THE CHRISTCHURCH MYSTERY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 6

THE CHRISTCHURCH MYSTERY.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. 'THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 7.. HOW THE BODY AVAS FOUND IBy TelcuraDh-Prcss Association.! Chrlstchurch, February 17. Tho'inquest oil . tho death of Ethel Bradley, who was found dead .in a right-of-way, was resumed to-day. Hie polico led evidenco- to show that deceased was seen going towards Sadler's shop about S o'clock on February 7. William Henry Price, who kept Sadler's books, gnvo ovidenco regarding tho movements of Sadler up to about 9 o'clock on February 7. Ho said ho know no reason why Sadler should want to check tho books after they wero mado up on tho night of February 7. Joseph Claid, porter at tho Zetland Hot-el," said ho knew both Sadler and Jack (now under, arrest). ■ Ho was in Sadler's sliop in "January,Vwlien Jack told him ho had. a girl in trouble, and would either havo to get her. fixed tip, or get out. John Freeman, barman at tlio . Zetland ' Hotel, related that, with two other men, lio saw a woman dressed in dark clothes and wearing a black hat standing near tho hotel right-of-way for n considerable time. Jack canio lip and spoko to her, and tho two went off together. This was shortly after 8 o'clock on tho night of February 7. • John Grant corroborated ; Freeman's ovidenco in tlio main. • William Jackman, accountant, said lio went to Sadler's shop at 7.55 p.m. on . Tuesday, February '7, to get some tobacco. -.Witness remained thero about ten minutes. Jack ' followed witnew; out of tho shop, and went .to tho Zetland Arms Hotel, and had a drink, remaining thero.for, about fivo minutes. Witness parted from Jack in tho doorway of tho hotel, Jack going in tho direction of tho Casliel Street bridgo and witness' went straight 'up, Cashel Street. Witness overheard Jack make somo remark when, ho was in tho shop about his going to meet someono from Duuediri. Romark About a Woman. Richard Humphreys, horse-trainer, Halswell, said'ho was stopping at tho Zetland Arms Hotel , oil tho night of Tuesday, February 7. Ho was standing about tlio privato entrance at about eight o'clock with Freeman and a man in uniform. Tlio man. in uniform passed somo remark about ii woman standing near tho hotel. Ho remembered about this timo Jack and another man coming o'ut of tho hotel. Jack went towards tho Cashel Street bridge. Witness did not see Jack meet tho woman.'

Edward Bird, police sergeant, said that on Wednesday, February 8,.1 ie was in chargo' of tlio I'a.m." and 5 a.m. Cashel Street bridgo beat. At/ 1.55 a.m.. Constable Rough informed witness that a drunken man was alleged, to!,bo in some stables iii Cashel Street. They could find neither tho ; stables nor tho man. ■ At about fivo minutes past two they went through' the right-of-way wliero tho woman was found. In their search witness and Constable Rough walked with' their lamps to about thirty feet or so of tho Lichfield jStroet cntranco of tho right-of-way, and they returned tho samo way-asjthey:had gono. in. He could ■ say • with certainty that tho body was not where it was found then. There was no, moon then and tho sky was overcast. ; It was daylight at about four o'clock. At four o'clock, however, it would bo much darker in tho lano than in tho street, owing to tho high buildings on eithor sido and tho lano being only 12ft. wide. To. tho coroner: Tho constablo on tho beat passed tho lane via Cashel Street every hour, and passed tho Lichfield Street entrance ten minutes before 110 completed his beat. • ■ Chief-Dctectivo Bishop: Knowing, a rubbish heap to bo by tho tank, do you think . Constablo Rough might havo taken tho body 'of; tho, woman for , tho heap? ■ •• ■ '1. 1 ' ?-V. '■ Witness: I could not say. Chicf-Detcctive,Bishop informed the coroner that Constablo Rough wished to go into tho box again, and amend his evidence, to say . 110 might havo been mistaken in saying ho did not seo tho body, as lie might havo- taken it for tho rubbish heap. ' The coroner: I think ho was mistaken. Footstaps In tho Street.," Continuing his evidence, witness said that at about two o'clock 110 heard tho sounds of what he presumed to bo footstops in tho street. He saw 110 light in Sadler's shop. Tho polico paid special attention to lights in any shop at that hour.

