MURDER CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 256, 30 October 1933, Page 8

MURDER CHARGE.

GREY LYNN TRAGEDY. TRIAL OF JOHN H. EDWARDS. CASE FOR THE CROWN. Charged with the murder of Mrs. Christian Cunningham at No. 111, Crummer Road, Grey Lynn, on August 16 last, John Hubert Edwards, aged 41, a labourer, was placed upon his trial before Mr. Justice Herdman and a jury at the Supreme Court this morning. Mr. V. R. Meredith conducted the case for the Crown, and the accused was represented by Mr. Hall Skelton. Edwards pleaded not guilty. Mr. Meredith, in outlining the case for the Crown, said the Cunningham family lived at 111, Crummer Road, Grey "Lynn, and in August last there were living in the house Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, their three daughters, two of whom were grown up, and a boy of 11 years. The family had known the accused Edwards about six years. They first became acquainted with him when he began calling at the house selling tea. Some little time afiter making his acquaintance the Cunninghams lived under the same roof as Edwards, who had the. tenancy of a house, part of which they rented from him. This obtained for twelve months, after which the Cunninghams moved. Subsequently they had very little to do with Edwards, although ho occasionally called at their house, but there were periods when he did not call for a month at a time. "There was nothing in the acquaintance exceeding friendship, and any suggestion of undue intimacy is preposterous and perfectly ridiculous," said Mr. Meredith. In August last Edwards was "bachin<*," and Cunningham, a motor mechanic, was not following his usual occupation, and was on relief work. On August 15, the day prior to the tragedy, Edwards, it would be shown, had been at the house of a Mr. Mills and had most of his meals there that day. He had. during the day stated that he did not feel well. He left the house of Mills about 7 p.m. A Midnight Call. "On the night of August 15," said Mr. Meredith, "the Misses Dora and Joyce Cunningham went to a dance, and Miss Joyce was brought home by a Mr. Gallagher. They were standing at the gate, the time being about midnight, when Edwards came along and said he wanted to see Cunningham about a permanent- job. The young woman, Joyce, said her father was in bed, but she would go inside and see him. She did so and then came out and told Edwards to go inside, The daughter Dora said to Edwards, "What on earth do you want to come here at this time of the night for?" and Edwards told her, as he° had. told Joyce, that he wanted to see her father about a job. Edwards then entered the house and went into the bedroom occupied by Cunr ningham and his boy. Cunningham asked, "What's the trouble?" and Edwards replied, "I'm feeling very sick, verv faint." Cunningham told him to *it"on the bed, and after some time Cunningham dropped off to sleep, and on waking in the morning at his usual time saw Edwards lying across the end of the bed. Cunningham left tto bedroom about 6.30 .a.m. and later the bov, who had occupied the room witn Mm, also got up, and left to go to school.

Went to Bed.

"Edwards apparently then got into bed. He had pyjamas, which he must have been wearing under his clothing when he .arrived at the house," continued Mr. Meredith. "The daughter Joyce heard her mother say to Edwards Don t vou think you had a nerve to come here like you did and stay a ll -i»g nt * r £2 mother was in the hallway and spoke to Edwards through the door. mSham then came into the house and heard Edwards say, 'Well, won't you forgive me this time?' Later in the morning Cunningham and Edwards left the house together, and as they walked along Cunningham said, 'Look, Edwards, it s not convenient to have visitors to the house just now. I am on relief work and we cannot afford to have visitors. "Edwards knew the run of the house, and that morning had a shave, obviously using one of Cunningham's two razors which were in the bathroom. The daughter, Dora, left the house to go to work aboutieight o'clock, and .about half-past ten the girl Joyce left for townf With the other, girl and boy at school, Mrs. Cunningham was left m the house alone.

Daughter's Discovery.

