MURDER CHARGE AT AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26470, 11 July 1951, Page 8

MURDER CHARGE AT AUCKLAND

25 Witnesses Heard In Lower Court

EVENTS IN 1942 RECALLED

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, July 10. The hearing of evidence against George Cecil Horry, aged 44, a driver, who is charged with the murder of Mary Eileen Turner (formerly Mrs Jones), on or about July 12, 1942, in the vicinity of Auckland, was continued in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., today. Twenty-five witnesses were heard. They included Judge Goldstine, two ministers o! religion, two bank managers, and a man and two women from Australia. Mr V. R. Meredith, with him Mr Graham Speight, is appearing for the Crown, and Mr Norman Shieff for the accused. The taking of the main part of the evidence is expected to conclude tomorrow, but the hearing will not end until Thursday. The first witness heard to-day was Judge Goldstine, now chairman of the Local Government Commission. He said he formerly practised as a barrister and solicitor. He identified a photograph of Mrs Mary Eileen Jones, and said he did business transactions for her. including the sale of her house in Herne Bay. Judge Goldstine said the settlement ■was completed on Saturday, July 11, 1942, and a cheque for £687 6s 8d was signed by him and given to Mrs Jones. This was the balance of the purchase money, less mortgage, deposit, and costs. The cheque was payable to ’Mary Eileen Jones, and was not negotiable. Mrs Jones had told him she was to be married and wanted everything completed before her wedding. Judge Goldstine said that on returning home from a cinema on the Saturday night he received a message which had come by telephone to “ring No. 24 Helensville, no matter what time I came in.” When he got through about midnight, he recognised Jwe voice of the woman, who said she was Mrs Turner. She said she could not cash the cheque and asked whether, if she brought it to him, he would “open” it to be cashed. Judge Goldstine said he told her he could not do that, because his firm made trust account cheques not negotiable. She could pay the cheque into a bank in the morning and get it cashed. Mrs Turner then introduced Judge Goldstine over the telephone to her husband, who asked that the cheque be made open because they had to go away very quickly. “I repeated my refusal.” continued Judge Goldstine, “and said his wife could endorse the cheque, which served as my receipt, pay it into the bank, and get the cash.” Turner pressed him to reconsider and open the cheque. “I told him I was sorry, but I couldn’t,” Judge Goldstine said. “That was the last he said.”

Judge Goldstine said that a few days later a bank sent him the cheque for identification of the signature. The cheque was endorsed by Mrs Jones, and the signature appeared to be identical with others in his files. “But I told the bank I was not a handwriting expert, and would, therefore, not say if it was her signature,” he added. Withdrawals from Bank

The next witness, Alfred John Parr, manager of the Auckland branch of the Auckland Savings Bank, said Mary Eileen Jones closed two of her accounts on July 10, 1942, one for £lO7 3s 3d and the other for £2ll Os lid. William Stanley Bainbridge, DeputyRegistrar of Marriages, Auckland, identified documents relating to the marriage of George Arthur Turner to Mary Eileen Jones. He also testified concerning the marriage of George Cecil Horry to Eunice Marcel Geale. The latter licence, dated December 8, 1942, was for a marriage at the Friendly Road Studio, Auckland. The Rev. E. T. Olds told the Court that he was minister of the Pitt Street Methodist Church when the Turner marriage took place on Saturday, July 11, 1942. Before the wedding Turner made alterations in the marriage register. He altered his place of birth as already given, also hiS mother’s Christian and maiden names. Another unusual feature was that Turner did not give his occupation. He said he was doing secret work. Leonard Banks, proprietor of a service station said Mrs Jones hired a small rental car for her wedding on Saturday, July 11, 1942. The car was returned by Turner at 5 pm. on Monday, July 13. The speedometer showed that the car had travelled 162 miles. One mudguard was damaged. The man in the dock to-day was the man who returned the car.

Witnesses testified to a telephone call made by the Turners from the Helensville Hotel, and their departure early next morning. Accused’s Bank Accounts John Robert Hitchens, a bank ledgerkeeper, of Remuera, told the Court that Horry called at his bank on April 15, 1942, to open an account. He asked if he could open a joint account with a Miss Geale. On being told that to do so the other party would have to attend and sign, he asked if he could take the forms away. Hitchens said “No.” Horry opened an account in his own name and deposited £6. Hitchens thought Horry said he was going to be married. Horry closed the account two days later, but reopened it on July 27 with a deposit of £3OO. Horry said the funds had accumulated while he was away in Australia on secret Government business. He said that the account would be fed from the savings of himself and his future wife.