To tho foreman: When he heard tho footsteps 110 had justiemerged from tho right-of-way into Cashel Street. . John Rough; polico constablo (recalled), said, that after liaving given his previous evidence 110 had mado a thorough investigation of tho lane, and ho now considered therO was a reasonable chancoof tho body being by tho tank at four o'clook that morning, as thoro was a'heap of rubbish by tho tank, and 110 had not gono'_ up to tho tank. Furthermore, though it was light outside, it was darker in tho lano owing to tho high walls. William Millar, polico sergeant, gavo ovidonco as to visiting tho lano,at 7.10 a.m. on Wednesday morning, and finding tho dead body, of deceased. From tho position of. the body lie concluded that' it had _ been placed thero. Ho gavo instructions to Constablo Potter to stand by and" lot no 0110 go year, tho body till lio; returned with a detective. Ho returned shortly after with Detective Eade. Witness was in court' when Detcctivo Eado gavo his evidenco as to tho position of the body, and such'ovidonco was . correct. Within threo or four feet of tho body was a picco of blue cord off tho dress, 'somo pieces of lace, ■ and several flakes of flesh tobacco. Signed Statement.

Chief-Dctectivo Bishop said that, acting on tlio advice of his solicitor, Sadler would refuse to answer Questions at this stage of tho .inquiry...'He would therefore not put him iu tho box,'but put in his signed statement instead. Tho Coroner said" accused' had to answer a charge, and it "would bo better for him not to bo put in the witness box at tho present stage. Chief-Detective Bishop said if he put in Sadler's statement it would save Sadler attending at tho resumption of tho inquest. ... Thomas Gibson, pouco detective, said on tho morning of February 11, at 9.30, ho went into Sadler's shop to got him to attend tho inquest. After a minute or two, Sadler said, "Hero is tho man who will clear tho matter up," and ho called out of his shop to a mail who gavo tho-iinmo of Hansscn. ' Witness took'this man to tho dctoctivc officc, and .ho then gavo witness 'a signed statement. Hansson immediately. disap-1 pcared, and had not been found since. Tho ooronor remarked that tho police must mako another effort to find tho man. ~ ~ Witness: "Ho is a sailor." Tho coroner, after reading tho statement, said it was only valuable in ono respect, in that it proved Hansscn n liar, and would not be received as ovidcnco in any criminal proceeding. Ho made one statement first,- and then said it was a lie. At this stago.ho would not admit the statement as evidenco.

Continuing, witness said that on tlio morning of .February 11 .Detcctivo Miller and himself went to Sadler's shop, and served Jack with n - summons, aim asked liim to como to tlio detcctivo offico with them. Sadler' said: ."Ho easy on the poor beggar, lie's innocent of everything." The Arrest of Sadler. On February. 14 at 11.30 a.m. tlio oliict' detcctivo and witness arrested Sadler, Witness warned him that anything ho might say would bo given in ovidenco against him. Ho said: "Arrest me? What havo I done? What will my wife do ? Let ino havo a drink, of whisky. Let mo havo a smoke. You aro tlio hardest of tho lot of them on rac." Sadler at tho l'olico Station said: "You will bo sorry for this; but I will not tell you now. When I do it will settlo you." Sadler then started abusing witness. In tho ccll ho said .to witness: "Do what you can for mo ajid forgivo mo anything I said to you." Ho and Jack wero put in tlio van and to iho Court in tho vail. Ho said: "Now provo yourself a man. Cudby was also in tho van. To Constable Cudby Sadler said: "Bo a'mail and stick to mo liko a leech." Tho constablo replied: "I will tell tho. truth.", In Court Jack said to. Sadler: "Nobody knows better than we' that" wo aro innocent of this eli, Wal?" When they were takon back to tho Police Station Sadler said : "Stick to what you said, Harry. You aro 'innocent. At least I hopo you arc." Tho inquest at this stago was adjourned until next Friday at 11.30 a.m.