FINDING OF THE CAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 9

FINDING OF THE CAR.

ABANDONED ON ROAD. OCCUPANTS NOT SEEN. COULD THE GIRL DRIVE?

Evidence of the finding of the motor car which disappeared from the Bayly homestead at the same time as Elsie Walker, and of the efforts of the police to find someone who could throw any light on the mystery, was given at the inquest yesterday afternoon.

The evidence which was heard after the main edition of the "Star" went to press yesterday, and which appeared in later editions, is:—

Audrie Bayly, who was a visitor at her uncle's house, sajd that on the morning after her arrival she was informed that Elsie Walker had gone. Mrs. Bayly asked her to see if any of her money was missing. Witness looked in her handbag and found that seven £1 notes and ljd were missing. Mrs. Bayly Recalled. Mrs. Bayley, on being recalled, said she was now decided that the first garmente found on the b^-'y she recognised as belonging to Elsie Walker. The second was similar to the garment Elsie owned, and shown by Detective Bickerdike, but were not in the same condition.

Mr. Hunt: Were any of the garments stained which you handed to the police ? —I noticed that one garment had a small stain. Al other garments were clean.

Mr. Meredith: Via Elsie have the uee of the machine in the house?—l made her dresses.

You said this morning that she had two fugi silk garments?— She was given enough material for two, but I don't know whether she made them up.

When Detective Bickerdike showed you the garments at the house, did you say that time that they never came out Sf Elsie's things? —No. I said I did not recognise them. I questioned them. I said I don't recognise that lace, but I said that she might have got it unknown to me.

You said nothing further to them?— No.

Did you say to Detective Bickerdike, "No garments left the house in that condition ?"—No.

You didn't point out that what you handed over to the police was clean ?— No, I was too upset.

Thomas Clifford Bayly, aged 11, another cousin of Elsie Walker, said that she was not talking at all when they washed the dishes on the night the girl disappeared. Elsie seemed to be angry that night. She was quieter than usual. Mrs. Dorothy Teague, of Papamoa, said the Baylys were neighbours and she had known them about 18 months. She had known Elsie Walker since she had lived at the Baylys. Elsie had been to witness' house on two occasions, once alone. The last time she was at her home was about nine months before she died. Witness had seen her at a neighbour's about three weeks before she died.

"I Can Drive." Mr. Meredith: Was there any conversation about motor cars that afternoon?— Yes, Elsie Walker asked me how I got there and I said I got a lift. Elsie grabbed me by the arm and said, "I can drive a car." Did anybody else hear that remark? —I don't think so, because she passed the remark very quietly and the others were a little distance away. I took it as quite natural, and did not ask any questions because so many girls can drive these days. Mr. Northcroft: Did Elsie say it in a boasting way?— No. I think she said it more or less as a confidence, the way she told me. Father Gives Evidence. Father of the dead girl, Charles de Kenzy Walker, said he had three girls and three boys living at his farm at Baukakura. In August, 1927, he made arrangements with Mrs. Bayly for Elsie to stay with her. fc He thought it would do the girl good if she went to his sister, for it was very quiet at his place. He had letters from Elsie and the tone of them was "quite all right." The last letter witness received from his daughter was on September 5. It was a general letter and in it she said that she would be home for Christmas. In the letter she said that Bill was to be married.

Witness said that Elsie knew two or three men who were friends of his at Raukakura, but as far as he knew there was no boy connected with Elsie's life There was no trace or suggestion of Elsie corresponding with any boy friend. As long as Els,e was with her father she could not drive a car. While she n?r 8 th T d J S ™ C ? there was not °» e car there. If Elsie could drive at all she must have learned after she left Raukakura. Outside the service car which took her from her father's to the Bajly's, and Mrs. Bayly's car, she had not been in a motor car Mr. -Vorthcroft: There Was no appearance- of rancour about Bill Bayly' 8 riap ii the letter Elsie wrote JyouM Oh i. ~ none at all. '

Where the Car Was Found. Mrs. Christina Andersen, of Pa,,atoeher gate on the morning of October 2. I was on the Tuesday about ten to nine. She could give no indication of how long the car had been there It remained there all day on Tuesday and w J* 6 ", aWay b r Jlaloney on Wednesday morning. The car was pointing towards Great South R oad and on its correct side. She had seen no no? De \ r e Car at time - I" <Sd not make her curious.

Constable Maloney, stationed at Papatoetoe, said he removed the car from fn^Vr 1 - ? e fOUDd a «pare f t r yr e ?J ■ ? % a u' With a rim attached, tSLI J Th f The Spare tyre was P™* tured. The tyre was on the floor, laving up against the back seat. It did not appear that anything unusual had happened in the car and he thought it had just been abandoned. All the cur tains on the car were up. It was a t urer He did not examine the car minutely. After he had taken the car to a garage he communicated with the Auckland police. He thought there was a quarter of a gallon in the tank when he examined it.

When witness rang headquarters, he was told that Hamilton police advised He did not think ( °, n * M that » girl was missing until the body was found on October 6 Since the finding of the body, he had made inquiries in hie district, but had found nobody who could throw any lieht on the matter. Jβ*

Mr. Hunt: When did you start your inquiry ?-On the day the girl was found dead.

Electricity has been substituted for Uie pbleaxe in many slaughter house, in jJerlins, ' •-. — •