Wedding-Day Tragedy

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 353, 14 May 1928, Page 13

Wedding-Day Tragedy

(Continued from page 1.) She next heard voices and saw a window raised. Mrs. Nwgrove was at th© window and appeared very upset. Witness thought she was trying to get out of the window. She was crying hard. When Mrs. Norgrovo saw witness she hesitated a moment, and putting her hand to her forehead went back to the room. Witness could see Nurgrove standing behind Mrs. Xorgrove. The window was then closed. Before the window closed she heard Mrs. Xorgrove say: *T will, I will,” and Xorgrove said: ‘Til go, too.” After the window closed witness heard sounds of furniture being shifted, a cry from Mrs. Norgrove and several heavy thuds. After that she heard nothing more. About a quarter of an hour later Xorgrove walked out of the house. To Mr. Moody: It was quite obvious from what she saw that there was a row going on. WHAT CONSTABLE FOUND Constable Horam stated that, in response to a telephone call from the detective office in Auckland, he communicated with Dr. Leeper, and they both went to Mrs. Norgrove’s home. The blinds were down and the doors locked. Witness forced an entrance through the door. He saw Mrs. Xorgrove lying on the floor in the bedroom. She was dead. The body was in a comfortable position. The clothes had been carefully arranged, and had evidently been attended to after she had fallen to the floor. Her hat had been placed beside the body. A corner of the dressing table had been knocked off and was lying nearby. There was blood all over the floor and the wall. Witness found the flatiron on the settee in the drawingroom. It was covered with blood. Constable Leslie said that about 12.45 p.m. on March 7. Xorgrove came into the Ponsonby Police Station. He said: Mr. Leslie, I want to give myself upj. It have murdered a woman. It was my sister-in-law. Mr. Moody, interjecting: Are you reading from notes, constable? —Xo. Here it is, and witness produced the book from his hip pocket. Witness continued by saying that Xorgrove then washed his face and hands. A statement was then made and taken down. Xorgrove read it and signed it as being true. Prior to this he had produced a door key and had said it was the key of the house. In the statement made by the accused he admitted that he had killed Mrs. Xorgrove. He arrived at the house shortly after 11 a.m. on March 7. Mrs. Xorgrove was out, and when she came in there were some words. The argument was continued in the bedroom, and then he left the room and went to the bathroom and got a flat-iron and struck Mrs. Xorgrove on the head with it. She fell to the grounrd and then he left the house.

When witness saw the accused there were blood stains on his shirt. Accused admitted that he had been cohabiting with Mrs. Norgrove. He hr.d not put it in his statement because he did not want it to come out in Court. Mr. Moody: When the accused came to the station he was agitated?—Xo; not until after I was speaking to him. He was very agitated?—Yes. He said he would murder the woman? —Yes. In the Lower Court your story was different? —I said he said he had killed her. It’s the same thing. It is absolutely different. Witness was not sure whether he had said “killed” or “murdered,” and he made for his note-book. Mr. Moody: That’s right. I know you have been dying to get that out. “Not necessarily, Mr. Moody.” After consulting his note-book, witness said the word used was “murdered.” He only took down what the accused had stated. The luncheon adjournment was taken at this stage. CROWDED COURT After the adjournment, the courtroom was crowded to a greater extent than before, the people being in their places long before the proceedings opened. Constable Newlands said Xorgrove had admitted to him at the police station that he had killed Mrs. Norgrove with a flat iron. Constable Holt stated that he had asked Xorgrove what the quarrel was about. Norgrove said he had objected to Firth marrying Mavis. He was doing all he could to stop the marriage. It was only a short time before that he heard the marriage was taking place on March 7. When Xorgrove came to the station he was perfectly sober and rational, although agitated. To Mr. Moody: Constable Leslie asked Xorgrove to sign the statement as true. That statement was in the nature of question and answer? —Yes, but it was a volunteered statement. Detective-Sergeant Kelly spoke of the initial investigations taken in the case.