BODY MOVED AFTER DEATH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 675, 29 May 1929, Page 1

BODY MOVED AFTER DEATH

Accidental Shot From Gun MOTU MYSTERY VERDICT Coroner Censures Motorist (THE SUN’S Special Reporter) OPOTIKI, Today. THE jury returned a verdict that Samuel McAleese died from a gunshot wound from his own rifle which was accidentally discharged, and added a rider that in its opinion the facial injuries were received after death and that the body was moved after death, but there was no evidence to show how the facial wounds were received or who moved the body. The inquest was resumed this morning when police evidence was taken.

The inquest' concerning the death of the roadman Samuel McAleese took a sensational turn late yesterday afternoon when the coroner, Mr. P. J. Short, severely reprimanded one of the principal witnesses, Willian Noad, licensee of the Masonic Hotel, Gisborne. Noad was the owner of the red car which had been referred to by previous witnesses. He became heated during cross-examination by Detective-Sergeant McLeod and the coroner objected to the manner in which he gave his replies. “Your evidence has been most unsatisfactory,” remarked the coroner, severely, to Noad. Detailing the story of his journey from Auckland to Gisborne, via Whakatane, Noad said he remembered passing over Meremere Hill and thought that engine trouble developed at the top or a little after. He was so unfamiliar with the road that he watched closely all the way. Detective McLeod: Do you remember stopping at Toa Toa? —No. Detective McLeod: Don’t you remember telling Detective Walsh and myself that you pulled up at Toa Toa and had lunch there In a patch of grass?—Yes. Detective McLeod: Is that the first place you had mechanical trouble? — Yes, I think so. The silencer had blown out. Witness, continuing, said he stayed 20 minutes -and- went on. He was spoken to by a roadman going up the second hill, CAR MISTAKEN FOR AIRPLANE Detective McLeod: How far from the top?—l have no idea. I only know the man . said: “I heard you coming and thought it was an airplane.” He asked if he could do anything and when I asked if he knew anything about cars he said no. Detective McLeod: Who started the car? Witness:. The qar was started with a cranking-handle. I don’t remember whether I cranked it or my friend or the roadman who spoke to me. Detective McLeod:. This roadman cranked the car ? Witness (heatedly): I didn’t say so. I don’t remember who cranked the car. I was in and. out all the time. My friend says the roadman cranked the car. I don’t know. Detective McLeod: You’ve had a conversation with your friend since he arrived from Auckland? —I have not, nor have I read the papers. I cannot remember what time it was. I never looked at the watch. Later, witness remarked that he was not sure of anything. He remembered stopping at Motu for a glass of lemonade and some oil. He may have arrived there at 2.30 p.m. He never looked at the time. He remembered a constable approaching him at Motu and asking if he had seen a dead man on the road. He replied he had not. He reached Gisborne at 7.30 p.m., where he made a statement next morning to the police.

Detective McLeod: You told them t you did not see a roadman. s Witness: Yes, I made a statement t to that effect then. Detective McLeod: And another one j later ? t Witness (hotly): Yes, the first one , was mine, and the one made lar.er was one you made for me. Detective McLeod: That’s the kind . of attitude I would expect you to take ’ on the road. WITNESS FEELS INDIGNANT Witness: I feel indignant. That red car has been made to look as < though it had just come into the pic- ’ ture when it has been there all the 1 time. I objected to your pulling down * windows in Gisborne, and doing your < dramatic stunt by saying, “You ran I over a dead man on the road.” After a few more sarcastic replies by the witness the coroner intervened, : “Will you give sensible answers to Mr. McLeod,” he said. Noad: I’m worked up. The Coroner: Well get worked down. Noad: I’m very sorry; I apologise, i I’m worked up over this. The Coroner: We have been very patient listening to you. Be more civil or you’ll get more worked up. Detective McLeod then read a statement by Noad in which he said he thought the man they met was carrying a shovel. The Coroner: In your statement to the police a few days afterwards you said you cranked your car. Today you say you don't remember who did Witness: I cau't remember. 1 cranked the car so many times that day. Detective McLeod: I’m going to put it to you that you came sharply round the corner and ran into the dead man? —That’s ridiculous. Detective McLeod: I suggest that is what actually occurred? —That’s absurd. THAT’S RIDICULOUS Detective McLeod: I put it to you that your car rested against the body not knowing him to be dead and you ‘hought vou killed him and moved the body?—Rot! That’s ridiculous. Detective McLeod: I suggest to you that’s what happened. —You can suggest, but it’s ridiculous. Detective McLeod: It’s a curious thing that 10 minutes after you passed the man was found dead. —It’s mysterious, but it’s a ridiculous suggestion. _ ~ Detective McLeod: Bodies are ' moved and the fact not reported to the police. “LIKE YOUR CHEEK” Witness: It’s like your cheek to 1 put it that way. I feel very much ; your making that suggestion. The Coroner to Noad: Y'ou’ve had a ! splendid opportunity to clear your- ' self. I have no hesitation in saying L your evidence is most unsatisfactory. It is no use asking you any questions at all. Witness: I have been worked up about all this. CAR PASSENGER'S STORY William Richardson, 9a Oliver Street, Remuera, who was Noad’s companion on the journey to Gisborne, said he remembered having lunch at Toa Toa on May 9. He continued: “When we came to the corner of the road a workman was walking toward us. I think it was an awkward corner. We passed the time of day and Noad asked him if he knew anything about cars. He said he did not. I was about to get out of the car when he volunteered to crank it. Noad handed him the handle and he cranked the car. The roadman told us that further up the hill was a telephone. In answer to Detective McLeod witness said he remembered being approached by the Motu police. He also admitted having discussed the trip and the inquest with Noad at the hotel yesterday. Detective McLeod then put the same suggestion to witness as he did to Noad, that they ran against the dead man suddenly and thought they had killed him, moved the body and gone on. Witness: Are you accusing me? — No, merely a suggestion. Norman Levy, music importer, 3 Branscombe Flats, Wellington, said that on May 9 he was returning from Gisborne to Opotiki. When coming down the Papamoa Hill he saw Lappin standing beside a corpse. The time was 3.50 p.m. Witness saw no marks of a struggle, or of a stone which might have fallen from the cliff. The inquest was then adjourned until today. The inquest was resumed this morning. Detective A. J. White, of Hamilton, who was sent to Opotiki to assist with the investigations, said he could find nothing to suggest that McAleese had been murdered or had taken his own life. What impressed him was the absence of blood on the road, which was so rough that blood could not _ be removed. Witness was conversam n with the use of a pea-rifle and knew this particular rifle conld be dis

