WAIROA TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1943, Page 6

WAIROA TRAGEDY

INQUEST ON VICTIMS VERDICT OF MURDER RETURNED. POLICE TO CONTINUE INVESTIGATIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WAIROA, January 19. The inquest was opened this morning on the bodies of Brigadier Annie Smyth and her sister Rosamund, whose bodies were found in the Salvation Army Hall on August 21. The district coroner, Mr V. I'. Winter, presided and the proceedings were conducted by Chief Detective Young. Before proceeding with the hearing Mr Young stated that though the inquest was being held, it did not mean that the case would be closed. Investigations would be carried on till the culprit was brought to justice. However, the police were now in a position to say when, where and how the crime was committed. The first witness called was Philip Patrick Lynch, medical practitioner and consulting pathologist, who described injuries causing the death of the two women. The brigadier’s body was in the kitchen. There were extensive injuries to the left side of the head from which there had been profuse haemorrhage. Rosamund’s body was found in the back bedroom with wounds on the head from which the blood had run down, forming a pool on the floor. The clothing of both victims was disarranged, but neither woman had been interfered with. A post-mortem examination of the brigadier disclosed three ragged wounds in the region of the left temple. These could be madq by a blunt instrument. When the scalp was removed it was found that the skull in this situation was badly shattered, being associated with much laceration of the brain substance. There were no injuries about the face or hands and nothing to indicate that she had made any attempt to’ protect herself. Rosamund’s post-mortem disclosed several wounds in the head which could have" been caused by a poker and the presence of hairs and blood on a poker found strongly suggested that this had been used. On the crown of the head was a split in the scalp 2| inches long, with wide separation of the edges, which had apparently been done by an axe discovered on the premises. ONE VICTIM GAGGED. Rosamund had been gagged, but this was not tied and could have had no useful purpose. The appearance of the bodies indicated that the deaths had occurred two weeks previously. Dr Lynch said he formed the opinion that the disarrangement of the clothing was rather deliberate or methodical and that the picture was fabricated, as it were, either for the purpose of doing a deliberate indignity to the bodies or of diverting attention from the true motive of the crime, or from the identity of the assailant. Horace Gilbert Martien, exchange clerk, gave evidence to the effect that he had noticed that the lights were on in the building on several nights. When returning from duty at 1 a.m. on August 18 he visited the barracks to borrow a rug, but received no response to his knocks. He went again the next night, and met a similar experience. On August 21 he was approached by a neighbour, who expressed concern over the non-appear-ance of the brigadier and her sister. He still did not take any action or make investigations. Replying to the coroner, he said he had intended to inform the police the next morning, but in the meantime the bodies were discovered. Mrs May Topham Hunn described how she visited the barracks on Sunday, August 9, entering by the back door when she found the front locked. She passed through the kitchen and went to the meeting room, where she spent an hour in prayer. She passed back through the passage on her way to gain exit and failed to see the body of the brigadier in a chair in the corner in spite of the fact that the evidence disclosed that the victim was then there. DISCOVERY BY LITTLE GIRL. An eight-year-old girl, Donna Scott, stated she and other children were playing near the hall on August 9 when she decided to enter the building by the back door. She did so and was ; confronted by the body of the brigadier’ lying dead in the chair. The ; reason she did not inform any of her playmates or her parents was that : she was too frightened. Nevertheless, . she went on playing with her pals. ; who were throwing dirt in an open 1 window, she replying by throwing : pillows out at them, which were returned. She believed the body in the ’ chair was that of Rosamund. j At the conclusion of the evidence < the coroner returned a verdict that i the Smyths met their deaths at the ; lands of a person or persons unknown, i He extended sympathy to the relatives J ind also congratulated the police on < ;he manner in which they had handled i ;he case. • s _____________ )