MURDER CHARGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 387, 23 November 1932, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

(Press. Assn.-

■GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST IN TARRANT TRIAL LARGE NUMBER OF WITNESSES

— By Telegrj-.ph — Cc-ry -lght)

Blenheim, Tuesday. Extraordinary public interest was shown tbjs morning in the triail at the Supreme Cou*"t, before His Honour, Mr. Justice Blair, of Edward Tarrant, who is charged with the murder, at Picton, pa November 3, 1931, of an old man named James Flood. Large crowds assemhled around' the Courthouse at an early hour, and many of them could not be admitted„ The accommodation, available was almost fully occupied by the unusually large panel of jurymen who had been summoned in anticipation of a free exereise of challenge. Mr. P. S, K. Macassey, of Wellington, with him Mr, A. C. Macnab, of Blenheim, appeared for the Crown, while the prisoner was represented by Mr. Evan Parry, of Wellington, with him Mr. A. E. L. Scantlebury, of Blenheim. The Crown is calling between 54 and 60 witnesses, so that the trial is likely to occupy a considerable time. The victim of the tragedy, who was known to keep in a wallet in his possion about £1000, mainly in oldstyle £20 and £10 notes, lived alone in a two-roomed cottage in Canterbury Street, Picton, with neighbours fairljr handy on all sides. He was last seen alive on the evening of Novem-

ber c>. b orty-eight hours later some neighbours, „realising that they had not seen Flood for a considerable period, made investigations, which rcsulted in the discovery of his body, practically decapitated, lying in the living-room of the cottage. One door of the cottage had been locked after the tragedy, and a curious discovery a few days later was that of the door key, which was found lying on the edge of the Picton Croquet Club's closely-shaven lawn. When the tragedy was discovered the old man's wallet, which he had carried in a specially-buttoned inside coat pocket, was missing. It will probably be a week or more before the Crown case is eompleted and the defence opened.