MURDER TRIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1938, Page 13

MURDER TRIAL.

THE HENLEY TRAGEDY

GIRL GIVES EVIDENCE. STORY OF BROKEN ENGAGEMENT iKy Teleprniih.—l'rrss Association.) DUNEDIN, Monday. At the trial to-day of Eric Sandagger Parks, cordial manufacturer, aged 28, charged with. the murder of Frances Amelia Lee, a married woman, at llejiley on April 14, lengthy evidence was given by the daughter of the dead woman, Francis Amelia Lee, aged IS. liie evidence of eight witnesses was heard, inquest proceedings being taken concurrently with the charge. Frances Amelia Lee said that her mother had been housekeeper for Mr. Smith for about three years and that she and her mother looked on the liouse as their home. Witness firstmet accused two years ago last May and became engaged to him in .September, 1 i»;47. Following a fall at a hotel where sae was working, witness was admitted to hospital, where accused visited her and told her that lie proposed visiting the proprietor of the hotel and speaking to him about her accident. i "Sick of Interference." After her discharge from hospital, and following correspondence between accused and her mother, she wrote to accused telling him that she was "sick of him interfering." She asked him to take back the engagement ring, but he refused, stating that he was sorry, and would not interfere again. Oil the following day witness visited the out patients' department of the hospital, where she received ail urgent message to ring a certain number. She rang up and spoke to accused, who told her that if she wished to break oil the engagement she had better carry on. On April 2 witness returned to Henlev, and did not see accused again until the night of April 14. Before that, however, she had come to the conclusion that she should have broken off the engagement, so she wrote to accused.

Witness and her mother were at home all day on April 14, and Mr Smith vfas also about the property. After retiring that night, she woke to see accused looking round the door. lie had a torch in his hand, and was dressed in a hat and overcoat. He appeared "wild." He was shaking.

Witness asked accused what he was doing, and he replied that he "just came in." Witness said lie could not take liberties like that, accused answering that he had come for the ring. When witness said she would call her mother, he* told her- not to talk so loudly. She told him to get the ring himself from a pedestal if lie wanted it, accused doing this and putting both the ring and its case in his pocket.

Parks then accused her of "carrying on" with a man named Parsons, and said he would show her up. When witness told him that he would "get gaol" if he did not take care what he was doing, he replied that he did not care if he got 14 years. Accused said she would "hear more about this tomorrow." He then left the room, and sbe heard him go out the back door and round the side of the liouse. "Thoroughly Frightened." Witness got out of bed and watched him through the sitting room window. She saw him go to a car and drive off, and then she went through to her mother's room. She looked round the door and asked her if she was awake, but there was no reply. Witness did not try to waken her. By this time she was thoroughly frightened.

In the morning when she awakened witness heard Mr. Smith in the kitchen and then jfae heard him go to her mother's room. When he came out he walked round and round the kitchen saying that somebody had been in tlie house. He then came through to witness' bedroom. He waa very shaky and very white and spoke to her.

Alexander Smitfh, farmer, said he slept in a hut about 30ft to the rear of the house. Accused had frequently visited his house, sometimes staying for fairly lengthy periods. Witness went on to tell how, when he rose on the morning of April 15 and went over to the house to light the fire, he observed a sledge s»ammer inside the porch door. It was not there when witness retired on the previous night and he had never before seen it in the house.

Finding that the power in the house was off, witness went to Mrs. Lee's room to tell her that they would have to milk by hand. He received no answer to has call and on going into tlie room to see why she did not answer lie saw a pillow lying on her face. He discovered that she was dead.

At this stage the hearing was adjourned until to-morrow, when the evidence of ten further witnesses will be taken.