BODY FOUND IN TRENCH

Press, Volume LXXXIIi, Issue 25302, 30 September 1947, Page 3

BODY FOUND IN TRENCH

Coroner’s Comments At Inquest DEATH FROM ASPHYXIA “From the mode of death, the circumstances in which the body was found and the fact that the money was missing, there is a strong suspicion that the man was murdered,” said the Coroner, Mr Raymond Ferner, at the conclusion yesterday of the inquest into the death of William Keefe Olds, aged 56, of 47 Mulgrave street, Wellington. The Cproner returned a verdict that the t cause of death was asphyxia by -smothering,' while in a state of alcoholic intoxication.

The body of Mr Olds was found in a trench under a building in the grounds of Canterbury University College on the morning of August 4.

“This inquest is a most important one from, a police point of view, as the evidence may indicate whether death was caused by a criminal act or not. The medical evidence is most important, for in any homicide charge the cause of death must be positively established to be the result of a criminal act,” said Inspector T. E. Holmes, who conducted proceedings for the police.

“From the first moment this matter was treated in every respect as though it were an actual murder. Every step was taken that would have been taken if a murder had actually been committed,” continued Inspector Holmes., “The finding of a body under such circumstances throws heavy responsibilities on the police and it had l°°ked at first from the possibility of a straight-out crime; then from negligence amounting to crime, such as running down by a motor-car a R~ dls P° si ng of the body; then from other negligence not amounting 'to crime; then from natural causes. If the cause was still doubtful, a lot of very careful and painstaking inquiry was necessary. “There’is no reason to suspect any particular, person. All persons who nave been interviewed by the police have freely given details and there is no reason to oelieve that anyone withheld any information. The last time Mr Olds was alive, by anyone with whom the police have been in touch was 6 p.m. on August 1. Considerable time has been spent in trying to establish the identity of two men who were seen with Mr Olds at that time, but without success. It has not been explained how Mr Olds’s overcoat and hat got into the river, or what became of a foil of money he was exhibiting in a hotel bar. “No evidence has been found from which it can be stated definitely that a c F*m. e was committed. There is a possibility of smothering but this could have happened without outside assistance. It can be taken as definite that there was no poisoning, no drugging, no throttling, no assault with any weapon, no violence to the face or body that could cause death, the clothing did not in any way suggest a struggle or robbery, nor did the expression on the face indicate any distress, concluded Inspector Holmes.

“In Normal Health” John William Turley, branch manager for Warner Bros. Pictures (N.Z.), Wellington. giving evidence, said he had known Olds for the last eight- or nine years. He last saw Olds alive on the evening of July 31, 1947. They had drink# in a hotel that day, and Olds told him ne was going south on the Wahine that night. ‘He was in his normal health and epints when he left me at 6 p?m. He , , no l « a ye a watch nor to my knowledge; did he carry a wallet. He usually carried a few one pound notes rolled up an l x£ pt together with an elastic band,” said the witness. Frederick Guy Beetham, a - house surgeon at the Wellington Public Hospital, de l ai Jno= f J?A dss m edical history. In 1932 and 1935 Olds was admitted to the hospital with a lung abscess, due to injuries he received in the First World war. On March 19, 1940, he was admitted to the hospital suffering from a head injury and alcoholism. He was admitted to the hospital with the same complaints 19 ?947 ember 28, 1945, and again on Jul l'

To the Coroner, the witness said Olds’s medical history might be divided into two parts. Up to 1940 it was associated with lung trouble arising from his war injuries. and‘from 1940 to 1947 it was a record of alcoholism and resultant injuries. Inspector Holmes, Dr. Beetham said Olds s chest complaint, plus liquor, would havei a very minor effect, if any, on his breathing. There would be no tendency for his breathing to stop when he was under the influence of liquor. Jack Granville Brewer, company manag»r, J Wellington, said that when Olds called at his office on the evening of July 31 1947. before boarding the Wahine, he had some £6O in his possession. “I told him he Was foolish to carry so much money on the boat. He gave me £3O in notes and I gave him a crossed cheque and a letter of introduction to a man C br * s t cburc h'- I pinned approximately £3O in notes inside one of his pockets for safety. He was not strong physically. and was wounded in the First World War. He said he had no fixed address to go to in Christchurch, but hoped to secure a room privately in Latimer square, ’ said the witness.

