FOURTH DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1935, Page 8

FOURTH DAY.

MURDER TRIAL. POISONED CHOCOLATE CASE. ANONYMOUS LETTERS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, this day. Further evidence was heard in the Police Court at Greymoutli yesterday afternoon and again to-day in the case against John Skikelthrop Page, a miner, aged 3C, who is charged that on September 24 at Blackball he murdered Margaret May Smith, ami that on September 22 at Blackball he attempted to murder Jean Kennedy Clark and Ethel Annie Bragg. There was again a large crowd at the Courthouse. The charges arise from the chocolate poisoning case last year. After the luncheon adjournment yesterday four witi/esses, including the mother of Jean Kennedy Clark, gave evidence of having received anonymous letters last year, three of them some time before Miss Smith's death, and one on September 24, Harry Joseph Swann, miner, of Atarau, gave evidence that he met Page about February, 1!>34. He lived with witness after that in a hut at Thompson's mill. Later witness moved to Blackball and went backward and forward to Atarau. Page continued to live at the mill. At the week-end immediately prior to Miss Smith's death witness left Page on the Friday and saw him again at the hut the Monday following.

On September 20, witness continued, he went to work at 7.30 a.m. He saw Page in the hut and told him a girl had been sent poisoned chocolates, and that she was dead. He did not think he told Pago who the girl was. Page wae having breakfast. He made no reply at the time, but pushed his breakfast aside and appeared dumbfounded. After a few minutes accused said he would go down to Blackball to the funeral and draw his wages at the same time. He then cleaned himself and went to Blackball.

On Friday. September 28, accused told witness he* had another job, and the following night witnSss snw accused catch a train at Blackball for Greymouth. That was the last witness saw of him. Detectives Visit Camps. Witness said he showed Page's two camps at Atarau to detectives. They almost turned the hut at the mill inside out. The detectives found papers and empty bottles, but witness did not remember the label on any of the bottles. The detectives took some brown paper, which witness identified as that produced in Court. He handed some paper to the detectives which had writing on it. He thought it was accused's writing. Witness had never eeen any strychnine about the place, nor any chocolates.

Cross-examined by Mr. Paterson. counsel for accused, witness said he was certainly full of the tragedy when he got to the hut and poured out tin- tale to accused, who pushed his food away and listened to him. Accused nat back as if he had got a shook, and did not finish his food. He left about half a pound of steak on his plate. Witness told accused in the course of conversation that the wr'ong party had been poisoned. He thought accused knew the girl, because he thought he knew everyone in Blackball.

George Pickens, labourer, of Christchurch, said he lived with Page and Swann at Atarau from June, 1!)34, to the end of July, 1934. Swann was there only for the lirst two weeks. Witness said the writing exhibited was not his. Page wrote two or throe letters regarding employment for witness. Witness road of the death of Miss Smith six months ago. In September 1:n ; t. witness was in Canterbury. He had been then' since July, 1034." When the hearing was resumed thi* morning there wore still ~~> witnesses for the prosecution to bo heard. This Morning's Evidence. Fercival Henry McLean, a winch driver, gave evidence that he had a hut at Moonlight. Accused wae camped in a hut five chains away. Witness saw accused on .September 24, between 0 and G. 30, but he saw no indication that accused was in his hut between the Friday afternoon and the Monday morning. Witness fed Page's horse during that week-end. Frederick Donovan, a farmer, of Camptown, said he knew Page when the hitter was working for Burr. Witness purchased strychnine three or four ycare ago to poison some dogs. He did

not use it all and put the remainder on a shelf in a barn. Detectives called upon him on October 4 and he gave them the strychnine. The barn was not locked. To Mr. Paterson witness replied that it was hardly possible that the strychnine used in the chocolates came from his botWe, as the same quantity was in it and the bottle was covered with dust when the police called. Alphonsus Henry Lima stated that his shop was stocked with boxes of chocolates similar to that produced. Dulcie Lima corroborated the previous witness* evidence.. She said she knew accused by sight but did not remember where she had seen him. Doreen Hanrahan, who is employed at Lima's shop said that ehe knew accused but not to speak to. She could not remember where she had seen him. but thought it was in the shop. Robert Mackay Patterson and Thomas O'Dca, storekeepers, gave evidence re their stocks of chocolates. Sergeant I). Austin, of Dunedin, said that on December 20 last he was district clerk of police records at Greymouth. He cleared the mail on tlia evening of that date, receiving a letter addressed, "Chief of Police, Greymouth." He handed it to Inspector Cameron on July 2(> last. Witness said he served the notice on accused setting out the present charge. Accused made no reply. Page Calls on Police. Inspector Cameron gave evidence that on September 24 he received n report respecting .Miss Smith's death. On October 12 he received a telephone meesage from accused from Barrytown, requesting an appointment at the police office on the following evening. Witness was at the oflice, but accused did not keep tlu> appointment. It was a very wet night, and witness concluded that that was the reason Page did not attend. On September 20 Sergeant Austin handed witness the letter previously referred to. That was the only anonymous letter he had received in connection with the Blackball inquiry. On November 11 Page called at witlicks' office and asked if witness could give him any information about the Blackball tragedy. Page said he had a suspicion of the postmaster. On November 1!) Page again called and said he was leaving the district. He added that he had a box at Xgaherc, and that if the detceivee wished to examine his effects he would gladlv show them.

Mrs. Mary Dunn, of the All Nations Hold at Barrytown. said that Page boarded there during the whole of October. Reginald W. C. Stuart, an engineer, stated that on October 10 he went to work at Barytown. Accused was employed on a gold claim there. Page told him that detectives had called about tile Blackball murder, and that he could give them some useful information if approached in the right way. Accused was advised to communicate with the police. Charles Khvyn Griffithe, a lor»y driver, said he shared a room with, accused at Barrytown. Accused said after the police visit that he thought 'someone had been forging his handwriting. He appeared worried, and was not sleeping well. Witness had seen Page with a syringe, but not a first aid outfit.