"IS SHE DEAD ?"

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 133, 7 June 1930, Page 10

"IS SHE DEAD ?"

MANLY SENT FOR TRIAL.

WANGANUI MURDER CHARGE. HOW GLADYS CROMARTY DIED. / POLICE GIVE EVIDENCE. (By Telegrepn.—Hress Association.) WANGANUI, this day. The case in which Herbert Frederick Manly is charged with the murder of Gladys Barrington Cromarty at Wanganui 011 May 9 was continued in the Police Court to-day. The Court was again crowded.

Ha lily was committed for trial in the Supreme Court 011 August 11 and the inquest was adjourned sine die.

Constable Christmas said about 3.45 p.lll. 011 the day of the alleged crime witness went to No. 0, Eidgway Street, accompanied by two other constables and saw the dead body of the young woman lying in a pool of blood and later made a search for accused. About 6.5 p.m. witness returned to the police station and Manly was there. Senior Sergeant McLean then charged Manly with the murder of Glady Cromarty. Witness replied, "Is she dead?" and the senior sergeant said, "Yes," and warned him. Accused said, "I was with the girl this afternoon and I don't know what happened." Accuscd said he had left a knife in his room. It was one he used at his work. Witness corroborated the evidence of Detective Walsh. Asked for Lawyer. Senior-Sergeant McLean said he visited the house where the crime was committed and gave evidence regarding Manly's arrival at the police station. Accused asked for a lawyer. Accused was searched and the letter produced in Court was found upon his person. Accused said he had written it on May 8 in the ladies' waiting room at the railway station. Witness was with Detective Walsh when a knife was found in a cattle stop.

Constable O'Brien, SvLo was at the watchhouse when accused gave himself up, said Manly remarked, "I am the man you're looking for."

John B. Smyth, railway clerk, said he left his cycle in the railway station lobby at two o'clock on the afternoon of May 9 and at six o'clock he discovered it had gone, and, on going to the police station,, he examined a cycle which was witness' property. Evidence by Brother. Stanley Gowans Cromarty, motor driver and cook, brother of the deceased, said he knew-the accused. He corrobor'>ted his mother's and sistev Dora's evidence regarding the engagement between his sister Gladys and Manly and the movements of accused prior to his going to Wellington. Witness was out of work at that time and Manly telegraphed him to go to Wellington. He went and was. met at Wellington by Manly and Gladys. Manly told witness he had a job for him as third cook at the New Zealander- Hotel, which he accepted, starting the next day.

Gladys left her position in the hotel on the day witness started. He and Manly were subsequently dismissed from employment. They stayed at the People's Palace at Wellington and then decided to return to Wanganui, arriving in Wanganui about 8.30 on the Tuesday, May G. Witness said he invited Manly to accompany him to his mother's house, and he accepted. Manly had two suitcases. His mother and sister went downstairs to meet Manly after witness had told them he was. waiting down below. Witness went, out into the backyard and when he came back Gladys was downstairs. He did not see her meet Manly. They appeared quite friendly when he saw them together. Witness described his associations with Manly from the Tuesday to the Thursday, during which time Manly appeared quite normal. On Thursday night Manly took his sister to the pictures. "Nervous and Shaking." "The only thing I heard," said witness, "was him turn round and say, 'Wfiy, girl, won't-it be the last time?'" On the Friday morning Manly was nervous and shaking all over. Witness and Manly went 'to the cleaner's to get Manly's trousers, which • had been left there the previous night. They played billiards together and then went home. They had had some drink going' to the cleaner's, each a glass of beer.

"Manly asked me where the police office was and I told him it was in Ridgway Street," witness continued. "We arrived home about' noon and had lunch. I went out, leaving Manly in the kitchen. I went to No.. 9i Wilson Street, a few minutes' walk away." Witness had suggested that they go to Wanganui East that night to see some people. He did not see Manly after going out after lunch on the Friday.

During the afternoon while witness wSs at No. 9, Wilson Street, someone threw stones on the roof. He went out and saw Mrs. Payne. In consequence of what she said he' went home. Dora was sitting on the front steps. Witness went to see his mother first. She was with Mrs. McDougall next door. Then he went to his mother's house and found his sister Gladys lying on the floor. He lifted her up to the extent of six or eight inches. She had her throat cut and was dead. He then left the house.