Frederick Ernest Moulder, a fitter, of Wellington, said he was in the same cabin as Olds on the Wahine. He had no conversation with Olds on the boat, but he saw Olds drinking on the boat. .He was with Olds next day, August 1, in the United Service Hotel, and Olds asked him to take some capsules Olds had, to help him to sleep. When the witness left the hotel at 6 p.m. Olds was still talking to some men he met in the bar. The following morning Olds failed Io turn up at a taxi rink as arranged, and the witness went to the races without him. “I did not know the men Olds was talking to,” said the witness to Inspector Holmes. “I think they were local men. I walked down the footpath- with one ot the men and Olds was standing at the doorway with the other two. I cannot recall any of the conversation Olds had with the men. “A Free Spender” Gordon Leslie Hammond, a share milker, of Takamatua, said he was a passenger on the Wahine on the night of July 31. He got into the cbmpany of five or six returned soldiers, and they were joined by Olds. “He appeared to have plenty of money, for on one occasion he took a roll of notes from his pocket. He appeared to be a and a good sport. The following morning I accompanied him to the Grosvenor Hotel, and he was still there when I left about 9 a.m.,” added the witness. Frank Robert Henry Edwards, a taxidriver. said he drove Olds and another man to a hotel and then to two houses when Olds was looking fqr board. He got board at 134 Peterborough street, and the witness wrote the address on a card for him. Janet Mackie Miller said she conducted a casual guest house, bed and breakfast, at 134 Peterborough street. About 10 a.m. on August 1 a man came to the house and took a room. He did not give his name or address. He left a small suitcase, with the name Olds on the label, and a parcel. When he paid her he took out a large sum of money. He was carrying the money loosely and treating it carelessly. He did not return to the house.

Kerwyn Webster Staples, company manager, Christchurch, said that, about noon on August 1, a man called on him with a letter of introduction from Brewer, He said his name was Olds and he was an uncle of Brewer. He cashed a cheque for £3O for this man.

Norman Wray Millner, licensee of the United Service Hotel, said he was in the private bar of the hotel about 5.30 p.m. on August 1. He was speaking to a group of three regular customers when he noticed Olds with two other, men. Olds had a fair amount of liquor and the witness considered tellipg the barman not to serve him with any more drink. Olds walked out on to Hereford street, and appeared to be capable of looking after himself.

To the Coroner, the witness said that just on 6 p.m. Olds and the other two men appeared to walk out together, but he would not be definite that Olds was alone when he finally left the bar and walked out to the street. To Inspector Holmes, who asked if the witness saw anyone in Court who might have been with Olds, the witness said he would not recognise Moulder, but he was a similar type to one of the men with Olds. He had similar ears. He was the man who was standing next to Olds in the bar. If the other men had been local men he would have known them. Saw Olds With Companions Cornelius Stafford Chidgey, carpet layer, Christchurdh, said he eaw the man he now knew to be Olds in the private bar of the United Service Hotel on the evening of August 1. Olds was in the company of two other men. He could see Olds was under the influence of liquor. He was very talkative and dropped his pipe two or three times. Olds produced a roll of notes on several and appeared to be doing all the paying. * „ Inspector Holmes the witness said;

T wotild say that Moulder is the man who was standing next to Olds in the bar that night. He is one of the men I had in inind when I went round with the police to see if I could find the two men.” Ernest Alfred Dobier, carpet planner, said he was with Chidgey in the bar of the United Service Hotel. Olds was the worse for liquor and tried to start an argument on politics. Qlds was wearing a hat and overcoat similar to those produced in Court. “The two men with Olds appeared to me to be of the showman

type. I have patrolled hotels with detectives and gone to races, but I have not seen the men,” said the witness. “I consider the witness Moulder Identical with the rhan standing next to Olds at the bar—evten to the haircut at the back,” said the witness in reply to Inspector Holmes. “I saw Olds and the two .men walk down Hereford street near the Hereford Street Post Office. Moulder was one of the men. I did not see whether they went over the Hereford street bridge for I turned the corner and went down the terrace.”

