ALLEGED MURDER.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17742, 19 April 1923, Page 11

ALLEGED MURDER.

—♦ TRIAL OP HANNAH MITCHELL. (BT CABLE—PftHSS ASSOCIAtIOS—COPIBIOM.) (AUSTRALIAN itWX.Z. CABLE A.SSOCIATIOB.) (Received April 18th, 9.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, April 18. ' The trial of Hannah Mitchell, charged with committing the Yarra murder, was commenced to-day. "STio great* public interest in the. f rial, was ©videnced by the largo crowd waiting outside tho court, few only of whom weref admitted. Besides being charged with; the murder of Bertha Coughlan, an un- , expected second charge" of ratffdering somo person unknown was laid against accused, who pleaded not guilty to both) charges. :' • ' Outlining the case, tho Crown Prose-i cutor said it was not suggested that accused murdered two women, but possibly the identity of the deceased as Bertha Coughlan would not bo established. Evidence similar, to that given in the Lower Court was then entered upon. [While dragging the Yarra river tho police discovered! tho decapitated bodjs of a young girl in a bag. Tho hoad, was iound in a second bag. The decomposition of tho body indicated that tho girl had been dead for some months Three women—Hannah Mitchell, Margaret Mitchell, and Margaret Milward were arrested. Tho first-named wascharged with murdering in November a girl "named Bertha Coughlan. Tho others were charged with being accessories after the fact. All were remanded. Subsequently the charges against tho last-named two were withdrawn. Tho police evidence showed that Coughs ian came to Melbourne frqin Omeo t°> receive medical. treatment. Sho went to the house of Nurse Mitchell., Next day tho nurso secured a car and allegedly took a. body, supposed to be that of Coughlan, and hid it in a eullyi 45 miles from Melbourne, The police,. acting on certain information received, .. discovered wbero the body had bce«| removed from the gully, but lost trace! - of it until they received a telephone! call from a man stating that ho hacb ~ seen two men dumping a big package from tho Anderson street bridge inw : the Yarra. Dragging operations re* \. suited in the discovery of i&e body o5 -.• the girl. At. the time of her arrest;. ' ; u Hannah Mitchell was out on bail ini • connexion with a sensational shooting - , affair in December. Coughlan was thei '" daughter of well-known residents ofi Onieo. Her relatives were not aware that anything untoward had happened to _ her. They supposed % that aften visiting Melbourne to receive attention) to her 1 eyes, she had gone on a visit to friends. The police say the body) had been twice, if not three times 're-i moved to new burial places before being dumped into the river.]