TROTTER TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8342, 31 January 1913, Page 8

TROTTER TRAGEDY

THOMPSON COMMITTED MRS TROTTER FAILS TO IDENTIFY THOMPSON. FINGER-PRINTS THE ONLY EVIDENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received January 30, 11.20 p.m.) MELBOURNE, January 30. Harold Thompson has been committed for trial for the murder of Mr Trotter. Bail was refused. Mrs Trotter, in evidence at the in,'iuest, said that both burglars appeared ■slim. One was taller than the other. The voice of the taller seemed a boyish voice, breaking into manhood. Thompson’s voice did not appear the same. . . Thompson’s voice was gruff and lowtoned—tho voice of a man. Thompson did not seem a slim-built man to her idea. Tho coat worn by the taller man was striped something like the one produced. , . A felt hat produced was something like tho one worn by tho taller man. Nobody, to her knowledge, knew where the money was kept. She went at once to see Thompson, but was unable to identify him. The evidence against Thompson consisted of a finger-print on (.be windowsill of the back window. An expert stated that G.o characteristics agreed with Thompson s.

Two burglars entered the bedroom ot Mr Trotter, the chief collector for MacRobert and Sons, confectioners, on January 7th, and shot Mr Trotter m the presence of his wife and child. They then secured over , £2OO and escaped. Mrs Trotter told a sensational story. bhe said that her husband, she, and a hve-year-old child were awakened at 3 o clock in tho morning by tin? flash of an electric light. She then saw two masked men covering them with revolvers, and heard them demanding money. Trotter declared that he had none. The men replied that they knew ho had, and threatened to shoot him, telling his wup that she would not b© hurt, and that tn.o3onlv wanted money. She thought it was only a joke, and told her husband that the men were playing, a gams, trotter reiterated that the only money he had belonged to hi* employers. He then jumped out of bed and struck and struggled with one of tho robbers. The second robber placed a revolver at Trotter s ii'-'ad and fired, Xto then wont and turned up tho mattress where tho money; was usually kopt- and took a bag containing <£BB in cash and <£llß in cheques, Trottor *e taking’s of tho previous day. They entered by forcing the window, ajid they propped the doors open to make their escape easy. They then tied. The robbers were apparently well acquainted with Trotter’s habits, and chose a day when his takings were unusually heavy. They knew where ho kept his_ money and tho position of the electric light. Trotter had a frightful wound on the forebcad and died in three hours. On January 13th it was reported that the burglar who removed tho money from under tho mattress did not speak once during the commission of the crime. It was supposed that this person was a woman.

On January 14th it was said that of the two persons implicated in the Trotter murder, one was of small physique, and did not speak during the tragedy. The detectives were working on the theory that the smaller of the two was a woman well acquainted with the Trotters and their movements, and that she did not speak for fear of her voice betraying her later. A labourer named Harold Thompson was arrested and formally charged with tho murder of Trotter. The police were shadowing him for days, and eventually surrounded his house. Thompson denied the charge.