MURDER CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 172, 22 July 1940, Page 9

MURDER CASE.

WAIKINO FATALITY. HEARING OPENED. JURY VISIT THE SCENE. A further stage in the Waikino sensation of April was reached in the Supreme Court, Auckland, to-day, when Douglas Herbert Cartman, goldmine trucker, aged 22 years, appeared before Mr. Justice Fair and a jury charged that on or about April 2 he murdered Elizabeth Agnes Hamilton.

The charge arose out of a police investigation of the disappearance on the night of April 2 of Mrs. Hamilton, cook at the Waikino Hotel, after she had gone for an evening stroll in company with the licensee's son, aged 15 years. Next day the dead bodies of both Mrs. Hamilton and the boy were found, that of the former being at an isolated spot, and stripped of clothing, and the head showed severe injuries. The accused man was arrested a month later.

When the case came up for hearing to-day Mr. V. R. Meredith and Mr. N. I. Smith appeared for the Crown, and the accused was defended by Mr. T. Henry and Mr. F. McCarthy.

The empanelling of the jury resulted in seven jurors who were called being challenged. After the twelve men had been selected, one juryman intimated that should the case last more than a week he would probably lose a contract on which he was engaged. He was assured by hi 3 Honor that the case would be concluded in five days.

Mr. Henry then applied for a view of the locality by the jury prior to hearing the evidence. Mr. Meredith agreed that this would enable the members of the jury to understand the evidence better from having a knowledge of the contour of the country and the relative positions of places to which the evidence would be directed. His Honor granted the application. He informed the jurors that they would be required to remain together during the period of the hearing of the charge against accused. When the Court rose for adjournment they would be given an opportunity of communicating with their homes and places of business to make arrangements accordingly. The case would probably take four or, perhaps, five days. After they had made such arrangements they would be taken to view the locality with which the evidence in this charge was concerned. They would probably be away from Auckland all day, and the hearing would be resumed to-morrow morning.