TARRANT'S STORY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 391, 28 November 1932, Page 5

TARRANT'S STORY

(Press Assn.-

BLENHEIM MURDER SUGGESTED KILLING BY UNKNOWN THIRD PERSON FOUND THE MONEY

— By Telegraph — Copyrlght)

Blenheim, Saturday. The trial ef Edward Tarraut whe is charged with the murder of James Flood at Picton on Nevember \ 3, 1931, en.ter.ed on the fifth day at { the Supreme Court to-day before Mr. I Justice Blair. j This morning his Honour referred > to arrangements for the jury to in- I spect the locality of the crime, and ; this drew from Mr. Parry the de- j fence's theory of the crime. He said . the defence would suggest that the murderer, whoever he might have j been, resided somewhere on the east ; side of Devon Street, and that after ! leaving Flood's cottage he proceeded ; to Devon Street by means of a short j cut across a vacant section next to Pratt's, then diagonally across the j croquet lawn. The defence would suggest that he dropped the key as he went, and that later he planted the wallet under the croquet lawn hedge, covering it with leaves. Here Tarrant found it early in January. It would be admitted that he had no right to retain the money, but the fact that he did so did not mean he was the murderer- It would be admitted that he attempted to mislead the police as to his possession of the money until he was bowled out, when he told the truth that he had found it. Deteetive Hall was cross-examined at length. Witness admitted that the police had taken a pair of khaki trousers belonging to accused and a coat which was afterwards found to belong to his son. They had on them what appeared to be blood stains. The .stain on the coat was explained by the fact that the son had a wound on his arm.