Inquest Begins On Lane Cove Deaths

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30125, 8 May 1963, Page 15

Inquest Begins On Lane Cove Deaths

SYDNEY, May 7. A New Zealand scientist, Dr. Gilbert Bogle, left a New Year’s party “some time” before Mrs Margaret Chandler, a witness told the Sydney Coroner’s Court today at the inquest into their deaths. The bodies of Dr. Bogle, aged 38, a Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist, and Mrs Chandler, aged 29, the wife of another C.5.1.R.0. scientist, were found near the Lane Cove river at Lane Cove, a northern Sydney suburb, on January 1.

They had attended a New Year’s Eve party earlier at the suburban Chatswood home of Mr Kenneth Oswald Nash, a C.5.1.R.0. photographer. Nash told the Coroner (Mr J uoomes) it was most unlikely that Dr. Bogle left later than <3O a m., and there was a time Lapse before he saw Mrs Chandler walking out •'ash's wife told the Coroner that about five minute? elapsed between the time Dr Br>gle waved goodbye to her and she saw Mrs Chandler on the steps of the house Nash, the first witness said he had become acquainted with Bogle five or six years ago and had met Bogle and Mrs Bogle on a number of occasions For some years he had held a New Year's Eve party a' his home, and last New Year's Eve he and his wife had arranged a similar function, the guest list including Dr. Bogle Bogle had indicated to him that his wife would not be able to come but had asked whether it would be all right to come without her The guests had all been friends, and chosen for their d versification of interests. Nash told Sergeant D Goode (assisting the Coroner* The guests were not al! from the C S I R O They were of different age groups Nash said he knew Geoffrey Chandler who was also a member of the CSI RO and had met Mr and Mrs Chandler socially at a party at Murrvbank on December 21 Nash *aid he had served M- and Mrs Chandler and Bogle with drinks Asked the approximate number of drinks he had served them Nash said it would have been in the order of three glasses of beer for Mr Chandler and perhaps four or five glasses for Mrs Chandler They were ordinary party beer glasses He had served about five s milar glasses of beer to Bogle After midnight, he nad announced tn the guests they could look after themselves at the bar At midnight all the guests were "completely srber" and it was not obvious that any were adversely affected by liquor Bogle nad appeared in good spirits engaged in animated c rfiversation and quite happy. Generally. Bogle was a lively conversationalist The Chandlers had confined themselves » a smaP a-ea of toe room m which they were standing and perhaps had seemed a little retiring. but quite content Chandler Absent He had noted Mr Chandler’s absence about 12 10 a.m and had spoken to Mrs Na* about it. He had next seen Mr Chandler about 3am when supper was being served “I was standing at toe d nmg-room door and I saw M’- Chandler standing beh nd me I offered him a piste of hot food but he declined." Nash said ”He asked If he could mix him self a drink '* Nash said Mr Chandler nad re'umed to the dining-room and stood near his wife while he had a drink. He had seen Mr and Mrs Chandler drinking coffee together but he did not speak to ’hem Nash said that when he nw first been questioned about the departure- time of 3ogle he thought the time was 4 30 but he had given the matter fu’-ther and considered 4 30 nrrght have been a little late. He had had no

particular reason to notice B. gle's departure time. Nash said he had seen Bcgle go out of the Livingroom door and turn right to the front door. He was then alone. He had seen Mrs Chandler slightly later after Bogle went out. and Chandler was not with Mrs Chandler at that time Walked Down Path Nash said that he and his wife had had occasion ’o walk to their front veranda presumably to see someone else off the premises He had noticed Mrs Chandler on ;he oath at the foot of the s’ens Mrs Chandler had seen them. turned round and walked slowly down ‘he garden path and out through he main gateway then took 10 to 12 paces left He had no real estimate of his time because there had been a few people leaving a’ ‘hat time He had had n>> particular reason to note 'he departure t.ime of anyone and no reason to pay more attention to Bogle or Mrs Chandler than to any of tire Jther guests The last time he recollectaa seeing Chandler in the house was about 3.45. when he had seen Chandler with Mrs "handler and Bogle He had nad no particular reason to scrutinise Chandler's movements, He had not known where Bogie’s car was parked tha‘ night, nor had he known where Chandler’s car was parked, but had learned this later from something he was told At toe tame Bcgle left be nad not altered physically >r in demeanor from when he arrived There had been ictoing abnormal about nun and he had been completely sober No Handbag Nash said that when Mrs Chandler had left the parly she was not carrying hei handbag During the course of the evening he said, he had noticed Mr and Mrs Chandler absent from the house. Nash said that with his wife be had found Mrs Chandler in the company of Bogle, standing on the back lawn a few yards outside tot back door “They were looking at each other, standing a few tee: apart," Nash said No-one else bad been wto them •Purely in lest, from a point of puckish humour, I switchea oti the ugnt which spilt on to toe lawn.’’ he said That had left them in darkness, and they returned to the house within a few seconds Happy Couple Nash told Mr W D I Ward (for Bogie's parents' he had known Bogle as a fellow-employee and associ ate He also knew Mrs Bogle and nad bad opportunity to observe her and her husband together They had always appeared to be a happy couple very contented and friendly Nash said it nafl been in toe cafe ai the laboratory that Bogle told him Mrs Bugle could not come to the party He had learned Mrs Bogle was feeding a young baby and Dr Bogle had asked if it was in order for him to come alone It had been very web known at the C S 1 R O that Bogle was due to depart on a very unportant position in toe United S ates It had been a fitting time for Bogle to bid adieu to his friends Nash told Mr Ward it was *» decent, well-behaved party of reputable people.” Nash said Mrs Chandler had worn a floral frock “Mr Chandler was wearing. I think, sandals, casual slacks some form of tong shirt-like

