SENSATION AT NEWLANDS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 163, 28 March 1923, Page 6

SENSATION AT NEWLANDS

POLICE SEARCH FOR EVIDENCE

ANOTHER BODY FOUND

The rugged property at Newlands, on which stands the house of Daniel Richard Cooper, was the scene of another sensational discovery yesterday afternoon, when members of the police and detective force unearthed the decomposed body of an infant.

With a view to obtain further evidence in connection with' the charge of murder with which Daniel Richard Cooper - and his wife, Martha Elizabeth Cooper, are indicted, a party .of constables and detectives recommenced digging operations at Newlands on Friday morning, and, as on the previous occasion, the ground surrounding the little cream cottage was made the subject of a thorough examination. Armed with shovels, the diggers laid clear the soil in the immediate vicinity of the dwelling, and then the portion at the back was inspected. _ It is believed Abut even the sKifibing boards were removed from the building itself. Success seemed a long way off to tho patient diggers up till noon yesterday, but with dogged perseverance the quest was pursued, and at 2 p.m. their efforts were rewarded.

A Gruesome Discovery. The entire party, which comprised Detectives McLennan and Jarrold and Constables Hayhurst, O’Dowd, Henry, and Horn, were close together when the removal of some soil near a tree at the bottom of what might be termed tv clay embankment revealed the body of a child. Tho location of the discovery was about 30 yards from the front door of tlie house, behind a line of fir trees, and merely a stone’s throw from the outbuilding, familiarly known as the “crib.” . As far .as can be ascertained, the body, which was found buried quite close to the surface, was without clothe ing. It was in a state of decomposition, a fact which suggests that the burial was not exactly a recent one, and as no examination has yet been made, the sex of the child is not available. Superintendent S. P. Norwood, Inspector W. B. Mcllveney, SeniorDetective Lewis, , and Senior-Sergeant Dinnie, the official photographer, were present at the exhumation. Dr. Wright, of Johnsonville, removed the body from the grave,, and it will be brought to the morgue to-day for n post-mortem examination.

A Rugged Property. A Dominion reporter, who visited the locality last evening, found tho property to be as rugged in formation as it has been described. The house is of about five rooms, and stands on a projection some distance from the road. Its approach is somewhat obscured by trees, and to the left is situated,’in the midst of more scrub, the “crib.” The land adjoining -the buildings covers a considerable area extending back in an easterly direction on a hilly slope, which is enshrouded in thick bush and dense undergrowth. The uneven nature of the ground, has militated against digging operations, and it was only as the outcome of a systematic search that the second discovery was made. g’he spot where the body of an infant was located some time ago was on the slope of the hill some distance from the side of the house. The grave discovered yesterday afternoon was between 40 and 50 yards from there.