CAPITAL CHARGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 131, 3 May 1940, Page 2

CAPITAL CHARGE

UNTIRING POLICE SEARCH. WAIHI, May 2. ■Following an afternoon of unusual activity in Waihi yesterday, Detec-tive-Sergeants J. Thompson and JWalsh early last evening brought a young man, Douglas , Herbert Cartman, to the police station, and at 9 p.m. arrested him on a charge of murdering Mrs Alice Elizabeth Hamilton. It is four weeks since Mrs Hamilton was found dead in some scrub close to the Waitawheta Road, one mile from Waikino, w.th her head battered in. Four miles away, on the same road, was found the body of 16-year-old Lloyd Moran, who accompanied her on her fatal walk, begun from the Waikino Hotel at 7.15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. His head, too, was smashed in. It was apparent yesterday that the police were ready to move in the matter. Conferences were held on Tuesday and again yesterday, and were attended by Commissioner D. J. Cummings, Superintendent J.. Cummings, of Auckland, Inspector G. E. Edwards (officer in charge of the district), and Detective-Sergeants Walsh and Thompson. Cartnnm, the man in custody, is single, and is aged 22 Ho lived with his mother in Walmsley Street, Waihi, and was employed as a trucker at the Martha mine. The arrest follows investigations carried out over a wide area during the past month, and when the story is unfolded in the Court it is understood it will preseut a number of unusual features. As with the Piha case, the use which detectives have made of facilities offered by pathologists in Auckland and Wellington has been of paramount importance. The turning point came on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 23. when Detective F. Miller, and Constable V . Harper made some important discoveries in a garage. In consequence o. investigations made concerning pieces of headlamp glass found at the spot where it was presumed a mator-car struck down Mrs Hamilton and the bov Moran, it was established that they belonged to a 1929 brown coupe. A widespread ■ search was made for a two-seater car of that type. VISIT TO GARAGE. The two above-named officers, _ late in the afternoon of April 22, visited a garage arid discovered a car answering the description of the one they sought. Their subsequent examination disclosed bloodstains on the dashboard and on the floor of the car, some stains on a cushion of the dickey seat, and a tiny fragment of glass near the bonnet and the fender. The glass ot the offside headlamp is missing. The police took possession of this car. and it was minutely examined. Underneath the chassis they found a small piece of fatty material adhering to one of the bolts, some further bloodstains and strands of human hair. These were immediately dispatched for pathological examination. From a small strip of metal connecting two bumper bars on the front of the car was missing, a small recrangular piece of metal about one inch and a-quarter bv one inch. A piece of metal of similar dimensions, had been picked up l>v Constable Harper on the morning of April 3 when the bodies of the two victims were found on the Waitawheta Road. . -Commissioner Cummings last night said it was a very difficult mounry. requiring an enormous amount of work, especially in checking, up on motor cars. He" expressed appreciation of the assistance' given to the police bv the public throughout the inquiry, when thev had been keen to help in every possible way. ACCUSED IN COURT. Much inlerest was taken this morning when accused was brought before the Police Court, a large crowd attending. Accused, who wore a b.ue striped suit and stood with his hands in his pockets, was charged “that on April 2, at Waikino, - he did murder Alice Elizabeth Hamilton.” Messrs W. M. Wallnutt and' J. , Moorhead, J.P.’sj were on the Bench. . Detective-Sergeant Thompson said accused had been arrested only last night - and that the police desired a remand to Auckland for May (>, when a further remand would be applied for. The remand was granted, the whole proceedings lasting less than a minute. GOOD WORK BY POLICE. In, this case the Commissioner of Police (Mr D. J. Cummings) has to a large extent supervised the inquiry particularly during the past, two or three days. Yesterday Superintendent J. Cummings, of Auckland, arrived and the inspector in charge of the Hamilton district (Inspector G. E. Edwards) has also been here. Excellent work has been done oy Detective-Ser-geant -J. Thompson, with whom have been associated Detective-Sergeant J. Walsh, Detectives W. Slater, E. Miller, R. D. L. Jones (of Auckland) and Detective Haves, of Hamilton. The local staff of police, under Sergeant T. G. Dunn, have been active, assisted by Constables Harper, Spence, Finch and Rosborough, of Waihi, also Constables P.‘ E. Matkieson and R. J. Lucas, of Auckland. In addition, three other Hamilton constables and four, Auckland constables have assisted in searching. scrub-cutting and sifting. Since the tragedy occurred a fear psychology has been prevalent" in theWaikino district,.' with the result that husbands have not cared to leave their wives alone in the evenings and local business' lias suffered. Now, however, there is general relief and conditions are returning to normal.