AUCKLAND MYSTERY

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3894, 12 January 1929, Page 4

AUCKLAND MYSTERY

DEATH OF ELSIE WALKER. CONTINUATION OF INQUEST. AUCKLAND, Jan. 10. The inquest was continued this afternoon before Mr F. K. Hunt, Coroner, concerning the death of Elsie Walker, aged 17, whose body was found in the scrub near Tamald on October 5, four days after she disappeared. An uncle of the dead girl, Frank Bayly, farmer, of Papamoa, said that on October 1 in his house there were his wife, himself, five children, and his niece, Miss Audrey Bayly, who arrived at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Mr Meredith: How big is the place at Papamoa P—About 800 acres. Is the homestead a big one?—Nine rooms, all on one floor. You have dogs?—Yes, two. We had three. Where are they kept?—At the back of the house, tied up. Mr Meredith: On the day of Elsie Walker’s disappearance Miss Audrey Bayly arrived from Rotorua in a service car —Yes. What room did you go to after dinner?—The billiard room. Did you leave it during the evening? —Yes. About 7 o’clock. Then I went back and stayed till about 9.30. What was the last time you saw Elsie Walker that night?—l don’t remember seeing her after we left the table. Did Trevor, your son, stay in that night?—No. He went to a social in Te Puke, five miles away. Did he take the car?—No. Does he drive a car?—Not very well. One of the others usually, drove, Bill, the eldest son, or Godfrey. “How long had Elsie been living with you?” asked Mr Hunt. “About twelve months.” Mr Meredith: You and the rest of the family spent the evening just chatting round the house?—Yes. Piano going or anything?—No. We have no piano. If the car went out of the garage it would pass the billiard room window? —Yes. Were the blinds down?—l could not say. What time did you go to bed?— About 9.30. Did anything attract your attention ? —No, nothing. You did not hear the car at all? No. DEAD GIRL’S ABSENCE. Mr Hunt: Did you not wonder where Elsie was all the evening? Witness: No. Sometimes she would come in and sometimes she would sit and sew in her bedroom. Since sho came back from Tauranga she often did that. Mr Meredith: What time did you miss the car? Half-past six in the morning ?—Yes. We looked for wheel marks and saw that the car had gone Tauranga way. My son Trevor, who came home late, told Godfrey that the car was missing, but I was not awakened I did not know that the car was missing. Mr Meredith: When did you know that Elsie had gone?—Straight away. We called her and found that she was missing. We got in touch with the police. A) hen the body was found she was wearing a boy’s coat? —Yes. That belonged to Tom, who is 10 or 11.

Did you get the fact of the disappearance broadcast on the radio? —No. Mr Hunt: Girl gone, car gone, and you only tell the local constable. That’s all you did. You did not wire to anybody on the road and tel them to keep a lookout?—No. Air Meredith: Your clothes were in the wardrobe, and some money was in the trousers’ pocket?—Yes, £3 15s. In the morning it was missing. Had Bill (the eldest son) been away before he came to you two weeks before the disappearance?—Yes. For ten or twelve days before he went away in August he worked on the farm ?—Yes. Why did he go?—He annoyed us because he got married without telling us. He got married on August 29 in Auckland. When did he tell you that he was married ?—At an Auckland boardinghouse oil September 24. What was Bill doing in Auckland? — He said he had taken a billet in Henderson. Was lie working while in Auckland? —No. FINDING OF BODY. When did you hear that Elsie’s body was found? —On the Fridhy. I hoard the car was found on the AVednesday. Did you give any instructions about the car? —Yes. I told the police to take care of it. It was about 9 o’clock on Saturday morning that I heard that Elsie’s body was found. You caught the train at 10.30? —Yes I arrived in Auckland about 11 p.m. AVhere did you go when y-ou arrived in Auckland ?—To the detective office. AVhere did you go after seeing the detectives next morning?—Up to the inquest. Where did you go after lunch? —1 went out to see Mr Lusk, who has been my solicitor for twenty-five years. Did you see Mr Kelly (detective) after leaving Air Lusk? —No, I went to Henderson to see Bill. His wife was there, but I did not see her. You had a talk? —A T es, I tohl. Irim tile trouble about Elsie, and lie said he did not know a word about it. Did you ask Bill where he had been putting in his time lately? No. I asked him where the key of 4ho car was, and he said he left it at home. Mr Hunt: Did you discuss Elsie with Bill? —A'es. His mother had written to him about Elsie leaving, and addressed the letter to him in Epsom. It had not reached him when I was talking to him. Air Hunt: Did you not ask .Bill where he was on tho Monday night?— I don’t remember. Now, look, Mr Bayly, the Afonday night Elsie Walker disappeared I should think was a very important one in your life. Surely you can remember whether you discussed with Bill bis whereabouts that night?— I may have done. I’m not sure. I should think the night would impress itself on your memory?—A’es, it did. AVhon then did you discuss the matter with Bill?—flic next morning I discussed with him his movements of October 1. He told me he had gone ito Henderson. Ho had had lunch with Iris wife, and had done some shopping. When Bayly had been in the box nearly two hours and a half, Air Alereditli concluded, and the examination by Air Northcroft started. Mr Northcroft asked Bayly if he had any reason to believe that his son Bill had anything to do with Hie tragedy. Witness: None at all. The Court adjourned until to-mor-row morning.