charged easily by a blow if not cocked. “I was one of throe detectives present when Noad gave a statement on May 15,” said the detective. “At the outset Noad said he knew nothing about the matter and could not assist us in any shape or form.” Witness continued that after reading the statement Noad said it was all right. Witness examined Noad’s car in Gisborne. It was a red car. in a workshop. A tray under the engine was being removed, scraped and cleaned. There was nothing to show that it had come in contact with anything. The map produced showed that it was 156 ft from where McAleese started work to where he was found dead. To a Juryman: At flrst Noad led him to believe he had driven straight through from Opotiki to Motu. His first words when he walked into the police station were. “I don’t know what you want me for. I don’t know anything about it, and I can’t assist you in this matter.” ACCIDENT THEORY OUTLINED Giving his explanation of McAleese’s death, witness said he had evidently worked along the road and then gone back for the bag containing the gun and coat. He walked along with them over his shoulder, and w'hen he came to the place where he was to work again, had swung the bag off his shoulder and in doing so the bag struck gL rock on the bank. The gun would explode if dropped only two inches. NO “BOUNCING’* To a juryman, -witness emphatically denied Noad’s remarks that he had been bounced into making his statement, and could not understand any mail with business training doing this. Noad’s manner when he took the statement in Gisborne was not consistent with his behaviour yesterday in the box. WHEEL TRACK NEAR BODY Arthur Thomas Breed, police con stable at Opotiki, said he inspectec the body with the coroner and Dr. Budd. They arrived at the scene at 6 o’clock. It was dark then. Lappin, who was there, said he turned the body over. Witness saw a pool of blood near the body. Witness , corroborated the evidence of the previous witness regarding the injuries , and as to how the body was lying.. He searched the road for clues. A sugar-bag containing the gun was lying on the road near the shovel and a coat was on top of it. McAleese was lying from nine inches to a foot from a wheel track. In hi.s l search witness found a curtain stud ; from a motor car on the road. There. l was no evidence of suicide. McAleese > had £lO in the savings bank ancl l three w'eeks* pay was due to him. To a juryman: The body looked as > though it had been placed in the posil tion it wa3 found. Regarding - wounds, one on the cheek bore an im- - print. Detective McLeod explained to the ; jury that the stud was a very common ) kind used on every car. Detective-Sergeant McLeod, of Gis-_ borne, who had charge of the police investigations, detailed the result of > his examination of the road and suri rounding country. The red car driven over the road was the only i one in the vicinity between one and * - two o’clock. ; “After making complete investiga- . tions, as the result of medical evi--3 dence and experiments with the rifle, I came to the conclusion it was not p murder,” continued the witness whe corroborated Detective White’s evidence. Mr. McLeod said that Noad was not “bounced” when his stater ment was; taken. !’ CORONER REVIEWS EVIDENCE t The coroner, in a review' of the case, said that several incidents were 0 shrouded in mystery. The jury ..tou’id s put out of its mind any suggestion of Q suicide, as McAleese could not nave e put the rifle back in the bag. Had e anyone cDmmitted murder they could d have pushed the body and the nelongf ings over the high bank, where it k might no* have been found for a long d time. The evidence of the gun exQ pert showed how easily the gun would a explode, and the doctor’s evidence showed that the bullet was respont- sible for death, and that the facial >- wounds would have bled freely had e they been, made before death. The e body had evidently been moved, but it by whom was a point that remained unsolved. e The jury retired at 12.10 and gave o its verdict 25 minutes later, d In addition to the rider given above d another was added condemning the e dangerous practice of carrying a loaded pea-rifle when it is in two - parts. At the conclusion of the inqqest the 3 coroner praised the work done by the d police, and congratulated them on the m way the investigations were carried ig out.