PIHA FIRE CASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 May 1939, Page 6

PIHA FIRE CASE

SUPREME COURT TRIAL OPENED KEEN PUBLIC INTEREST SHOWN. JURY TO BE KEPT TOGETHER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The public space in the Supreme Court was crowded and the front row of the women's department was also filled today when the trial commenced of two Australians, Gordon Robert McKay, aged 43, alias Tom Bowlands Wood, hide dealer, and James Arthur Talbot, a labourer, aged'3B, on charges on which they were committed for trial in the Lower Court, that on or about February 12, they wilfully set fire to a dwelling house, thereby committing arson, and further that on or about February 10 they interfered with a dead human body. They are further charged with conspiring by deceit to defraud the Mutual Life and Citizens' Insurance Company Ltd, Sydney, of £25,500, by representing that McKay was dead.

Mr V. R. Meredith, with him Mr N. I. Smith, appeared for the Crown. Mr W. Noble defended McKay and Mr J. Terry defended Talbot. Before the jury was empanelled, Mr Justice Fair announced that during the trial the jurors would be kept together. He said the hearing was expected to last for four or five days.

Each of the accused pleaded not guilty. “This case has created a very lively public interest, with the result that active newspaper men have published a great deal, even including rumours which may not be correct,” said Mr Meredith in addressing the jury. “I ask you to lay aside anything you may have read and base your verdict entirely on the evidence given in the Court.” Mr Meredith added that it would be well to bear il mind the association of the two men for a number of years in Australia. McKay was married and Talbot, a single man, had been an occupant of McKay’s house for some years. Last year they went to England, but before that they went to the T. and G. Company and McKay insured his life for £5,500 in addition to the £4,500 insurance he already had. He took out a further £15,500, making a total of £25,500. He paid several hundred pounds to get the policies in existence and had to pay a further several hundreds to renew the policies on March 1 last. They were whole life policies. Mr Meredith said McKay and Talbot returned to Sydney from England on January 10 last and arrived in Auckland by the Mariposa on February 6, five days after the premium on the policy was really due, and when the period of grace had begun. They were met here by a man named Jones and rented a double room. Mr Meredith next mentioned the death of Patrick Henry Shine, a returned soldier who served with the Australian troops. He was a smallish man, five feet seven inches in height. He died in the Auckland Hospital on February 8, two days after McKay and Talbot arrived. He died in a very emaciated stale and had no natural teeth. After his death the cavity of his mouth was packed with cotton wool. A death notice appeared in a newspaper on the morning of Thursday, February 9. Towards midday, evidence would show, a stonemason at the Waikumete Cemetery was approached by McKay, who asked where “the returned soldier” was to be buried. The portion of the cemetery where he was buried was comparatively close to the main road. The evidence would show that when young Shine, son of the deceased, was taking a- wreath home on Thursday, the day of the funeral, he met McKay outside the house and McKay made inquiries about Shine’s teeth. A bach was taken on the night of Thursday, February 9, the advertisement of the funeral having appeared on Thursday morning, and McKay had seen Shine Junr. shortly before the funeral on that day. (Proceeding.)