object that hung outside his trousers, with an open-neck collar." be said To Mr Ward, Nash said he had been looking for Mr and Mrs Chnadler when he found i Mrs Chandler and Dr Bogle standing on the back lawn He bad not seen any undue friendliness betWteen Mrs Chandler and Dr Bogle during the night Animated Party Asked if it had been a pretty quiet party, Nash said’ "That is a relative question—we thought it was quite animated It was not a rowdy or riotous party the main enjoyment being conversation." At this stage Sergeant Goode tendered as an exhibit a list of ‘he 22 guests at the party Nash said that between 9 p.rn on December 31 and 7 30 a m the following day the guests had consumed: One dozen bottles of beer, two bottles of whisky, one bottle of gin. one bottle of vodka and two dozen bottles of various soft drinks. Nash told Mr K Murray (for Mr Chandler* it was most unlikely that Bogle had lef; later than 4 30 and there had been a time lapse before he saw Mrs Chandler walking out Bogle had gone some time before Mrs Chandler. Nash told Sergeant Goode The next witness. Ruth Iris Nash, told Sergeant Goode sh? had known Bogle for some years. At the New Year’s E.e party, Bogle had appeared to be “quite normal—always vivacious." The Chandlers had arrived I together about 10 p.m. There was nothing abnormal in their ippearance other than Chandler's dress. Mrs Nash said. He had dressed very casually, a departure from the standard she had set Mrs Nash said that when she saw Bogle and Mrs Chandler on the' back lawn she had waved to them Mrs Chandler, she said, was “a rather reserved girl." After the couple had returned to ‘he party Dr Bogle mixed with other guests Mrs Nash said that after she had handed out coffee—about 3.25 a m.—Mr and Mrs Chandler had “definitely not" been in the dining room. Sitting Together Mrs Nash said that aftei some guests had left, about 3.40 a.m., Bogle and Mrs Chandler were sitting together ir the lounge Later they were still together. Accord mg to her original in.pression he time then was about 4.15 About that time, she said, she had heard something about Dr Bogle leaving Mrs Nash said she nad re eeived a telephone call from Mrs Bogle about 7 a m., inquiring about her husband ‘1 told her he had left short! before." she said. It had beer two or three hours before she told Sergeant Goode. Mrs Nash said she naa seen no change m the demeanoui of Bogle or Mrs Chandler a: the part. Asked whether she had seen a change in Mi Chandler Mrs Nash replied ‘I saw so little of him tha I •iidn't notice anything” No Photographs After the luncheon adjournment. the Coroner refused a request *rom the press to be allowed to photograph ex bibits AU counsel appearing before the inquiry opnosed the request Mrs Nash then resumed hei evidence he said that after she had seen people includ ing Mrs Chandler and Bogle leave she recollected other viests being present in the home. After Miss Bea<’is or Mrs Chandler had left, more than an hour would have elapsed until the next couple left About that time, she

remembered a milkman being about About five minutes had elapsed between the time Bogle waved goodbye to her and the time she observed Mrs Chandler on the steps The narty then had thi’ned ou‘ to about half size. She had made no inquiries as to where Chandler had been when she found him missing She did not remember Mrs Chandler carrying a handbag Isabella Margaret Beavis of Coogie a Sydney suburb said she had been employed by toe C.5.1.R.0 for some years She knew both Dr Bogle and t.L Chandler and had also met Mrs Chandler on a couple of occasions. She said that “some time during the evening” toe had become aware of ’he absen'e of Chandler, then noticed him again about 3 a.m Bogle had come across tot room to say goodnight to Nash, about 4 o’clock Miss Beavis said that as she had started her car about 4 am, the sound of another car eng.ne started attracted her attention On toe opposite side of the road, she had recognised Bogle in a c'r “He waved in my direction. tooted his horn, and then drove off.” Miss Beavts said She told Mr Ward that if anyone had been in •he cai with Dr Bogle she would have probably seen that person Miss Beavis said she did not remember when she noticed that Chandler was missing from the party, and could not recall him being there during the singing of "Auld Lang Syne ” Warren James Payten, of Turramurra, a C.S IR O employee. said he had noticed Chandler was missing shortly after midnight, then saw him about 3 a.m In all 40 witnesses are to be called at the inquest which the Coroner opened on March 21. but adjourned until today without taking evidence The inquest was adjourned unt-i tomorrow.