PIHA MYSTERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1939, Page 6

PIHA MYSTERY

ALLEGATION BV POLICE

HUMAN REMAINS IN FIRE TAKEN FROM GRAVE.

ACCUSED MAN REMANDED ON BAIL.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. March 11

Described on the charge sheet as a labourer, aged 38. James Arthur Talbot. well-built and of medium height, was charged at the Magistrates’ Court today before Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., “that on or about February 10 he did improperly interfere with human remains.”

Representing him, Mr John Terry did not at this stage enter any plea but asked for bail. A large crowd waited outside the public entrance and later crowded the space reserved in Court.

After outlining the facts leading to the arrest of Talbot, Detective-Ser-geant Walsh said it was now alleged by the police that the remains found in the debris at Piha were those of Patrick Henry Shine, taken from a grave unlawfully opened at Waikumete Cemetery. Mr Walsh asked that in the event of bail being granted the amount fixed should be substantial and in two sureties, with the proviso that accused report twice daily to the police. He requested a remand till March 17. Mr Terry said that accused charged under the Crimps Act and bailable as of rigfit, had shown no desire to leave New Zealand during the police inquiries. In fact, he had assisted the police. The magistrate granted a remand till March 17 and adjourned the Court while the question of Joajl was discussed in chambers. Twenty minutes later Mr Orr-Walker announced in Court that be had fixed bail in accused’s own surely of bond of £4OO and two other sureties each of £2OO. Mr C. B. Shine Auckland, brother of the late Mr Patrick Shine, in an interview, said that though his brother Patrick served with the Australian Expeditionary Forces during the Great War he was not an Australian. He was born in Auckland and about 25 years ago went to Au’stralia, where he enlisted and served with the 34th BaL talion of the Australian Forces.

He was badly gassed ,and blown up in a big battle at Villers-Bretonneux and ever afterward suffered greatly from shell-shock, said Mr Shine. About 10 years ago he came back to Auckland, where he lived till his death last month. He was in business in Ponsonby, where he had a shop for some years, during which time he engaged in furniture dealing, but after he gave up this business because of ill-health two years ago, he was almost an invalid. He was 54 years of age and entered Auckland Hospital only three weeks before his death.

A Press Association message from Auckland on Saturday stated:— “A sensational sequel to the Piha fire mystery and the allegation that Gordon Thomas McKay, Sydney business man, was burnt to death, occurred today when the Auckland police opened a comparatively new. grave at the Waikumete Cemetery to find the coffin empty. Subsequently, James Arthur Talbot, companion of McKay at Piha when the bach was burnt, was arrested by detectives on a charge of improperly interfering with human remains. He will appear in court tomorrow.

“Examination of the grave and the arrest of Talbot are expected to have an important bearing on the major mystery of the fire which has engaged the attention of the police since the morning of February 12. when a fpurroomed shack in Sylvia Avenue Piha, was destroyed by fire. Human remains found in the gutted building were alleged by Talbot to be those of McKay.”