"The next thing we know of Mrs. Cunningham's movements," said Mr. Meredith, "is that she.was seen by a neighbour with brush and cloth, scrubbing the front steps at half-past eleven. Next thing we know is that the daughter Joyce returned from town at five minutes past twelve. She walked down the pathway at the side of the house, intending to enter by the back door She found the door locked, but this did not arouse any suspicions in her mind, because her mother often locked the doors during the, day while she was inside doing her housework. While standing at the door the girl bqard someone walking about in the back part of the house, and she called out, 'Mother, open the door!' Her request was not met, so she went round to the front door, which was slightly open. "Joyce entered the house and. proceeded to walk down the passageway," said Mr. Meredith. "She glanced into her .father's room, but saw no one there,, and then! she heard the sound of heavy breathing coming from the sitting room'. She looked; inside; and on the floor saw-her mother and Edwards. Her mother was lying with her head towards the fireplace and her hand and hair were covered with blood. Edwards was lying beside her, and on the inside of his collar she saw a red smudge. The girl said to Edward*, TVhat have you done?' and he replied, Tve done nothing.'

Edwards' Injuries,

"The girl did not see anything. very seriously the matter with Edwards at this time," continued Mr. Meredith. "She. rushed outside and brought a neighbour, a Mr. Longley, and when they entered the sitting room the girl * Joyce this time noticed that Edwards was bleeding freely from a wound in the throat.' The police and a doctor were sent for and when they arrived Mrs. Cunningham was unconscious. Her throat was cut and' there -were also wounds to her head, the top of theskull, and she had-a broken nose. Edwards'' throat • was cut, but the free flow ;of blood was. due to the' severing of an artery and several blood vessels. He

was not in the serious condition that Mrs. Cunningham was. Both were sent to the hospital, where Edwards was dealt with speedily, and he recovered to be later discharged. Mrs. Cunningham's case, on the other hand, was hopeless, and she died practically on her arrival." No Signs of Struggle. Mr. Meredith said that there were no signs of any struggle having taken place in the sitting room of Mrs. Cunningham's home. The furniture was all in its proper place, and when Mrs. Cunningham was attacked she must have been.first struck on the head by some blunt and round instrument. In Edwards' hand was tightly grasped a razor, no doubt the razor with which Mrs. Cunningham's throat had been severed. It was quite clear that the unfortunate woman had been struck several severe blows on the head by a round, blunt instrument, but a search of the room and the neighbourhood had failed to discover the instrument. Note on Writing Pad. "On a writing pad found on the gas meter in the hall," said Mr. Meredith, "was a message in the handwriting of Edwards. The message read: — 'Lovers. We die together. The death pakt.' "That note was signed 'Jack Edwards, | Mrs. Cunningham,' but the signatures were both written by Edwards." Mr. Meredith then dealt with statements made by Edwards while in the hospital and said that he did not think the jury would have any difficulty in deciding that Edwards was responsible for the death of Mrs. Cunningham. No doubt the defence would raise the question of insanity, but the law upon the question was that every person who committed a crime was deemed'to be sane until the contrary had been proved, and this was for the defence to prove. Edwards was apparently a man of fairly violent temper, and it was quite clear that on the morning of the tragedy Mrs. Cunningham had given him. a good dressing clown. "The" only suggestion there can be is that he lost his temper, lost control of himself, and committed the murder," said Mr. Meredith in conclusion. The Evidence. Plans of the house where the tragedy occurred were put in by John Webster, registered engineer, v and photographs were produced by George Montague Francis, police photographer. Evidence on the lines given in the proceedings in the Magistrate's Court was tendered by Joyce Isabel Cunningham, Florence Harvison and Dennis Gordon Gallagher. In answer to Mr. Skelton, Miss Cunningham said she had never noticed any undue familiarity between her mother and Edwards, nor any display of undue affection by Edwards towards her mother.

Merely Friendship.

Alfred Cunningham, husband of the murdered woman, said he was now residing in Hector Street, Herne Bay. Edwards had visited the family perhaps twice a week, or twice a month. Witness was certain the acquaintanceship between his wife and Edwards had never gone beyond mere friendship. Mrs. Cunningham was known as ."Cissy" and was called by that name by Edwards. Witness then detailed the visit by Edwards about midnight on August 15, and told how Edwards, after saying that he felt very bad, had remained in witness' bedroom, sleeping lying across the foot of the bed. He told how he and Edwards, next morning left the house together about 10.30, parting at Beaconsfield Street, and how he returned at 12.10 to find his wife lying on the floor of the sitting room with her throat cut and injuries to her head. Edwards was also on the floor, bleeding, and there was considerable blood on the floor. The razor which was found in the hand of Edwards belonged to witness, and the handwriting on the writing pad (produced) was that of Edwards. (Proceeding.)