YOUNG TRUCKER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 103, 2 May 1940, Page 8

YOUNG TRUCKER

MURDER SUSPECT. WAIKINO TRAGEDY. BLOODSTAINS ON CAR. UNTIRING POLICE SEARCH. (By Telegraph—Special Reporter.) WAIHr, this day. Following an afternoon of unusual activity in Waihi yesterday, DetectiveSergeant's J. Thompson and J. Walsh early last evening brought a young man, Douglas Herbert Cartman, to the police station, und at 9 p.m. arrested him on a ehavge of murdering Mrs. Alice Elizabeth Hamilton. It is four weeks since Mrs. Hamilton was found dead in some scrub close to. the Waitawheta Koad, one mile from Waikino, with her head battered in. Four miles away, on the same road, was found the body of 16-year-old Lloyd Moran, who accompanied her on her fatal walk, begun ffain the Waikino Hotel at 7.15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. His head, toOj was smashed in. It was apparent yesterday that the police were ready to move in the matter. Conferences were held on Tuesday and again yesterday, and were attended by Commissioner D. J. Cummings, Superintendent J. Cummings, & Auckland, Inspector G. E. Edwards, officer in charge of the Hamilton district, and DetectiveSergeants Walsh and Thompson. Lived With His Mother. Cartman, the man in custody, is single, and is aged 22. He lived with his mother in Walmsley Street, Waihi, and was employed as a trucker at the Martha mine. The arrest follows investigations carried out over a wide area during the past month, and when the story is unfolded in the Court it is understood it will present a number of unusual features. As with the Piha case, the use which detectives have made of facilities offered by. pathologists in Auckland and Wellington has been of paramount importance. The turning point came on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 23, when Detective F. Miller and Constable W. Harper made some important discoveries in a garage. In consequence of investigations made .concerning pieces of headlamp glass found at the spot where it was presumed a motorcar struck down Mrs. Hamilton lini the boy Moran, it was established that they belonged to a 1929 brown Nash coupe. A widespread search was made for a two-seater car of .that type. Visit To Garage. The two above named officers, late in the afternoon of.April 22, visited a garage and discovered a car answering the description of the one they sought. Their Subsequent examination disclosed bloodstains on,'.the dashboard and on the floor of the catj. some stains on *'acushion of the dickey seat, and a tiny fragment of glass near the bonnet and the_ fender.. The glass._of the offside headlamp is missing. The police • took possession of this cary and it was minutely examined. Underneath the chassis they found a small piece of fatty material adhering to one of the bolts, some further bloodstains and strands of human hair. These were immediately dispatched for pathological examination. From a small strip of metal connecting two bumper bars on the front, of the car was missing a small rectangular piece' of metal about one inch and a quarter by one inch. A piece of metal of similar dimensions bad been picked up by Constable Harper on the morning of April 3 when the bodies of the two victims were found on the Waitawheta Road. Commissioner Cummings last night said it was a very difficult inquiry, requiring an enormous amount of work, especially in checking up on motor cars. He expressed appreciation of the assistance given to the police by the public throughout the inquiry, when they had been keen to help in every possible manner. Accused in Court. Much interest was taken this morning when accused was brought before the Police Court, a large crowd attending. Accused, who wore a blue striped suit and stood with his hands in'his pockets, was charged "that on April 2, at Waikino, he did murder Alice Elizabeth Hamilton." Messrs. W. M. Wallnutt and J. Moorhead, J.P.'s, were on the Bench. Detective-Sergeant Thompson sai 1 accused had been arrested only last night and that the police desired a remand to Auckland for May 6, when a further remand would be applied for. • The remand was granted, the whole proceedings lasting less than a minute. Good Work by Police. In this ease the Commissioner of Police, Mr. D. J. Cummings, has to a large extent supervised the inquiry, particularly during the past two or three days. Yesterday Superintendent J. Cummings, of Auckland, arrived and the inspector in charge of the Hamilton district, Inspector G. E. Edwards, has also been here. Excellent work has been done by Detective-Sergeant J. Thompson, with whom has been associated Detective-Sergeant J. Walsh, Detectives W. Slater, F. Miller, R. D. L. Jones (of Auckland) and Detective Hayes, of Hamilton. The local staff of police, under Sergeant T. G. Dunn, have been active, assisted by Constables Harper, Spence, Finch and Rosboreugh, of Waihi, also Constables P. E. Mathieson and R. J. Lucas, of Auckland. In addition, three other Hamilton constables and four Auckland constables have assisted in searching, scrub-cutting and sifting. Since the tragedy occurred a fear psychology has been prevalent' in the Waikino district, with the result that husbands have not cared t» leave their wives alone in the evenings and local •business- has suffered, •_ - '• ■".- -j