WAIKOMITI MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 270, 12 November 1892, Page 4

WAIKOMITI MYSTERY.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

FURTHER EVIDENCE TAKEN.

STATEMENT OF A DETECTIVE.

Thh morning ab ten o'clock the Coroner 1! inquest at the New Lynn Hotel, into tbi circumstances attending the recenb ear picious death of William Thompson. settler, at Waikomiti, was resumed. Mr J. Bollnrd, J.P., coroner, presided, Insra* tor Broham representing the polbe, Ifr J. A. Tole, Crown Prosecutor, conducted the examination of witnesses, Mr S. H*. keth for Alex Scott, (accused of murdetl and Messrs F. Baume and Colemaa (forth! family of the deceased) were also present to watch the proceedings. The accui«j was not present. EVIDENCE OF PAWNBROKERS. Thefirsb witness called to-day was Joha Mendoz*, assistant pawnbroker in the establishment of L, H< Neumegen, pawnbroker, Auckland. He deposed that he bad seen Alexander Scott) in the shop. He bettered he bad been there only twice, but be might' have been of toner. On the first occasion i he came to pledge a gold chain, and on the same day a gold watch, both in the name of John Henry Murray (articles produced), This was on the Bth of July, 1892. Another pawnbroker, Myer Goldw&ter, carrying on business at the London Loan Office, in Victoria-street, Auckland, was called. He deposed thai he was in partnership with Mrs Levi. He knew the accused Alexander Scotb. He had seen hint once in his (witness's) place. He came to pledge a ring (produced and identified), on the 16th of July. He pledged h in tht name of Murray. / DETECTIVE CHRYSTAL'S EVIDENCE. (Villiam Livingstone Chrystal, police detective stationed in Auckland, was the next witness. He deposed : " I knew the accused. I firßt saw the accused at the house of William Thompson, the deceased, on tht Ist of November. I took down a statement from him on that day, in the presence of Inspector Broham. The accused signed that statement (produced), which covered six pages. (The statement was to the same effect as that already given by Scott at the inquest on the deceased's remains.) The accused, in the course of his state' ment said that Thompson had on several occasions threatened to take his own life, and then recapitulated his statement already made regarding the circumstances attending Thompson's death. I saw him again after this, on the sams day. I was . then alone. . After* wards 1 called Detective Grace. About ten minutes after I first spoke to him I said I wanted to see the contents of tha black bag that he took away from his room last night after the police constable went away. .He said: "What black bag? I don't understand." I said : " Your uncle says that you abused him laat night for letting the constable into your room without a warrant, and that afterwards yoa took away a black bag full of something from your room. I want to 3ee the contents. He said : " I took nothing in the black bag only some changes of clothing. After some search Scott found the black bag (produced), in a sort of lumber-room upstairs. While I was examining the bag be asked me did I suspect him. I said that Us uncle had been Baying that he had been BUYING POISONS UNDER FICTI« TIOUS NAMES. without telling him what he was buying them for. I asked him' if he had any oojection to being searched. He said he hadn't, I called in Detective Grace ' and we three went upstairs to the lumber-room. I again asked him to produce the contents of the bag before the Chief-dotective., He showed Grace the empty bag, and again repeated that he had only taken a change of clothes in it. I searched him, and found in his breastpocket the letters which I produce. (Letters pat in). He said, "These letters belong to Mrs: Thompson; she gave them to me last night to keep for her." There were sir letters to Mr Thompson from various people and a receipt for six guineas from Dr. Girdler. There were five letters to Mrs Thompson, three of the five from her sister, one from a man signing himself " Jamie " and one from Mr Thompson. The letter from "Jamie" was addressed to Mrs Thompson. The letter opened, " Dear Tall." : Mr Baume here objected to anything further being said about this letter, as it was not supposed to be written by Scott. Mr Tole said that Scott might not bo the only man implicated. There might be more men concerned, in the death of Thompson. How could they tell how many more might be conserned in it ? The inquiry was for the purpose of getting oub all the evidence that might) serve to throw light on the affair. The letter waß addressed to Mrs Thompson, and it had been brought out in evidence that Mrs Thompson had been addressed as " Tall," MrHesketh also objected^ to this letter being put in in evidence, as it did not deal with the present enquiry, or- serve to throw any light on the death of Thompson. Mr Tole said that Mr Hesketh had miltaken the scope of the enquiry, which must be a most searching one. There might be half-a-dozen people concerned in the death of this man. He had not read the letter, but his instructions were that it contained something that MIGHT IMPLICATE SOMEONE ELSE. The Coroner ruled that the letter (signed " Jamie ") should be put in with the depositions. The letter was not read. Detective Chrystal continuing, said t The letters found on Scott, included three letters to Scott from his mother, a letter in pencil from Scott to Vaughan, a bill for 22a 6d, a small paper wrapper labelled "poison (produced). I found a small diary and pocket book, and a H"ta memorandum tableb also in his pocket, There were five envelopes found altogether, one being empty, and two addressed to Scott, one to Mrs and Mr Thompson, and one to Mr Thompson. A small handkerchief (produced) was also found in the accused's breaßt • pocket. I also found this pessary (produced), which has already been produced befoie the Court, containing a diagram and printed instructions for uso. 1 opened the box containing the pessary, and the accused got excited and made a grab to take it out of my hand. He said, " That « private. I bought it for a young lady. ; * said, "If it belongs to a lady let her claim it." He made two or three attempts to gran it out of myhand, and became very excited. Detective Grace pushed him back and tola him he should keep quiet. He ran to the head of the stairs and called out in a loud voice " Mrs Saul," Beveral times, also "Mrs Thompson," several times. He was very excited still. Mrs Thompson came running up the stairs, asking "What is it? What 8 the matter?" Scott said, "THAT BOX YOU KNOW. They have taken it from me and won't give it up. You know it is yours. } nao the pessary and the diagram open in my hand at the time. Mrs Thompson saidt That is mine. I gave it to Mr Scott tag night to keep for me. You must not take it away. Scott said : Yes, I bought it for Mrs Thompson. It belongs to her. MW Thompson eaid that the letter* were hers, asd that she ea* them to Scott last night to keep for her. 188 accused said that that was so - two they wero Mrs Thompson's letters. J£ tective Grace then went down to M« Thompson's room, not the same room mean

deceased was lying. Mrs Thompson said it was her bedroom, Mrs Thompson and Jlra Saul were both in the room. In a box in the room wore found nineteen letters and a photo of Scott. Ten of these were from Scott (produced yesterday.) On the Bth of this month as we were returning from this inquesb in a trap Detective Grace was arranging these ten letters addressed to Mrs Thompson, the accused said: You are very careful about those letters, Mr Grace. Those are all mine. In a dressing cu^e in the same room I found three photos of Scnbfc. I found this razor (produced), on tho dressingtablo ia JiSro Thompson's room, and this razor strop (produced), was lying on the dressing-table. Soott paid, I shaved here this morning, and . I left the razor and strop there. They are. mine. At four o'clock in the same day Detective Grace arrested him on a charge of murdering Mr Thompson. We said we wanted to search his room, at his uncle's house, in his presence. Detective Grace told him he wished to afiord him every opportunity of seeing anything that we might take posse3eion of. I found this letter (already produced), from Mrs Thompson to Scott, and eteo another letter (already produced) in a trousers' pocket.

This afternoon Mrs Saul, at whose place Mrs Thompson stayed during her confinement), was being examined. Mounted Constable Kelly was also to be examined this afternoon. The inquest will be continued as noon as Mr Pond lias completed his analysis of the stomach of deceased.

(Left Sitting.)