Hitchens said there were several withdrawals, and the account was closed on December 22, when there was a balance of £239 15s. Witness identified Horry. Archibald Victor Thomas, a bank manager, of Wanganui, said when he was accountant of the Union Bank of Australia in Auckland in 1942, Horry called on July 14, giving the name of Charles Anderson and wanting to open an account. He had with him £BO in notes and a solicitor’s trust account cheque on the office of Goldstine and O’Donnell for £687 6s Bd. The cheque was payable to a woman named Jones. Thomas told Horry he could not open an account with a non-negotiable cheque unless inquiries were first made. Horry said he was a representative of J. Turner and Sons, cutlery manufacturers, of Sheffield, and that one of the Turners had married a Miss Jones, and they had left, or were leavmg New Zealand. He said also that one of the Turners had telephoned Goldstine and O’Donnell about the cheque.

Thomas made out a deposit slip for £BO and when he obtained verification from Mr Goldstine he allowed the cheque to be deposited to “Anderson s ’ account. Thomas found out later that within a few days everything had been withdrawn from the account.

Purchase of Section Albert Anderson, a land salesman, said he had done business for Horry whom he identified in Court. Witness could not remember the year, but said that on two occasions he took accused and a girl he was to marry to inspect houses.

Witness said Horry “seemed to be all right” for money. He did not buy a house, but bought a section, and had a house built. “After the deal he wanted me to give the girl away at the wedding,” witness said. “On the Friday, he came in and on the Saturday, the day of the wedding. I agreed to do the job. He sent a tax; round, end I picked up the girl and took her into the IZB studios, where the wedding took place.” The managing director of a firm of house furnishers. Medley Max Taylor. said his firm had sold many pieces of furniture to Horry. Witness identified him as the accused. Most of the purchases were made in the last part of 1942. and the total value was £lB3.

Witness later visited Horry's new home and saw the furniture installed.

George Goodwin, a retired man, and formerly managing director of the Maida Vale Clothing Company, said his firm employed the accused from March 13, 1942. to July 24, 1944. He was a presser, and earned about £5 or £6 a week. Accused was absent from his work on April 17, July 15, July 24. and July 27. 1942, and October 5 and 6.

The Rev. Thomas Threader Garland said he married George Cecil Horry and Unice Muriel Geale on December 12, 1942. He produced the marriage register of the Friendly Road Mission, containing the details. Horry was described as a bachelor, aged 35 and a tailor: and Miss Geale as a spinster, aged 27. “I could not remember the parties again,” the witness added. Fur Coat Identified Robert White said that in 1942 he was employed as a porter at the Auckland Railway Station. It was part of his duties to look around for lost property. He said he had entered ■a- woman’s fur coat and a pair of shoes in the lost property book on September 5. 1942. “I found these articles on a seat at the far end of the women’s waiting room,” witness added. “It was about 12.30 during the day. The coat produced is the one I found.” A railway clerk who was formerly in charge of the lost property office at the Auckland Railway Station, Robert Aubrey Hall, said the fur coat produced in Court was similar to one handed in to him in September, 1942. The coat was subsequently sold by tender.

“I was in the lost property office for seven years, and this was the only fur coat I ever had handed in to me, ’ witness said. “There never was an inquiry for that, or any other fur coat.” The fur coat was purchased by Ernest Harold Biggs, a railway clerk. Biggs told the Court that he tendered for the coat, and was successful. There was no name on the coat. “I handed the coat to my wife.” he added. The previous witness’s wife, Barbara Beatrice Biggs, said that her husband gave her the fur coat for a birthday present. She sent the coat to a furrier in Queen street to have some work done to it. “I went to the furrier’s some time If.ter, and was asked where I had got the coat.” witness added. “I did not receive it back again.” George Eric Gardiner, a foreman fur-cutter in the Queen street furrier’s shop, said he made the fur coat for Mrs Jones when she worked there in 1939. He recognised it by the style of the collar and the job number and code on the inside of the coat “I saw the coat in 1943,” he continued. “The numbers were very clear at that time. A boy employed at the shop brought it in for repairs. I checked the numbers, ana rang the police.” , The Magistrate: Would there be another fur coat with a collar like that. Witness: Well, it’s hardly likely. Three witnesses from Australia gave evidence about the readdressing of letters to New Zealand at the request of the writer. These letters were mentioned in the previous day s evidence. . .... The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow morning.