BLOOD ON EXHIBITS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 8

BLOOD ON EXHIBITS.

DECLARED OF HUMAN ORIGIN. CART WHEELS AND FRAME. Dr. Gilmour, continuing his evidence, said that on October 20 he received certain exhibits from Detective Allsopp. The first was a pair of wheels. "I examined these, and found bloodstains three inches in length on the tip of the axle, just inside the left spring. From this blood had run down botli the back and front of the axle. This was human blood.

"I also received a frame consisting of a wooden crossbar in front, and on the right and left side' beams there were several blood stains. On the front crossbar, on the upper surface, 3& inches to the left of the centre bolt, there was an area from which the surface had been recently shaved. This area was six inches long and covered the whole breadth of the bar. There was a small bloodstain on this area, and this was human blood. On the upper surface, around the centre bolt, there was a blood stain measuring 11-8 inch by one inch. From this some blood had run down the back to form a drop on the under surface 3-16 th of an inch in diameter.. This was human blood. On the under surface there were four small spots of blood grouped together. There was a thick drop of blood l-Btli of an inch in diameter on the under surface of the small piece of wood through which the centre bolt was threaded.

In the centre of the left side beam, corresponding to the position of the axle of' the whels, there was a large blood stain 9 to 10 inches in length. This was' human' blood. 1 Blood on Fence. The next exhibit examined was portion of a fence, consisting of seven battens railed to a crossbar. On the fourth batten from the left,' 8J inches above the lower crossbar, there was a curved streak of blood two inches long. There was a similar streak two inches long,' below that. Below that again there were two groups of bloodstains, and between these and the lower crossbar there were two streaks of blood, each about li inches' long. TfiifteiM* inches above the lower crossbar there was a blood smear about a quarter of an inch long, and also a tiny smear near it. On the left side there was a series of tiny blood spots extending from 3 inches above the lower crossbar, down to its level. There was blood between the batten and the lower crossbar. On the third batten from the right, thi/o was a bloodstain 1} inches by' 3-Bth of an inch. 5} inches above the lower crossbar. On the third batten from the left there was blood which had run down between the batten and the lower crossbar, for a distance of 21 inches. On the upper surface of the crosbar an area measuring 11 inches in length had been shaved with a knife. Numerous spots of blood were still present on the margin of the shaved area. This was human blood. Between battens fo lr and five there were eight spots of blood varying in size from J to l-10th of an inch, in addition to a number of spors less than I-lGtli inch. On the front over the sjiaved area there were streaks of blood running down from the top. l:i the area, between battens four and five there were some small bloodstain spois and streaks.

The next exhibit examined was a batten. On one surface there was a bloodstain 1 3-8 by 3-16 th inch, situated 9J inches from the broken end. Part of the batten was missing, and some of the bloodstain must have been on it. Another portion must have been recently sawn off. On one side was a stain caused by blood running down, and divided into two streams. The main stream measured 1} inches, one stream measured 31 inches and the other railed off into a series of small drops, measuring 3 1-8 inches. The other branch measured 51 inches. Alongside the main stream there were four small spots of blood. There were two small spots of blood on the same side, one 3-l(sth inch, and the other smaller. This was human blood.

The next exhibit was a lienzine box containing soil from the ground in front of the implement shed. There were bloodstains on the soil—human bloo.l.

A top and bottom set of false teeth was the next exhibit. There was no blood on these. The upper denture was broken on the right side above the teeth from the centre, almost to the back. The broken surface was fresh in appearance. The lower denture was broken in two when "witness received it.

The next exhibit was labelled "board from Bayly's sledge from outside carshed." On the upper surface adjacent to a recent crack in the board, there was a smear of blood measuring 15-10 th inch by 3-8 inches. This was human blood.

Dungarees Examined. The next was labelled "Bayly's blue dungarees from washhouse." The ones examined were marked with small pieces of cardboard pinned on afc the Bide of the stains. There were several blood stains on these trousers—(a) a small smear with indefinite stains near the left pocket; (b) a smear lAin by, gin on the fly. This was human blood; (c) two small spots each l-Bth inch in diameter on the back of the left leg, these were human blood; (d) three email spots measuring 5-16tli inch by l-16th inch, l-Bth inch by l-16th inch, and 1-lGth inch by l-16th inch on the back of the left leg. One tiny spot less than 1-16 th inch close to the above. These were human blood.

The next exhibit was a sheath knife, belt, pouch and sheath and steel. On the knife, blood was found in the depressions of the back of the blade. This was human blood. No other blood was found on the other parts of this exhibit. The next exhibit examined was a rifle from Bayly's cowshcd. On the under surface of the barrel there was a very thin smear of blood 2i inches long and situated 4 J inches from the handle, also on tha under surface of the barrel, quarter of an inch from the mouth, there was a very thin streak of blood one-eighth of an inch long. Witness said he was not able to determine if these were human blood.

Pieces of Burned Bone. Dr. Gilmour said he examined a number of pieces of burned bone. "I have divided all exhibits containing bone into three classes," he said: "(a) Fragments of bone which are too small to be identified as human or animai; (b) fragments of bone which were consistent with human origin. By that I mean that I can fit them into part of the human skeleton, but they are not sufficiently distinctive to enable me to say that they might not be animal; (c) bones which arc undoubtedly human in origin."

At this stage Mr. Northcroft took exception to the letters "U" (unidentified), "C.H." (consistent with human origin), and "Ii" (human), being placed on these exhibits, saying that these letters contained the doctor's opinion. Counsel contended that there should be nothing on the exhibits, but the letters A B and C.

The magistrate instructed that certain typing on one of the cardboard boxes containing the exhibits should be expunged. He said the marking was obviously incorrect.

"These eleven pieces, class b, consist of two pieces of rib and pieces of charred bones, which are human in origin, consisting of two pieces of rib, one picee of articular 'surface from either the humerus or the thigh bone, three pieces of polvic bone, two pieces of the shoulder blade, and three pieces of the vertebrae, said Dr. Gilmour. "Exhibit c, pieces of charred bone, which are definitely of human origin; (1) part of the lower end of the right humerus, showing the articular surface, for the radius, part of the olecranon fossa, and the external epicondyle." Tuft of Hair. Mr. Meredith: Was there anything else in that exhibit?—A tuft of hair. There was a third portion mounted in wax—only a few hairs. The tuft was divided, one portion being left unaltered, and one portion being mounted on cardboard after being washed, so as to show the colour and general appearance of the hair. The hairs of the tuft averaged 2} inches in length. They arc brown in colour, turning grey. No' hair roots were found. Microscopic examination proved them to be human. Their appearancc indicates tlicy are from a skull; their coarseness suggests they are from a male rather than from "a female. The Court adjourned at 9.5 p.m.