SECRECY UNWISE ?

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 152, 30 June 1927, Page 5

SECRECY UNWISE ?

BURWOOD MURDER MYSTERY.

POLICE METHODS CRITICISED,

EXAMPLE OF SCOTLAND YARD.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. It is more than a fortnight since the murder of Gwen Scarff, but the police have made no arrest. A contributor to the "Star" criticises tho action of the Christcliurch detective forco in preserving an attitude of strict secrecy and not inviting the public to bring forward any information that might bo of value. This attitude is contrasted unfavourably with the methods of Scotland Yard in the recent Charing Cross trunk mystery. On the evening of tho discovery the officials of Scotland Yard gavo the newspapers the fullest information and also allowed the publication of photographs of tho trunk, tho woman's clothing and the laundry marks, with the result that important witnesses came forward.

In Christcliurch, on the contrary, the police even went to the length of keeping secret tho identity of the dead girl for nearly twenty-four hours, andreluctantly agreed to the publication of her photograph after the lapse of three days.