MURDER SENSATION

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 12346, 10 May 1938, Page 3

MURDER SENSATION

SON OF VICTIM ARRESTED CLOTHING DEFINITELY IDENTIFIED ACCUSED MAN IN AUCKLAND (Special to Times.) Auckland, 10th May, 1 p.m. Douglas Alexander Armstrong, son of E. N, Armstrong who was murdered, and whose dismembered body was placed in a suitcase and thrown into Picton Harbour, was arrested in Auckland this morning on the arrival of the Limited Express and charged with the murder of his father. Picton, May 9 The main development of the day in connection with the suitcase murder, as far as the investigations of the police at Picton are concerned, was the inquest opened last evening after the arrival on the Tamahine from Wellington of William Aitken Armstrong, aged 19, a student. He was met on the wharf by Detec-tive-Sergeants W. McLennan and W. R. Murray and Detective F. Hayhurst and was taken immediately to the Courthouse, where the clothing found on the body had been packed, and he had no hesitation in identifying the clothing as belonging to his father.

A statement was taken by Mr McLennan, and was later read out to Mr Armstrong, jun. “My father stayed at my home until Friday, May 6,” he said. “I last saw’ him on Friday morning at home. I went to work at 8.15 a.m., leaving my father and mother in the house. I have not seen my father since I left home on that day. I have been shown a brown suit, and I can identify it as the one my father wore.”

Alexander Gillies, able seaman, of the Pakeha, in a statement, described the finding of the suitcase, saying that when engaged with able seaman McKenzie in painting the starboard side of the ship lie saw a suitcase resting on one of the lower wharf beams. McKenzie went down and examined it and appeared to move the case to a more secure position, when he called out.

The bosun then called the captain and the first mate and the order was given that nothing should be touched until the police arrived. When the case was being hauled to the wharf witness saw a man’s hand sticking out. The case was later removed by the police. Although comment was made by the coroner that the evidence of identification was not fully complete, a warrant for burial was issued, but inis will not take place until after a post mortem examination, which will probably be conducted by Dr Lynch, Government pathologist, tomorrow. Dr. Lynch, it is understood, has been delayed at Dunedin through a sitting of the Supreme Court, and is not now expected to arrive until to-day’s air liner. Detective-Sergeant Murray and Detective Hayhurst spent several hours in Blenheim this afternoon making inquiries, which are understood to concern the possibility of an unnamed person either staying in the town recently, or who passed through on the way south. All the detectives, however, are at Picton to-night, with the addition of Detective-Sergeant Herron and Detective Thompson, of Christchurch.

Inspector Lewiu, of Nelson, who is in charge of the Picton inquiries, informed the press that he had received a definite instruction from the Commissioner of Police to release no further information in the meantime. It has been ascertained, however, that no arrest has been made, and the missing head and legs have not been discovex-ed.