Match Betrays Slayer

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 97, 15 July 1927, Page 1

Match Betrays Slayer

THE TRUNK MURDER SENTENCE OF DEATH By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright LONDON, Wednesday. John Robinson was found guilty at the Old Bailey on the charge of murdering Mrs. Minnie Bonati, whose body was found in a trunk at Charing Cross Station. Sentence of death was passed. Robinson heard the verdict and sentence without flinching. The jury consisted of 10 men and two women. Counsel for the defence laid emphasis on the absence of any motive tor the crime. He said there could not have been any blackmail by the deceased woman as Robinson could easily have changed his job and disappeared, as he had done before. Mr. Justice Swift warned the jury not to be influenced by the gruesome and sickening details connected with the case. The “Daily Express” says a burnt match led to the conviction of Robinson. The police had nothing against him on May 23 when he made a statement at Scotland Yard which seemed satisfactory. At this date the police had reports regarding 30 black trunks from 150 different people. The detectives, however, had just a germ of doubt, and searched Robinson’s office and discovered a bloodstained match in the waste-paper basket.

Robinson was then summoned to Scotland Yard again. He drove down and volunteered a confession which enabled the detectives to trace the details of the murder.—A. and N.Z.