MYSTERY STILL UNSOLVED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 561, 14 January 1929, Page 1

MYSTERY STILL UNSOLVED

Elsie Walker’s Last Day Alive MRS BAYLY GIVES EVIDENCE EVIDENCE regarding Elsie Walker’s ability to drive the Bayly car, and the nature of a button said to have been attached to the car-key that was missing on the morning of the girl’s disappearance, were the principal features of the evidence given at the inquiry into the girl’s death which was resumed before Mr. F. K. Hunt, coroner, this morning. The public portion of the courtroom was again tightly packed with people when the examination of William Alfred Bayly was resumed. The evidence of Mrs. Bayly was also / heard.

William Alfred Bayly resumed his place in the witness box when the inquiry was continued this morning. He was asked by Mr. Northcroft if tiere was any truth in the suggestion tint he had threatened his brother Trevor not to say that he was in the Bay of Plenty at the time Elsie Walker left home. Witness: There is absolutely no truth In it at all. Mr. Northcroft: You remember the dramatic way you were questioned about your watch on Friday afternoon? Witness: Yes. It is my walch, and not even the same make as Trevor’s. Mr. Hunt: No, this watch was bought in November. Mr. Northcroft: In view of the dramatic way in which the question vas asked on Friday, I want to make the point quite clear. Continuing, witness said he had never been intimate with Elsie Walker, and knew no reason why she should have left home. To Mr. Meredith: He purchased the Mtch some time between November 13 and 16. Previously he had a wristlet watch, but it was not satisfactory. Mr. Hunt: You are quite clear reparding your movements on the Tuesday—you did not return to Glenalvon after breakfast until bedtime? Witness: Yes. To Mr. Hunt: His wife gave him 113 before they were married and £l2 5s afterwards. The witness Bayly concluded his evidence a few minutes before eleven o'clock. MRS. BAYLY’S EVIDENCE Constance Ivy Bayly, mother of William Bayly, said that Elsie Walker was her niece, and had been with her since October 3, 1927. She had been lor a visit on the previous Easter, and had stayed a fortnight. Elsie acted as n companion, and was given an allowance of 12s 6d a week for assisting in the household. In May, last year she went home to her lather’s place at Raukokoru, staying away for about five or six weeks, being detained by bad weather. On one occasion, also, she was away, and stayed with Mrs. Jordan, at Tauranga. Witness was in Auckland at the time and returned home to Papamoa on tie same day as Elsie. That was in August. I On October 1 Miss Audrey Bayly arrived about 4.30 in the afternoon, "bey had dinner about six o'clock. The ®eal was prepared by witness, and ■isie Walker, and they'both served t Elsie was present at the meal, and was tjeariqg the dress that was rnund on her. She did not wear an apron, which would be put on later lor washing up. The dinner passed off in the ordiway, and after the meal Elsie Md the small boy washed up. Witnoss left the table, carried some dishes jtito the kitchen, and went into the imard room. Audrey, Mr. Bayly, and uulcie were in the billiard room rotor came in to tne billiard room messed to go out. He talked for a Mle before he went out. Elsie did ' ome into the billiard room that ;‘Sht. Witness did not see her after ■eating the kitchen, and went to bedatween 10.30 and 11 p.m., later than usual because of the visit of Miss Audrey Bayly. Mr. Bayly and Audey went to bed about the same time, itness did not ask where Elsie was unug the evening, and did not go ; ,L B ?, e if she was in bed Elsie: wi s ® ent her evenings with the j ■amuv, an( j , t wa3 unusua i that sbs “ aot Present, GIRL’S DISAPPEARANCE morning witness, who was still 1 o, oß< i’ was told the car was gone, i r®. ‘“Ought it was Godfrey at the ... j out she could not be sure. She v to call Elsie. He came , 10 3 few minutes, and said Elsie : hot there. Witne ,s then rang ’ „ t'Oustable Jackson, and told him 'ar* ar antl * :lsie wereg one. The r, v uumbered 27-487. There were Plat* t 0 the car. In the first Bo t , ’ w “en the car was bought, Mr. tut witness each had a key, BiII , ften Mr. Bayly gave the car to 'leii Rin a l e the kfiy to him alsotes* a flrst we “t to Auckland, wittmoK°ye him and Bills key a y a , v ack with the car. Witness had u, ; Pearl button tied on her key * wsttnguishing mark.

C j,.. e * n 4 remember whether I that button later, but I an idea I did,” said witness. sec °hd occasion she put aaj iju button on the key. It was larger tot at ~, oae produced. She was Outtons i SUre ot though she had After S.. type iu the house, ''-outrev Went away, witness and the c ,; " e s e the only ones who drove bur r>-., en witness came home her 8 key ' n a drawer. She ’°®st of J OW O key in a red box in the -»Ual]v , aw *rs in her bedroom. She He. -tucked the car when not in h»» s c *• members of the house may *“ where the key was kept. 0q key 'is missing truing following Elsie’s a! ? cp .- the key from ihe red « bussing, button and all. The

