ACCUSED’S CRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 338, 25 April 1928, Page 9

ACCUSED’S CRY

“YOU ARE TWISTING ME!” GUTTERIDGE MURDER CASE SENSATIONAL TRIAL GOES ON ! (United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian Press Association) Reed. Noon. LONDON, Wed. In the Gutteridge murder case the sensation of the day was the accused Browne’s appearance in the box, followed by Mrs Srowne, who swore her husband was with her on the night of the rpurder, coming in about 9 o’clock in the evening. The prosecution's case closed when the chief inspector of a smal-arms factory at Enfield, producing a microscope, demonstrated to the jury that the cartridge case found on the doctor’s car was definitely fired from a revolver in Browne’s possession. Two indentations on the cartridge precisely corresponded with markings upon the revolver breech shield. Browne’s entry into the box caused a scene. He was handed a card, on which an oath was printed. He hesitated, turned to the Judge, and said, “I can’t take this oath. I shall never know the whole truth. How can I swear?” Mr. Justice Avory: You must make up your mind whether to take the oath in its proper form or not. Only after discussion was Browne persuaded to read the oath, and then he did so in a faltering voice. In his evidence he denied that ’he was ever at the scene of the murder, and he said Kennedy’s story was a fairy tale from beginning to end. He believed the reason for the statement was that Kennedy was an habitual drunkard. Browne declared that the revolver found in his possession originally belonged to Kennedy, and was in Kennedy’s possession on September 26 last year. The Judge reminded Browne that he had said himself that he bought the revolver from a sailor at Tilbury Docks somewhere in April, 1927. Browne (excitedly): “You are twisting me round!

Mr. Justice Avory (sharply): Don’t talk to me about twisting. I have taken down what you said. Cross-examined by the SolicitorGeneral (Sir Frank Merriman), Browne admitted that when his wife visited the prison on April 10 he wrote something in invisible iijk on the back of a certain envelope addressed to Sheffield.'

Futher cross-examined Browne admitted that the invisible writing read, “Can you tell, me the date that Kennedy and I divided a lot of jewellery? I tossed which should take one lot, and lie took the other. It was then that I exchanged revolvers with Kennedy. After he may have shot the policeman. Just quote the date by return.—Fred.” The case was adjourned.