TRAGIC FATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 137, 13 June 1938, Page 8

TRAGIC FATE.

HEAD WOUNDS.

DEATH OF WOMAN. I | MURDER CHAPGE SEQUEL GRUESOME BEDROOM SCENE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! DL'XF.DIK. tiii- .lay. In t lie Police Court this ni« •riiinir before Mr. -T. K. Bartholomew. S.M.. Krie Sandaggar Parks was charged with the murder of Francos Amelia Lee at Henley on April 14. The inquei-t was taken concurrently with the hearing >>: the charge. Mr. Ada in®, the Crown Prosecutor, represented the police. and I . J.'L. W liitt* ;in.l •1. 15. Jlh 1111 --' 11 a I'l'i'ii red for the accused. Dr. Wy lie stated that lie was telephoned for at seven o'clock oil the ini>;• iiinlt of April 1-1. and lie proceeded to Henley with the police. In a hack bedroom he found the body of a wmiian aged about •'>(} years. She was !> inir on her back .in.l her face was covered hy a pillow. There was a head wound from which Inain substance was plot rnded. Tiie lied wa- soaked with liloo.l, 'I here was no evidence of a struggle. The injury suggested that deceased was t-tnick l.y a heavy instrument with a flat surface, whic'n might he the fdedgehaininer (produced!. Death was cull—-d hy a compound skull fracture, with -evens laceration and haemorrhage. Death would l>e instantaneous, and it appeared that the blow was struck while the deceased slept. Witness stated to Mr. White that the position of the body was consistent with the deceased having been awake when the blow was struck. Additional Skull Wounds. Dr. Eileen Chapman, a-si-tant pathologist at the medical school. stated that on examining the b'xly the following morning she found three further -kull wounds. Witness thought the dee.at-ed had lived for some minutes after the blow. K tie Fre<leriek D'Ath. professor of pathology, gave evidence as to receiving several articles, including a sledgehammer from the police. The hammer bore hitman bloodstains and there were a few grey hairs attache.l to the hammer. These corresponded with the hairs from deceased's head. Witne-s examined the t-kull and he believed that only one blow had been -truck. Accused Unconscious. Dr. Marion Whyte >tated that -he wa-. called to a house at Wilh.wbank, Duncdin. on April 1.1. On a led in a room witness found the accused deeply unconscious and showing signs ciisi.--tcnt with gas poisoning. The accu-ed- ■'•< ndition was very grave, but she was unable to say how much longer it would have been necessary for a fatal is-ue. Harry Hemslev. cordial manufacturer, the employer of the aeeu-ed. said the deceased was a goixl worker and a nondrinker. Witness knew accused was engaged to a girl named Frances and that the engagement had been broken. Parka had received a letter from the girl which made him very depressed. Witne-s know that Parks occasionally hirerl rental cars. Tn answer to Mr. White, witness said he thoueht the accused was very infatuated with the girl. Frances Amelia Lee. aged IS. daughter of the deceased, stated that her mother had been housekeeper at Smith's hou-e. Henley, which was the home of her mother and herself. The accused started keeping company with witness two years ago. Parks later stayed at Smith's. | working on the farm. There was nothing peculiar at this time about the a-cu-ed'- attitude to her. Witne-s be-e-mo engaged to him la-t September. There hud been no serious differences between them, ju-t "a few word-" alxnit an pc-ident which witness su-taineil. Die ae. used -poke of writing to her icotiier alx-ut it. to which -lie agreed. She didn't -ee the first letter the ao-11-ivl W'-ote. but -he did see the second. At this -tage the witne-s bloke down. I Proceeding.!