DRAMA OF A FLAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 185, 6 August 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

DRAMA OF A FLAT.

MRS. BARNEY IN COURT. SOBS AS LOVE LETTERS READ. DETECTIVE AND MYSTERY SHOT. Two love letters written on pale blue notepaper were read at Westminster Police Court when Mrs. Elvira Dolores Barney, aged 27, appeared on remand charged with the murder of Thomas William Scott Stephen (known as "Michael"), aged 24, at her flat in William's Mews, Knight's Bridge, S.W., on May 31. She was also charged with shooting at Stephen on May 19 with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. She has since been acquitted of murder and fined £50 on the second charge. Mrs. Barney, who was dressed completely in black, broke down when Sir Patrick Hastings, K.C., leading counsel for the defence, mentioned the letters, and sobbed bitterly while they were read. She broke down again when Sir Bernard Spilsbury, the pathologist, in replying to the questions of Mr. Charles Wallace, for the prosecution, regarding the path of the bullet which caused Stephen's death, handled some of the dead man's clothing. Detective-Inspector W. Winter said that when he went to the house in Williams' Mews he picked up a revolver, which lay near the dead man's left hand, and examined it. It was loaded in all five chambers. There were three live rounds and two spent cartridge cases. Mr. Wallace: Were the spent cartridge cases in adjoining chambers?— There was a live round intervening. Did you notice a mark on one of the walls in the bedroom?— About mid-way between the door post and a wardrobe. I formed the opinion that it had been caused by a bullet. In the wardrobe was there a corresponding mark?— Yes. It had been caused by a bullet which had apparently ricochetted off the wall into the wardrobe. Inspector Winter said that he went downstairs and saw Mrs. Barney. He asked her to tell him how the tragedy happened, and she began to shout and ordered him out of the house. She calmed down, said the inspector, but again when he asked for an explanation of the shooting she flew into a temper and ordered him out of the house. He then told her that he wanted her to go to Gerald Road police station to make a statement. She refused to put on a coat that was in the room, saying 6he wanted another from upstairs. Detective Inspector Campion suggested that the coat downstairs, being a fur coat, would be more suitable as she might find it rather cold at the police station.

Hit Police Inspector. Mrs. Barney rushed across the room and struck Inspector Campion in the face, saying, "I will teach you to tell me you will put me in a cell, you vile swine." She had to be restrained. Afterwards she apologised. Just after that incident the telephone bell rang. Mr. Wallace: In Mrs. Barney's hearing did you say something into the telephone?—l mentioned the name of Lady Mullens. When Mrs. Barney heard that she rushed across and spoke in the telephone. Afterwards did she make any remark to you?— She said, "Now you know who my mother is you will be a little more careful in what you say and do to me. I will teach you to say you will take me to a police station." Eventually she went to the police station, where she made a statement. Sir Patrick Hastings, K.C. (cross-examin-ing): The revolver was sent to Scotland

Yard to be examined by finger-print experts?— That is so. There were many marks of finger impressions but none of sufficiently definite characteristics as to enable us to form any impression of who had been handling it. Dr. T. A. Durrant described Mis. Barney's telephone call and her frenzied message: "Come at once, come at once. You know where—2l, Williams' Mews." She said: "There has been a dreadful accident." It was partly incoherent, but that was the effect. Eventually she said someone had shot himself. He continued: "I had to dress, and at eight minutes past five the telephone went again. Mrs. Barney was speaking. She said: 'Why haven't you come? Why haven't you come? Come at once. Come at once. Jump into a taxi cab. He is bleeding. Come at once. Come at once.' She said this repeatedly, frenziedly. "I drove to Williams' Mews. Mrs. Barney let me in. She was in a very overwrought, hysterical state, saying, 'Why haven't you come before?' I said, 'I have come as soon as possible. What is the matter?' So far as I recollect, she said, 'Come and see. Come and see.' I went upstairs and she followed. I found the body of a man reclining backwards on the landing. The legs were extended down the staircase. About four inches away from the knuckle of the left hand was a revolver." Cried Over Dead Body. Mr. Wallace: While you were making your examination was Mrs. Barney there? Yes, she was behind me. She was very overwrought, excited and upset. In the, mix-up of words 6he said, "He is not dead, is he? He cannot be dead. Hif cannot be dead. Why don't you do something for him?" We went into the bedroom and I told her he was dead. What did she say?— She said, "He cannot be dead. He cannot be dead. I love him so. I love him so." She also cried: It will kill my mother; she is ill. Then she went absolutely frantic, declaring, "I cannot live. I cannot live. I will kill myself. Let me kill myself." I tried to restrain her, continued the doctor, but it was a very painful scene. She caught my arms and shoulders and held me. I 6aid, "Do calm yourself. Pull yourself together. I must send for the police." She cried, "Oh, don't do that. Don't do that. You must not do that." Mr. Wallace: Did she tell you what had happened? Witness: That was later. I tried to control her, saying, "Do be quiet. You must be quiet. You have got to give me some description of what has happened." She calmed down somewhat, and I again said I must send for the police. "It was rather difficult for me to know how to do so," explained the doctor, "because I did not like to turn my back on her." Dr. Durrant said that Mrs. Barney told him that Stephen had said that he was going to leave her, that she had indicated that she would commit suicide, and that he was leaving the room with her revolver when she closed with him and wrestled and fought. She was not in a state of mind to give any clear description of what happened, said the witness, she was too frenzied, too hysterical. She said they got out on to the landing and the revolver went off. , , , ~ The doctor added that she also sand that one night some time ago Stephen had been banging at the door and would not go away, and that she snatched up the revolver and fired it at random. She

said that a bullet mark and a hole in the woodwork were the result of that firing. Dr. Durrant, recalled for cross-examina-tion, said that when he first saw Mrs. Barney 6he was very hysterical and overwrought practically the whole time except for some intermissions. Was she in a mental condition to have invented the story she told you?— Certainly not. She repeatedly stated, "I love him so, and apparently she had a great affection for Stephen?— Yes. Did Mrs. Barney 6ay that Stephen had wanted to say something to you?— She said he had washed to tell me that the matter was an accident. Did she say she wished you had come earlier? —Many times. Mr. Boyd, the magistrate, said he had come to the conclusion that a case had been made out on both charges. Sir Patrick Hastings: Mrs. Barney pleads not guilty to both charges. Mr. Boyd said that Mrs. Barney would be committed for trial.