AUCKLAND MYSTERY

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3897, 19 January 1929, Page 1

AUCKLAND MYSTERY

INQUEST ON ELSIE WALKER. ATMOSPHERE Op" EXCITEMENT. AUCKLAND, Jan. 17. There was no sitting of the Coroner’s Court on the death of Elsie Walker this morning. Timed in the first place to resume at 10 o’clock, the inquiry was adjourned till 11, aiul when counsel, police officials and the public Irad moved from the main courtroom to an auxiliary and hack again, i't was announced that the inquest had been further adjourned until 2.15 p.m. No official statement was made concerning the cause of the delay, but it is understood that Mr Meredith had asked for an adjournment All the morning there was a big crowd waiting round the precints of the court, men and women, and there was a big sprinkling of women who stood about discussing the case from every angle. There was an atmosphere of excitement when the inquest was resumed in the afternoon.

Constable J. Bowman, recalled, said that he was doing plain-clothes duty at Auckland. He received a telephone call from the Hamilton office on October 6 about two o’clock. Detective William Alfred Bayly had been away from Papamoa for the past six weeks. He was supposed to have been secretly married at Auckland between August and October, when Bayly’s car was stolen. Williams Alfred Bayly was in possession of one key and Mrs Bayly had Lhe other, which was kept in her bedroom. When the car was stolen this key was missing. William Raylv was supposed to go to work on a farm at Henderson. Mr Frank Bayly was leaving for Auckland that day, where he would arrive at 11 o’clock that night. Mr Hunt: Was there, anything m the message about the importance of seeing William Bayly before his father? Witness: No. Mr Hunt quoted passages from Constable Jackson’s evidence in an effort to get corroboration of it. Witness denied having heard anything about Constable Jackson suspecting Bill, or saying that if Bill was not got before his father nothing would be heard about the case. TIME OF MESSAGE. Witness said he got the message from Hamilton at 2.30. Mr Hunt: Then you got it before the constable sent it. Mr Northcroft: When Constable Jackson says he sent it. Mr Hunt said that Constable Jackson said he sent the message at three o’clock, and the present witness said lie got it at 2.30 o’clock. The history of the message was another thing that the police should have inquired into. To Mr Northcroft witness said: J have not recently perused carefully Lhe message I took down from Detective White; I saw it this morning, hut I remembered it fairly well. After hearing Constable Jackson’s evidence, or being told about it, have you communicated with Detective White at Hamilton to verify what he received from Constable Jackson? No Has anybody in the Auckland police done so?—Not to my knowledge. Well, is it possible for the messege received at Hamilton from Constable Jackson to be in Auckland to-morrow morning ?—Yes, 1 should think so. Air Hunt: I’m not holding a police inquiry if we go on like this I won’t know where I am. Mr Northcroft: Constable Jackson gratuitously insulted the Bayly family by a statement which is not in the police records. Mr Hunt: I don’t know about that. DETECTIVE’S EVIDENCE. Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike said that he interviewed the Bayly family and other persons to whom deceased was known. He was unable to gather any information of anyone having accompanied the girl in the car, or of any person leaving the Bayly home with the girl. Mr Hunt: But you were 36 days too late, wern’t you? Witness: I’ll explain that. He added that he could find no correspondence to the girl, nor could he discover whether she had any close friends. Practically a house-to-house canvass of the district was made. Mr Hunt: But how long after? Where are you starting your evidence? Witness: I’m starting on November 5. ... ~ Mr Hunt: These inquiries are after November 5. . Witness said that he made Ins inquiries as a detective. Mr Hunt said that he would not think anybody would know what happened a month back. INTERVIEW WITH BILL BAYLY. “On November 29 I interviewed Bill Bayly at Henderson,” said Detective Bickerdike. “I told him who I was, and that I was making inquiries re-, garding the death of Elsie Walker. 1 asked him if he could give a more definite account of his movements on October 1 and 2. He said: ‘1 have already made two statements; you see my solicitor; I suppose because 1 have been in a little trouble before they think 1 have been carrying on with this girl.’ I said: ‘Have you?’ He sai: ‘No.’ I asked him if he was prepared to make a statement to that effect. Bayly made a statement, which was read, to the effect that he had never interfered with the girl. Air Meredith: Bayly had said in his statement that you asked him to make a confidant of you about the whole business; is that so? —No. He further stated that you said w him that Elsie was an attractive girl, and von did not blame him if he had been'attracted by her; did you make any statement like that? —No, none at all. . A . Mr Northcroft: Did you interview Airs Bayly? —I interviewed Mrs Bayly by herself. Was there any appearance of obstruction or hindrance Horn Mr Bayly to your getting any information you wanted? —No; Mrs Bayly suggested that I see other members of the family bv themselves. * Witness added that the people he interviewed tried to remember to the best of their ability.

