MURDER TRIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1920, Page 4

MURDER TRIAL.

THE PONSONBY TRAGEDY, STORY OF THE POLICE. GUNN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL Br Teleßtaph.—Press Aaioclatloo. Auckland, April 17, The trial of Denis Gunn on charges of having murdered Augustus Edward' Braithwaite, and robbed the Ponsonby Post Office on March 13', was concluded at the Police Court to-day, before Mr, J. E- Wilson, 3.M. William Blundell, gaol warder, said he took accused's finger prints on June 5, 1918, and forwarded them to the Commissioner of Police with the signature of the prisoner. Detective Young gave evidence that he searched on Majch 20 a section ia the gully near accused's residence. Ia a dense clump of blackberries he found a canvas bag containing three revolvers, 229 pennies, 38 rounds of ammunition and an empty shell of the same calibr*. As the result of a further search he found a sandbag containing a £5 note; a postal note, £l<i 13s Cd in silver coin, four rounds of ammunition and a part of a . military service paper, with £& written on it. On top of the silver was a bunch of keys. In a third canvas bag found were 448 pennies and one florin. On the ground beside the hags was a jemmy. On the day of Gimn'rf arrest witness searched his house and found the casing of an electric torch ia the room occupied by Thomas Gunn, The battery was missing. TELL-TALE FINGER PRINTS. Witness, cross-examined, described Gunn's arrest. They accosted Gunn from behind in Gunn's house. Witness said: "We want you at the police station." Gunn replied: "All right-" Gunn did not ask what for. He went very white, then turned a yellowish color. Asked as to his movements on the date of the murder, Gunn replied that he was at home all afternoon with his brother in Karangahape Road. Asked more particularly as to where he was between 7 and 8 o'clock on Saturday evening, Gunn made nti reply. He was then charged wftli tho murder, and replied: "You will have a hard job to prove it." Edward Waller Dinnie, Senior Sergeant in ehfrge of the criminal registration hranch of the Police Department, gave evidence regarding finger prints on the three eash-boxes. With othew accounted for he found two exceptionally good prints, one of which he could not then identify. He compared these two prints with the fmger prints of . about fifty persons, making about (500 linger prints in all. He identified one of the very good finger prints with that of the left ring finger print on Denis Gunn's finger print form. The other one he identified as that of the officer who recently acted as relieving officer at tho Ponsonby Post Office. COMPARING GUNN'S PRINTS. On box number one he found a print of a portion of a palm of a hand. Also on top of box number one there was a finger print in the centre, and this he identified as the print of the right middle ring finger of Denis Gunn's form- On the inside edge of the lid of the same box, and in a position corresponding to the palm of the, hand on top of the box, he found an exceptionally good finger print identical with Donis Gunn's left ring finger print of form. On the inside of number one cash box there were several finger prints—smudges not clear enough for identification.

On the side of number two there were two finger prints, one identical with that of the deceased and the other identical with that of the right ring finger of the accused 15 form. On cash box number two on side number three of the tray was a print identical with the left middle linger print' on Denis ' Gunn's form, lie photographically enlarged good finger prints in the Bide lid of box number one, and also the left ring finger print on Denis Gunn'R finger print form. The print was exceptionally clear. He noted 30 points of similarity between trie two prints- He also enlarged a finger print on side number two of caßh box number one, together with the right ring finger of Denis Gunn's finger print form nnd marked 15 points of similarity. He further enlarged the print on the top of cash box number one, together With the right middle finger print on Gunn's form, mis set. There were nine points of similarity. SIMILARITY FOUND.

"I am perfectly satisfied," added Witness, "as to the identity of these prints." rp ß<*rds the revolver he found several finger prints of people accounted tor. On number three ho found a finger print just above the chamber, which he identified as the left middle finger print of Denis Gunn's finger print form. He photographically enlarged the imprint on numger three, and compared with the 1018 photograph of Denis Gunn's left middle finger print, there were eleven poin.s of similarity, nnd he was perfectly satisfied they were identical. Witness had been seventeen years ia the finger print branch of the New Zealand police, having gained his knowledge at Aew Scotland Yard, London. "T am perfectly satisfied that the finger prints in each case are identical," said witness. . nr 7 3 ' r to r Mr> Tole > witness said the two sets of finger prints were identical. Every finger print on the boxes and revolvers which were clear enough for identification purposes had been identified but not two portions of the palm of a hand. He had never discovered a ca»e where two prints from different fingers were identical, and had never leard of a case with eighteen points of similarity. The chances of a mistake were one in three and a half billions. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Denis Gunn pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Magistrate Wilson, who also sat as coroner, m returning the finding in that capacity, said he would give accused the &%*>..«•*« ">»•xss w «h apd / an - v evidence he might elect' -not t U " S ' *! would ?} . £ ive evidence. • ; Wilson tlieh gave his findZb t % COr T r ' . Ho * aid no " doubt Braithwaitc came to his death by ™ tllere Wfts no do ul>t he 1 Was ;; rrt r that th ° wIU aM)L !, 16 , } ' S of the P° at office, ted fit ? crs . 01 i ad a ' T ®ady been committed for trial for murder, he did not pro- « T'v Ms verdice 88 coroner bedeath w ? me J ° f ' the acrt J al cau »* of ee! , f( , nmd that Braithwaitc had f ' and tllftt «fterwardfl his *eys had been taken from his clothing,