BAFFLING MYSTERY OF GIRL’S DEATH

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 556, 8 January 1929, Page 1

BAFFLING MYSTERY OF GIRL’S DEATH

LONG DRIVE THROUGH NIGHT

Elsie Walker’s Strange Fate BODY IN QUARRY 200 MILES FROM HOME WILL the mystery of Elsie Walker’s deatli be solved when the inquest is resumed on Thursday? Since her dead body was found lying in the scrub near an old quarry at Tamaki on the afternoon of October 6, ceaseless inquiries have been made by the police. A huge pile of evidence is awaiting the Coroner—evidence which has been gathered from every available source.

WALKER was the 16-year-old daughter of Mr. De Renzy Walker, of Ruakokori, on the Gisborne side of Opotiki. She did not live at home, but for some time had been working for her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bayly, of Papamoa, Te Puke. The girl would have been 17 years of age on October 20 had she lived. Here, briefly, are the facts of the mysterious ease as far as they are known: Date on the evening of October 1, Elsie Walker disappeared from the home of Mr. Frank Bayly. Papamoa, near Te Puke, Bay of Plenty.

A Whippet motor-car, belonging to Mr. Bayly, also disappeared the same evening. On October 6, five days later, the motor-car was found abandoned at Papatoetoe. That same evening, seven miles away from the abandoned motor-car, the dead body of Elsie Walker was found in the old quarry at Tamaki. Medical evidence declared that the girl had been dead for at least three daj’S. When she was found on October 6 the girl was lying on her face, in a natural attitude, with one arm extended. Her face was buried in the arm, as though she had been asleep.

There was a small bruise on the top of the head under the skin. This might have been caused by a blow or by the force of her falling and striking her head on some hard'.substance. This is one of the points about which medical experts may differ. WHO DROVE THE CAR? The girl’s father stated that his daughter could not drive a motor-car, but evidence was obtained that she he,d been seen to drive Bayly’s car in and out of the garage. How did this girl of 16 reach a spot nearly 200 miles from her home? Who drove the car? After the girl had disappeared from her uncle’s place It was found that £ll and a watch, the property of Mr. and Mrs. Bayly and their son, were also missing. No money was found on the dead girl. A tyre was changed on the journey from Papamoa to Papatoetoe, and some extra petrol was also obtained. How was this done if the girl could not drive or manage the car, and where was the petrol obtained? No one has been found who saw the Whippet’ car on the journey from Papamoa to where it was found abandoned at Papatoetoe. The journey between those two points must have been made on the night of October 1 and 2, though the route taken is not known. If the girl did drive the car, how did she find her way at night over roads which she had never travelled? Her father stated that she had never been farther north than Rotorua, so the route would be new and strange to her. It is believed that the car reached

Papatoetoe on the morning of October 2. It was discovered in a side street at mid-day that day, though no one seems to have seen anyone leave it there. Did Elsie Walker walk the seven miles from the abandoned car to the quarry, was she accompanied on the journey, or was she taken there and abandoned? After iter body was discovered at T’amaki some wrappers from sweets were found in the vicinity, but the police have proved that these were left by a party which had visited the quarry some days previously. A man who had been seen walking near the quarry was also able to give the police a satisfactory explanation of his activities. LAST SEEN IN EVENING Elsie Walker was last seen at the Bayly homestead after dinner on the evening of October 1. She was then seen taking some scraps out of the house in a bucket. The girl was dressed in a house frock over which she wore an apron. She was also wearing a hat. When found at the quarry the girl was wearing the same frock, but over it she had a boy’s overcoat belonging to her young cousin. Letters belonging to one of her cousins which were found in the pocket of the overcoat led to the identification of the girl. Miss Walker’s disappearance was not discovered until the following morning, October 2. At the same time it was found that Mr. Bayly’s car was also missing. Trevor Bayly, son of Mr. Frank Bayly, discovered that the motor-car was missing at'l o’clock on the morn-

ing of October 2. He had come home from a dance and noticed that the garage door and the gate leading from the yifld were open. However, he did not bother to make inquiries and went to bed. Mr. Walker, father of the dead girl, is certain that his daughter met with foul play. A few days before her disappearance he had received a cheerful letter from her and he had arranged to call at the Bayly’s house on October 4 to meet her. One curious fact is that there were six gallons of petrol in the car when it was last used by the Baylys, but when the car was found it contained no petrol at all. Six gallons would not have been sufllcient to take the car on- the whole journey to Papatoetoe, so that some ■ must have been obtained on the journey. Who obtained it aiid who. paid for it? To reach Papatoetoe on the morning of October 2, whoever was in charge of the car must have driven at an average speed of 25 miles an hour. Here is a mystery which so far has baffled the police and everyone concerned with 'tlje .girl’s death. A post mortem examination of the body was made by Dr. D. N. W. Murray. Hfe examined .he contents of the atqmach,. l?Ut. found no traces of poison. ■! Dr. . Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland- Hospital, also assisted in the examination. Later, .'several .other medical experts were called in to examine the body, particularly the lump on the head. It is expected that when their evidence is made known much of it will be of a conflicting nature. Will anything definite be brought forward at the conclusion of the inquest ?