GIRL’S CHARACTER GOOD. Mr Mowbray: In your investigations did you discover anything against the character of Elsie Walker? Witness: Her character was good. Mr Meredith said that with the exception of Mrs Bayly, the wife of William Baylv, and the girl who sold the hat, there was no other witness he could suggest at the present time who could throw any light on the matter.

Unless His Worship had any suggestions, it was necessary to make an appointment for the attendance of Airs Bayly. Mr Hunt: We will take what evidence we can to-day. Mr Northcroft: 1 have evidence.

Mr Hunt agreed that Airs Bayly should be heard at 11 o’clock to-mor-row. Mr Northcroft asked for the recall of Detective-Sergeant Kelly, as he wanted lo know if there was any difficulty about, getting the evidence from Mrs Bavly.

Mr Hunt: 1 don’t think there was any difficulty. Mr Northcroft pressed his claim in view of the statements that had been made by the Te Puke constable. Mr Hunt: Very well, then you can call whom vou like. 1 )ectesti ve-Sergenlit Kelly, recalled on the application of Mr Northcroft, s.vid that he had taken statements from all of the Bayly family when in Papamoa. Each statement was taken way from the remainder of the family, and they were given freely. There was certainly no sign of obstruction on t.he part of anv member of the family. Mr limit: Was there an altercation between the conytahle and the Bayly family when you arrived ?—Yes. Have you read the evidence of the j’e Puke constable, Constable Jackson, on that point?—Yes. Is it correct ?—Yes. The question arose out of a key being taken? —Yes. Mr Northcroft: You’re quite sure: Yes. EVIDENCE OF SALE OF HAT. Adelaide Selkirk, a milliner, oi Mount Eden, who is employed in Knrangaliape Road] said that she remembered William Bayly calling at the shop in November last. Three women were employed in the shop. She knew neither Bayly nor Air Fawcett, who accompanied him. When Bayly was asked which was the girl he pointed to witness and said: “That’s the one. ’ A\itness, when asked by Bayly if she remembered his wife being in for a hat, said she did not know whether she would remember again. Mr Fawcett asked if the hat priced at 19s lid was bought on October 1. In the day book the third of the last sale was valued at 19s lid. Witness herself made the sale. The indications from the position of the sale in the hook was that the hut was sold about the middle of the afternoon. Dockets were not given to customers when sales were made. No inquiries had been made about the sale by any police officer. 'Mr Meredith: Was the middle of the afternoon "suggested as the time of the sale.

Witness: No. , , , Mr Northcroft said that he had arranged for the wife of-Bill Bayly to bring the hat to the court to-morrow morning. He asked that witness should also be in attendance. Mr Hunt said that the mere producing of the hat did not seem to prove anything. Mr Northcroft: That is a somewhat amazing statement to make. . Air Hunt: No, it isn’t. I know something about the sifting of evidence and I don’t regard that as evidence. The wife could say “It was a little dark lmt and 1 bought it at so and so,” but it did not prove anything. I don’t think much of that evidence. Air Northcroft: I will still have the hat. . Air Hunt: A T ou can have the hat and vou can have the girl. VISIT TO HENDERSON FARM. Air Lusk, a solicitor, said that Mr Frank Bayly was an old friend of his. They had been friends for 40 years. When he found that Bayly’s niece had been found dead lie telephoned Lo lus house at Papamoa, and asked whether he could be of any assistance when Bayly arrived in Auckland. He rang witness on the Tuesday morning, but he did not invite witness to go to the inquest. Bayly went to witness s house that afternoon. He told witness that just before he left the hoardinghouse he had had a ring from Detec-tive-Sergeant Kelly, asking about a motor-car key belonging to lus son, William. He said he did not know anything about the key. He was going to Henderson to see his son, and would ask him about it Witness and Air Bayly set off about 3.30 in a taxi, and they had some difficulty in finding the lace. They eventually found out from the local police where the place was They would arrive at the farm perhaps a little after four o’clock. Air Northcroft: It is stated that you were there at 1.43; is that conec • —Absolutely incorrect. What took place when Mr Bayly saw his son?—Mr Bayly asked Bill it he lmd heard the horrible news about Elsie Walker. Bill said no, and then Ins father told him briefly. He seemed very much surprised. He was asked about the key of the car, and lie said he had handed it over to Ins mother. The father and son then discussed tlio work that Bill was doing on the farm, and then Air Frank Bayly went into the house to talk to Bill’s wife. Bill and witness talked outside on the veiandah They talked mostly about the farm and Bill’s work. Bill asked witness if j ie knew any more than “dad about the death of Elsie Walker. Witness told him that he did not know anything more. Mr Bayly and Bill talked together for about three minutes, and it was delicacy which had made witness draw aside. He did not hear what was said. Witness and Air Bayly were back in Auckland before five o’clock. The inquest was adjourned until tomorrow when it is anticipated that it will be concluded.