WITNESS DEFENDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 818, 12 November 1929, Page 9

WITNESS DEFENDED

CHALLENGE TO MINISTER OF JUSTICE BLACKMAIL charge invited 0e scribing the Hon. T. M Wilford. Minister* of Justice, as being -dressed in a little brief authority ' Mr. Cooney, of Te puke. bas rn * c *e the latest move in the Elsie Walker mystery by mvitmg the Minister to prosecute his client. Mrs. Margaret Thomason for alleged attempted blackmail. Mft. COON’KA claims That as Mrs • Thomason and her sister are mentioned in Ms* WHford’s published f(l no!is for his refusal to reopen the it is proper that their side of ihe C»S* Shoul.l be ptaced before the only available judge amt jury —the public. ••The first point which Mr. Wilford presses home is the alleged remark able discrepancy between the two • tatements made by Mrs. Thomason." •ays Mr. Cooney. “He tells us what is’the most important point in both statements. The evidence of Mrs. Thomason and her sister, Mrs. l„angiion, be regarded as entirely tinirustworthy, because of their having made diametrically opposed and conflicting statements on the only really important point contained in these statements, that is. as to seeing William Baylv on the train on the day <»f Elsie Walker's disappearance. I also collate Mrs. Thomason's statements, the real and the alleged. ••Mr. Wilford collates them us follows: •‘Statement uf Margaret Thomason to police. June 211, 1!»2!>: On October j IDi'S. with Mrs. Latigdon ♦ sister). avp left Tauranga by train for Papa moa about p.m. Mr. Preston and Mrs. Tea Tiie were on that train. Mr. Preston, Mrs. Lang don and l were in the same carriage When the guard came through the door into the carriage he got jammed into the doorway with a Maori woman. On looking toward the door l saw Bill Bayly in ih<“ passage-way. I know Rill Bayly well. My sister saw Bayly also and drew my attention to his being there. STATEMENT TO POLICE “Statement of Margaret Thomason in police, October 22. tf)2S:—lt was some time before the disappearance of Elsie that I saw Bill Bayly on the train; it would be about 10 days or more before Elsie's disappearance. “I ask Mr. Wilford to explain why he or those associated with him have attempted to deceive the public by publishing a statement which he or they must know is false, or which, if he exercises the care and attention he should exercise in his high calling, he would know is false. “By changing the word ‘Farm’ to ‘Train’ ho has made it appear that Mrs. Thomason’s statements are conflicting, but it is worse than that. By changing the word ‘Farm* to ‘Train* it is made to appear that for the sordid purpose Mr. Wilford suggests later iu his statement Mrs. Thomason deliberately altered the statement in which she alleges that she saw Bill Bayly on the train. Is the statement dated October 22, which Mr. Wilford holds, the signed statement of Margaret Thomason, of which statement l received a copy before the original went to Mr. Wilfonl? Does a sentence, as quoted by him. contain the word ‘train’ or the word ‘farm ? If it now contains the word ‘train and my copy certainly does not. will be produce that document for proper examination? If the sentence quoted does not contain the word ‘train let him (Mr. Wilford) publicly withdraw his statement made in regard to the alleged conflict in the proffered evidence of Mrs. Thomason. There is no middle course open to the Minister of Justice.” Dealing with Mrs. Langdons statement. Mr. Cooney admits an element ef conflict but claims that the circumstances should be examined fully.