleading not guilty. The Magistrate said he would consider t'he evidence and give his decision on the other charge to-morrow.