SEARCHING INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 52, 2 March 1929, Page 12

SEARCHING INQUIRY.

CARRIED TO EVERY HOUSE. CONSTABLE'S ASSURANCE. DEAD fiTRL'S C IX)THING AGAIN. WAS DR. MURRAY'S MEMORY AT FAULT ? When the inquiry -was resumed this morninjr Constable Neild. of Otahuhu. gave evidence detailing a. comprehensive inquiry he had made for information concerning Elsie Walker at boardinghouses. confectionery shops, tobacconists, etc. He saw anyone who was likely to Srive him information. He even interx iewed a number of Otahuhu people at the races. Mr. Leary: T see. Between making their bets and collecting their dividends. Do you know of any house in your mbdistrict that you did not visit?—[ do not. That is. 011 the road. It" a householder was not in a message was left for him. 2000 Personal Interviews. How many people do you estimate you made direct personal inquiries of?— Five hundred would be a conservative estimate. Mr. Leary: According to information we have the three constables in that district must have interviewed over 1000 people in the course of their investigations. Witness: More like 2000. Have you ceased inquiry now?—No, Mr. Currie said he had not suggested at any stage that witness had been remiss in his duties. Mr. Leary said witness had been called to show just how thorough the police methods had been. Detective Sergeant Kelly, the taking of whose evidence was suspended on Thursday in order that medical testimony might be heard, was recalled. He outlined the search that he made in the locality in which the body of Elsie Walker was found. He made inquiries at a nearby cottage, but none of the inhabitants of the place knew anything of the girl who had been found. At Papatoetoe witness made a minute examination of the car that had been abandoned, particularly for finger prints, but without result. Mr. Finlay: li '«* suggested that a magnifying glac«* would have revealed linger prints on the car. Did you have one witn you? —I had one with me as I knew the car had to be examined. I realised that much depended 011 the re-* suit of the examination. Discussing the mcehanieal condition of the ear, witness said a mechanic who .*>iw the vehicle assured him it was in good running order. It was stated tnat two men had been seen getting out of the car, but the vehicle referred to turned out to be only a three-seater. Witness deemed it proper next to go dii'i-.-t to Sergeant Lambert, at Otahuhu, and \ instruct him relative to inquiries that *iiouldbe pursued in his district. In view of the fact that the matter was urgent, ne did not think it necessary to go first to the inspector. The regulations provided that on an inquiry a detective waA senior to a constable, and he assumed that in the present case he was senior to Sergeant Lambert, and tiieiefore took tfte initiative to have inquiries prosecuted.

Clothng not Produced. Wit ne*« denied that on Monday, October 8, he showed some of tue girl's (■["thing to the police surgeon as stated bv Dr. Murray. "The doctor's memory must have been at fault,"' submitted ihe detective-sergeant. Referring to the report summarising his inventigations. in which he ?n;d " there was no information to show tnat ihe car wa a driven by otlier than the deceased." witness said that when he made the report he particularly asked that inquiries be made at Te Puke. When witness spoke of individuals he nad seen in the course of his inquiries, Mr. C'unie protested that these matters had not been, and he did not think fviild be, the subject of particular eonment. It seemed unfortunate that, the lumes of persons not really coupled « ith the matter should have to be men- ;; on ed. Mr. Page thougnt that Mr. Finlay was right in outlining the work that was done in the early stages of investigations into the Elsie Walker mystery. He understood that the inquiry largely arose from what was done at that time. It was a little bit difficult not to bring in the names mentioned, but he tnought ihe Press might not publish them. Detective-Sergeant Kelly added that he went to Te Puke on October 17, and di« -ussed the case with Constable Jackson. As a. result he decided to take -Elements from the whole of the Bayly ' am ilv on the following morning. He ua- employed all day on thi« work, and •*'~o took a statement from a man wno had seen a car leaving the Bayly's farm. "> i* it was not very helpful. The inquirv was adjourned till Mon- | . .