PALMERSTON MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1920, Page 5

PALMERSTON MURDER.

'ADDITIONAL DETAILS. THE JRAZOR CASE AND MISSJNQ SUSPECT, ~"

Before returning a verdict that nth* un fortunate woman, Mary- Ethelina Webby, was murdered by having | hef > throat cut by Home person ot: pwtvat unknown, the jury at Palmerston Hortil liad the following evidence placed before it, a short summary of which was icon* tained in a Press Association tejegfanj published in the Newe\ . " Constable Hooker stated 1 that oil March 18th he was on duty in the «arljr morning. At C.5 a.m; he received a tele* phone message and in, consequence he met Perey Daniel Wills at the comer ol Main and Ruahine streets. Be aeeon* panied hi* to a lane between RnaJMnt and Fitzroy Streets, arriving there about 0.15-a.m. Between 40 and ifyny* the Fitzroy end of the street he'*** the body of a woman-lying 04. the ltf* liand side of the roadfcfclose up to hedge. The body was;ro» it* right bM& and left, arm across the body, the £3 ' arm being bent and pointed upward*! tt was the body of a woman, fully dreeted, wearing a grey skirt, white blouse witfc Mack belt, suede boots, and grey straw hat with a black feather.' It was afterwards identified as that of Mary Ethelin* Webby. She* was holding a handbag if her left -hand. There was a bottle of Burton ale lying at her feet. There win also the bottom half of a razor case lyinf close to the body, > The wonanfe thro? was cut, and she might have been destt four or fivo hours or more. Witnessltjt' the body and went to Detective Quitjc|i and, leaving the latter in charge, retuty. Ed with Constable Madden and Mfc Griggs (undertaker), and took the body i to the morgue. It was examined fbrother signs of violence, but there waaijo other iujury except thatjto the tteoafc Witness took possession of the handbag and the bottle of ale, and the portion, of the razor case was taken posseMioa ot by Detective Quirke in witne»»' fteeenee. There .was ho other property exocpt that mentioned by him about; {he body, nor was there any sign of any instalment about the body that couldmrt caused the wound. •

EVIDENCE ABOUT RA2OR-CASS. George Frederick Deeley, farmer, of Kairanga, on being called, stated that he "' was a brother, of Harry Deeley, a retained soldier. His brother Harry wag Mv ing at his father's house in EdgeWfcre road for some time until about a month ' ago. Previously he had been living with witness' brother-in-law, Francis Ed. -. monds. About four weeks ago witness ' visited bis father's house, and was in the . bathroom. He knew the portion of the razor case produced; it "was the propektye" of his brother, Harry Deeley. His brother was not actually present at'the time wit* '.. liess saw the razor case. His brolheHraa ■-' the only person in the house it t!i»t time J who shaved; his father, the only other ' male occupant of the house, did tot shave. The case had the name of fed. monds on it, and the reason was that when his brother Harry was staying at ' Edmonds's he was too unwell to take the razor to the hairdresser's shop, and fid- , monds took the razor to be done ua. He had no doubt that the razor case walhis brother's property. • Francis Edmonds deposed that Hwry Deeley was his brother-in-law, and was staying at witness's house for tw» or three months prior to October lflth, (sl9, Witness did not know the pbftion «f a razor ease produced. It had the name "Edmonds" in it. Whilst Harry Deeley ' was staying with witness had two razor?, and he kept them in the hathroom on a shelf alongside of witsjeWi razors. Whilst Harry Deeley was Maying with witness, he (witness) on one occasion took one of Deeley's razors to be , set, Deeley at the time being unwell and' unable to go himself. The razor wa» wrapped up when he took it to the shop to be done up. He took it to the shop '.". and handed it over the counter, and he gave his name to the person behind the counter. After Deeley left witness's place he stopped for some time at hie father's place in Edgeware—road. Wit- ■ ness could not account for his name being on the razor case except that the hairdresser put it on. To Detective-Sergeant Quirke: He would not say that the portion of a raior case produced was not Harry Deeley's ' property. THE'DETECTIVE'S EVIDENCE. The last to give evidence was ))eteo- •' tive-Sergeant Quirke, and he stated .that on March 18th, about 7 a.m., with fanstable Hooker! be saw the body of the .] deceased woman lying, in the lane between Ruahine and Fitz'roy streets, threo fcet.from a hedge. The woman'* throat'' was gashed from ear to ear, and there was' a small pool of blood under the neck on the grass. The body was cold and rigid, and the woman had been dead several hours. There was an vnpresaiou . on the grass underneath the body, and en' each side of her" the grass was uprigrli. There was no sign of a struggle. There was an impression on the grass within a-' foot'of her body as if some other person had lain there.' About a chain away, and still closer to the hedge, were two impressions on the grans as if two bodies had lain there. The portion of the razor ease (produced) was lying on the ground near thenroman's left breast. There was also a handbag and a bottle of ale, unopened, ats her feet. Except- ' ing a small amount of blood on her right arm, and a sprinkle on her hat, and tha blood about the threat, the body and >" clothing were clean. ' Witness made a, careful search in the ; vicinity for an, insthiment that could have caused 'the wound to the woman's throat, but could not find any. Witness searched the Vicinity for an hour at that time, and Jeter made a very close search. He would say it would be a physical impossibility for the .woman to have herself inflicted'tho injuries to her throat. - HARRY DEELEY AIISSTNfI. lit reply to the Acting-Cnronff, JV tcetive Quirke said cveiv inquiry had been made for Harry Deeley, but'nothing authentio had been heard of him since he was seen with the deceased woman on the evening of March 17th. The proceedings at the first part of the inquest had been published in the papers, and Deeley's association with tho woman on that date bad been published broadcast. The Acting-Coroner said it was evident the woman had not committed »> suicide, but had bean fougd, fg/g&ettfk'