day Elsie left was a washing-day, and washing was done by witness. In the afternoon Elsie and witness did some washing up, and then witness lay down for a rest, While Charles and Elsie amused themselves. Next morning, when Elsie had disappeared, it was found that certain money was missing from the house. Front Mr. Bayly’s pockets £3 15s was missing; Miss Audrey Bayly was short of £7 or £8; and an Ingersoll watch was missing from Trevor’s room. There was no food missing. * Elsie was on ordinary diet as far as witness knew. There was no indication that Elsie had taken any of her clothes, of which she had a good assortment. Elsie had also had a wristlet watch, which was not in going order. It was now in the hands of the police. Elsie had also several purses, but none was taken, and there was a small amount of silver left in one of them. Not a great deal of food could be taken without witness missing it, although cake and biscuits would not be missed. Elsie’s health was quite good, and she was in her usual health before leaving on October 1. “But I noticed her habits were nor the same. That day I noticed she had not made her bed before mid-day. She usually made it directly after breakfast. I told her to make it, as it could be seen from the front of the house. She 'went away to do it, but she made it look as if the bed wV° made, to anyone looking through the window, but it was not made at all. All day I thought the bed was made.” Witness said she looked the bed over next morning and it was not made, nor had the clean sheet given to Elsie been opened up. ANNOYED WITH GIRL “On the day before Elsie disappeared I came down to the kitchen and Elsie was standing before the china cupboard,” said witness. “When I asked her what she was doing, she said she thought she would tidy the cupboard. I do not know if she did tidy the cupboard, because I was upset about things next day. I was annoyed that she shouli do this, because I wanted her to bring the washing in.” When witness drove tile car Elsie usually accompanied her. She had no conjecture as to whether Elsie could drive the car or not, though the girl seemed very interested. SAID SHE COULD DRIVE “On one occasion I asked Elsie if she could drive the car and she replied, confidently? ‘Yes!’” said witness. Witness never offered to teach the girl to drive, though she often explained the working of the diagram by means of which she herself drove the car at first. Witness always repeated aloud the instructions from the diagram to mark it more clearly in the mind. Witness had once had a punctui-e and Elsie got Godfrey to come out and change the tyre, though witness, Elsie and a friend had tried to do it first. Elsie was willing to go on with it, but the job was too dirty. They had jacked the car up and removed the nuts. Witness did not jack the car up and she could not remember w'ho did. Witness had never heard from any of the family that Elsie could drive a car. , , When Constable Jackson asked witness if Elsie could drive a car, witness said, “Not to my knowledge. Then Charles, the young son of witness, aged four years, who was present, said, ■ Yes, her can drive a car. She drove it. when you were down at the station.” He said further that Elsie had backed it for about a chain from the shed to the water tap. Witness could not say what she would back it out for. . The last lot of benzine was put m the car on the Thursday before Elsie’s disappearance. Witness had driven to Te Puke, and before leaving the tank -was about half full. She had it filled up later at, Te Puke. Three more gallons were put In. W itness thought she paid cash for the benzine. She drove straight home-from the gaiage. The car was not taken out again until the Rnndav night, w-hen it was taken to the church Witness drove the car straight home. The car was not used on the Monday. Nobody drove the car from Thursday until Monday, except witness. The boys did not use the car without her permission. VISIONS OF YOUTH El-oe did not draw her allowance regularly and had about £lO due to w filie had not made any request for money She had drawn 30s when she went to Tauranga, but had reHu ned £1 to witness later. E sie was happy enough, witness said, out she j:j rmt anpear contented. Mr Meredith: W’hat do you mean? Witness- Vfil, she had all to make her happy, but she was waiting: for ig would not let her *o.j

On the morning following the disappearance of Elsie, the garbage tin, which was used for the peelings and scraps of the house, was found in the garage. It was usually put* in the wash-house NO MALE FRIENDS At two o’clock on Monday morning the garbage tin was quite clean and on Tuesday morning all it had in it was a piece of paper. Elsie Walker was her -brother’s child and witness supervised her general conduct as ’ a mother ■would. Witness did not know of any male friends thait deceased,, had. She would meet no men other than those of the household. Witness saw most of Elsie’s correspondence and had no knowledge of any letters received by Lev from male friends. ■ Mr. Meredith: Do you know of any Injuries received by tbe girl? Witness: She told me that on the Saturday she had bumped her head on the billiard room window. Witness looked, but could see no marks. The billiard room windows are not very high. Witness once hurt her own head the same way. To Mr. Northcroft: Elsie slept on a sleeping porch near witness’s room. Guests had previously used it. Elsie’s own home was in a remote district where her only companions would be Maoris. Witness was asked to take her in order to give her a better environment. Mr. Northcroft: V.’hat was her position in the household? Witness: Essentially a member of the family. EXCITED OVER TALK Witness stated that Elsie, although 17 years of age, in some ways had the mentality of a child. She was far too much of a child to have a love affair. After Elsie’s disappearance a letter was found addressed to her sister Ann. It was quite a happy little letter. said witness. In it she mentioned that she had had her 17th birthday. AVitness, however, had not been informed of the birthday. The letter was produced. Referring to the girl’s “youthful visions,” Mr. Northcroft asked if anything had occurred that might have stimulated them the night before she disappeared. Witness: Yes, Miss Audrey Bayly was talking to us during dinner of the visit to Auckland of the airmen Kingsford Smith and Dim. Elsie, who sat next to me, was very interested and excited about it. Continued on Page It