MURDER CHARGE

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20983, 11 October 1933, Page 3

MURDER CHARGE

GREY LYNN TRAGEDY ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL (KITSSS ASSOCIATION TELEGBAK.} AUCKLAND, October 10. The hearing of the case against a labourer, John Hubert Edwards, aged 41 charged with murdering a married woman, Christina Cunningham, on August 16, was concluded before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court. The accused was represented by Mr Hall Skelton. Continuing his evidence from Thursday, when the case was adjourned, Constable Williams gave further details of statements allegedly maae by the accused, while he was in the Auckland Hospital. ~ Cross-examined, the witness said he was in plain clothes at the hospital. He had been a constable for 18 months in New Zealand, and had previously been in Samoa. The witness handed a notebook, to which he had been referring to give his evidence, to counsel who proceeded to cross-examine him on the accused's statements on various occasions. At the conclusion of the cross-examination, counsel formally objected to the whole of the evidence given by Constable Williams. The objection was noted. Constable Howe, who was on duty at the hospital from August 17 to September, said the accused informed him on August 19 that he would plead not guilty, as he had a clear conscience. He said he had been suffering from a nervous breakdown for the last ten weeks, and that something seemed to snap in his brain. An objection by counsel to the witness's evidence was noted. Evidence was given by Constable Farrow and Detective McWhirter. The latter gave evidence of the condition of the house at Grey Lynn following the tragedy. An intensive search of the house and the vicinity had been made without success by the police, for the instrument which, from appearances, had caused the head injuries suffered by Mrs Cunningham. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.