Harold Alva Adams, labourer, told the Court of his finding an overcoat in the Avon river and Anthony Bernard Graham, a schoolboy, gave evidence of finding a hat in the river. John Rand and Ernest Raymond Watson, employees of Vale and Company, Ltd., told of their finding the body of Olds in a trench under a building in the Canterbury University College grounds on the morning of August 4. The trench was covered with a flattened-out bitumen tin ahd a sack was over the head and part of the body.

Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty said the body was lying on its back, with the hands by the sides. There was no indication of a struggle or scuffle. There was no money in the pockets. There was a little dried blood in the nostrils. A Post Office Savings Bank book' was found in a pocket. Detective A. B. Tate said he collected a small suitcase, with Olds’s namte on the label, from. .134 Peterborough street. Among the effects was a bottle of capsules. 'Medical Evidence Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Public Hospital, said that, in his opinion, the cause of death was asphyxia while in a state of alcoholic intoxication, and that the asphyxia was caused by smothering. In his opinion Olds was carried .to the trench and in all probability he was dead at the time or in a state of helplessness. The Coroner wCould you hazard an opinion as to the date of death?—Yes, late on the Friday night or early on Saturday morning. Would you agree that the circumstances in which this body was found disclose any suggestion that death was due to alcoholic poisoning?—Death from alcoholic poisonftig is very unlikely. You know that bottles of tablets, which appear to be barbiturates, were found among his effects?—Yes.

■ As a result of your pathological examination and from the Government analyst’s report, barbiturate poison can be excluded as the cause of death?—Yes.

The absenc e of marks of violence would appear to exclude actual violence? —Yes. Is it possible he might have smothered himself while in a state of alcoholic intoxication?—Yes.

That would presuppose he was lying in a position where air was excluded from his mouth and nose?—Yes.

Bu. the circumstances would also appear to be consistent with homicidal smothering?—That could be so. Dr. Pearson, continuing, said the slight swelling on Olds’s lip could not occur, in his opirnon. through accidental smothering. The bleeding from the nose could have been produced by mild violence but, on th other hand, Olds had an inflammation in front of the sinus W)d that membrane lining was in a haemorrhagic state, though it did not show signs of having bled. The swelling of the lip and the blood in the nose could be due to mild violence such as pressure—a hand applied over the mouth and nose, for instance.

The Coroner: Smothered he was, but, from the indications, it is open to question whether it was homicidal or not? Dr. Pearson: That is correct.

Senior Detective F. J. Brady said every effort was made to find the two men described by witnesses ana special patrols were made of hotels and racecourses, but witiiout result. All efforts to trace Olds after 6 p.m. on August 1 failed. When he saw the body of Olds in the trench the clothing was not disturbed. The. soles of his shoes were clean and dry and entirely free from sandy soil. It appeared that Olds never walked to the trench but was carried there. The detective staff worked 14 hours a day on the inquiry. To the Coroner: It would require the efforts of more than one person to carry a man of the weight and bulk of Olds. The trench was not obvious from Hereford ‘ street.

The Coroner said that any suggestion that Olds might have died from the effects of a drug had been disposed of by the analyst’s report and the pathological evidence. The circumstances in which the body was lying when found, and the medical evidence, disposed of any suggestion that he might have died of alcoholic poisoning alone. The considered opinion of Dr. Pearson was that was due to smothering The evidence showed that, at the time of his death, Olds was in a state of intoxication and he would then be a very easy mark for anyone with homicidal inclinations. His belief was that Olds was dead when he was put in the trench. From the mode of death, the circumstances in which the. body was found, and the fact that the money was missing there arose a strong suspicion that Olds was murdered. The circumstances in which he was last seen alive raised the suspicion that the persons with whom Olds then was were not unconnected with the deed.

The Coroner returned a verdict that Olds died on or about August 1, the cause of death being asphyxia by smothering, while in a state of alcoholic intoxication.