FIFTH DAY OF HEARING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 563, 16 January 1929, Page 1

FIFTH DAY OF HEARING

Police Explain Investigations MANY TRAILS IN SEARCH FOR CLUES THE long’ drawn-out Walker inquiry is drawing to a close. This morning, the fifth day, the story of the police investigations was told by Detective-Sergeant Kelly. Evidence of the movements of William Alfred Bayly at Henderson was also given. It is expected that the hearingwill conclude to-day.

The coroner, Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.M., is presiding, and also taking part in the inquiry are Mr. V. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, for the police; Mr. E. H. Northcroft, for the Bayly family; and Mr. Mowbray, for Mr. De Renzy Walker, father of the dead girl. A fresh feature introduced into the case yesterday afternoon was the evidence given by two men to the effect that a strange woman was seen walking along the road near Papatoetoe and Panmure about the time Elsie Walker disappeared. I David Baldwin, a road board employee at Panmure, testified as to having seen a young woman walking quickly along the main road, about half a mile from Panmure, and going in that direction. It was about nine o’clock in the morning, and he noticed the girl by the manner in which she was hurrying along the road. Witness described the clothing she was wearing. Her overcoat, which looked like a man’s coat, was similar to the one produced in court. About two hours later he noticed a strange mail in the vicinity. He was idling under a verandah. A MISSING REPORT Detective-Sergeant Kelly, the officer in charge of the ease, also gave evidence during the afternoon, and was still in the box when the inquiry was adjourned. It was in the course of his evidence that reference was made by the coroner to a report on the case, which should have been handed to him. The witness stated that he prepared a report for the coroner in duplicate. Mr. Hunt: Why didn’t I get o. copy? Witness: I don’t know. I wrote it. Mr. Hunt: Where is the duplicate? I haven’t got one at all. Witness then detailed the information. contained in the report. To Mr. Meredith: He was certain he made out the report. He placed it on the chief detective’s table for the purpose of the inquest next morning. Continuing his evidence this morning, Detective-Sergeant Kelly said that the following Sunday investigations were carried out on different routes near where the car was found, and also at the spot where the body was found. The investigations were 1 to ascertain how Elsie Walker covered the ground from where the car was left to where she was found. ' whether she had a meal at any of the | tea-shops or from any residents en j route. Mr. Hunt: Do you think that the girl would walk 25 miles when she had enough benzine in the car to take liei at least another five miles? Witness: I c*iu not know what was in the girl’s mind at the time. INQUIRIES LED TO NOTHING Continuing, witness said that he accounted for the movements of most of the cars in that vicinity at about that time. All inquiries led to nothing. Later, witness made inquiries in the Papamoa and Te Puke districts, arriving there on October 17. He combed the district thoroughly, but could obtain no information of the movements of the car. The postal and railway officials were interviewed regarding correspondence and the issue of railway tickets. Service-car drivers were also interviewed, but no members of the Bayly family except Miss Audrie Bayly had travelled at that time. He obtained the fact that the deceased girl was never seen in the company with a male other than on one occasion when she went to a dance with Trevor Bayly and a young j man named Lees. He was informed | by people that knew her that. Elsie j Walker was a quiet, well-behaved girl, i The railway guard in charge of the j train on the night in question said the train stopped at Papamoa, but whether to put off goods or a passenger the i guard could not remember. To Mr. Meredith: He interviewed i Mrs. Bayly in regard to the dead girl’s j clothing, and took a list of the gari ments. Constable Jackson was pres- ! ent at the time. He did not take them | away that day. but took delivery of i them before leaving the district. WILLIAM BAYLV'S MOVEMENTS | To Mr. Northcroft: Pie interviewed William Alfred Bayly and got from | him a detailed account of his movei ments at the time Elsie Walker disappeared. He checked up the information given aud could not find a great deal to support the statements. Mr. Northcroft: What was there you couldn't verify that day? Witness: r find that his wife did pay an account at the Power Board that afternoon. Mr. Pluut: Did you find that William Bayly accompanied his wife? Witness: No. I don’t know that. : To Mr. Northcroft: He believed | What Mrs. Bayly, jun., told him. | Mr. Northcroft: Did Bayly know ! where the milliner’s shop was where : he purchased a liat? Witness: He knew where it was, but did not know the name of it Mr. Northcroft: Did you ask him to go with you and point out the shop. Witness: No. Witness said that William Bayly ; also told him that he went to a picture theatre in the afternoon, and one ,

of the pictures shown was called “Aunt Mary’s Rejuvenation.’’ Witness found that to be correct. Witness interviewed Bayly again regarding his movements on the Monday and the answers were consistent with those given previously. During his investigations in the Bay of Plenty he could find no one, male or female, who had seen William Alfred Bayly in the district. He did not think it would be reasonably possible for him to have been in the district unknown to anyone. He also ascertained that Trevor Bayly had been to a private dance at Te Puke, and this was verified by his com vn ions. When he was at Papamoa he was aware that there had been a small bruise on Elsie Walker’s head. He took a statement of 11 pages from Mrs. Bayly, but that subject was not mentioned. To Mr. Northcroft: Were you one of those that attempted to search Bill Bayly’s effects? Witness: No. If I had wanted to 1 would have got a search warrant. Mr. Northcroft: It is easy to get a search warrant, isn’t it? Witness: Oh, no. An affidavit has to be made. Mr. Northcroft: But it could be obtained without the man knowing? Witness: Oh, yes. To Mr. Meredith: The Power Board officers could not tell who it was that had paid the account referred to. Ah they could prove was that it had been paid. CORONER WILL FIND OUT He interviewed a waitress at Glenalvon, who said it was her duty to take round tea before breakfast. Although she had no distinct recollection of the occasion, she was inclined to believe that Bill Bayly was in his room on the morning of October 2, because if his bed has not been slept in she would have noticed it. Also, if there had been a cup of tea over, she would have known. Mr. Hunt: Why were the clothes not handed to the bacteriologist earlier? Witness: I handed them over to the chief detective, and then went to Papamoa. Mr. Hunt: All right. I will find out later. fiTiis concluded Detective-Sergeant Kelly’s evidence. (Continued on Page 11.)