John Orr, grocer's assistant, who boarded with the Cromartys, said that. 011 the Thursday night prior to Gladys' death he slept in the room with Manly and Stanley Cromarty. After the evening meal Manly said he was taking Gladys to the pictures. Witness said: "That is funny, taking her to the pictures after your engagement has been broken off." Manly replied that it was for the last time. When witness awoke next morning Manly was lying in bed smoking a cigarette. There did not appear to be anything peculiar about his condition. Saw Man Running Away. Charlotte McGrath said that as she was passing through Eidgway Street she saw a man run out of a gate. He was very pale. He ran down the street and then turned towards the railway station. A woman then came to the gate screaming. On May 17 witness attended at the police station to identify the man she had seen running out of the gate. From nine or twelve men she picked out accused. Noel McDonald, service car driver, said he knew Manly when he was employed at Mr. Currie's. He met Manly at about three o'clock on the Friday afternoon. He had two drinks with Manly in the Provincial Hotel. Manly told him then that the young lady he

was engaged to was ill, and had come back to Wanganui. Manly appeared to be quite normal.

Mr. Haggitt objected to the evidence as being 011 the same lines as that of Dr. Adams, which had been objected to.

The magistrate said it did not appear to him to be the same, and he pointed out that the law presumed every man to be sane until proved otherwise.

After further evidence concerning the conversation in the hotel, witness left the box.

Vera Campbell, of Wellington, a cook, said she met both deceased and accused at the New Zealander Hotel. After the pictures one night she noticed the two waiting at a service station. They were quarrelling. Gladys had her engagement ring on her right hand. On a later occasion witness saw Manly, who asked her if she knew the engagement had been broken off. She replied that she did not. Manly then said that if he did not have Gladys nobody else would. Witness told him not to be silly, whereupon Manly said she might think it silly, but he looked at the matter differently. Detective's Observations. Detective J. Walsh said £hat when he visited the house in Ridgway Street he found the body of deceased on the kitchen floor. There were bloodstains on a book, entitled "Sweet Pepper," which was lying 011 the bed upstairs. The bathroom was examined carefully. There were no bloodstains on the floor, but there appeared to be a smear of blood on the outer edge of the bath. He was satisfied that a person bleeding did not enter the bathroom. Witness returned to the police station at 0.20 p.m., and saw the accused sitting in the watch-house. Witness found 110 trace of blood on Manly's coat, but a small stain on his left shirt cuff. 'T requested Manly to step on to the table," witness continued, "and under the electric light.- When requested to do this,' Manly said: "I am not denying it." Witness found on the back of the left trouser leg what appeared to him to be a fresh bloodstain.

"I asked Manly if he had any explanation to make regarding the stains, at the same time cautioning him," continued witness. "He did not reply to my question, but said: 'I do not know why I did it. Afl I know is I did.' I found small bloodstains on the handkerchief (produced in Court). After this Manly was given food. Manly was sitting in my office smoking a cigarette when he said: 'I went to her room. She was sleeping. I spoke to her. I had tlie knife with me then.' Letter Addressed to Police. "Manly answered Dr. Adams' questions clearly and intelligently in a low tone of voice. I am satisfied from my own observations that he was quite sober. In Manly's property there was a letter " Sir. Haggitt: I object to this evidence. I submit it is not relevant. The Magistrate: Anything emanating from the accused must be. admitted. Detective Walsh then said that the letter in question was addreseed to the officer in charge of the police station, Wanganui. It was stamped, but had not been through the post office. It had been opened by Senior Sergeant McLean in Manly's presence. He (Manly) said he had written it, and it was read out to him. Mr. Haggitt: I ask that my objection be noted. "I can quite see that if that letter is read at this stage it will prejudice Mr. Haggitt's case," said the magistrate. Mr. Bain: I aprce that the letter should not be read. The Magistrate: It is signed by the accused 1 Detective Walsh: Yes. Witness said that Manly said he had written the letter that day (May 9) at the railway station, but it was dated the previous day (May 8). Search for Weapon.

After detailing the search made for the, weapon in the house and surrounding yards and streets, witness said he again visited the police station after midnight. , He tokl Manly that there was no trace of the knife about the house. Manly said he must have dropped it when he was running away. He said he tripped over a culvert in the vicinity of the' railway station, and must have, dropped the knife.

A further search was made for the weapon with Senior' Sergeant McLean. Witness told how Senior Sergeant McLean during a search in the sash and door timber yards found tlie knife in a cattle stop. It was an ordinary knife as used by cooks. It had the letters "V,1." on the handle. In Manly's suitcase were nine chef's knives bearing the same mark. "When Manly gave himself up to the police,'' the witness continued, "he had in his possession a pawn ticket which showed that on April 30 he had pledged a live-stone diamond ring- for £3 with a pawnbroker of Wellington. That ring was redeemed by the police on May 12, and is the engagement ring exhibited here to-day." A letter to the deceased signed "Bert" was found in the bedroom at No. 0, Ridgway Street. This letter also was not read. "With regard to the knife found in the cattle stop," concluded witness, "I noticed that it had been sharpened recently: There was a sharpening stone in the suitcase with the other cook's gear."