MURDER CHARGE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 169, 13 April 1935, Page 9

MURDER CHARGE

Death of Evelyn Mary Madden MOVEMENTS OF PAIR Hearing Expected to End To-day By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hastings, April 12. Only three more witnesses are to be heard in the lower court hearing of the case in which Charles William Price, alius Edwards, is charged with murdering Evelyn Mary Madden on or about February 6 at Argyll. Further evidence was called to-day to throw light on the movements of the accused and Miss Madden following their departure from Oreka station, where both were employed for a time, The court will sit early to-morrow morning and the hearing should be concluded by midday. Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., is on the bench. Mr. 11. B. Lusk, with him Mr. L. W. Willis, appeared for the Crown, and Mr. 8. Averill for the defence. Walter Sydiley Bennett, a postal clerk at Hastings, stated that on February 5, a woman at the money order office at Hastings Post Office produced a book on the Wellington savings bank, filled in an application to withdraw the sum of £3O, signing it Evelyn Mary Madden, and requested that the money be forwarded to the Girls’ Friendly Society at Napier. She also directed that the passbook be forwarded to Waipawa. The money was never paid out. Edward Mervyn Murray, a bank clerk at Hastings, identified three cheques which he cashed for a woman on February 5. The cheques, which totalled £B/15/9, were drawn in favour of Eva Madden.

A housemaid, Margaret McGregor Reid, employed by the Girls’ Friendly Society at Napier, said that a woman accompanied by a man called at the society’s lodge on February 5 seeking lodgings. The woman, who said her name was Madden, decided not to stay at the lodge, and departed with the man, who had waited outside the gate. A money order telegram arrived at the lodge for Miss Madden that afternoon, but was unclaimed. Witness did not see Miss Madden again.

Alfred Rosenberg, a labour agent at Ha wings, stated that in August last year he obtained a position for Price with Mr. James Lowry. Price returned to witness’s office on February 5 and said he had left Mr. Lowry’s and was looking for another job. Later Price left two suitcases with witness, returning for them in a taxi a day-or two later. About February 13 a man named Marshall visited witness’s office seeking a ploughman, and witness gave him Price’s: address. Taxi Driver’s Evidence.

Evidence was given by a taxi driver, Joseph Bernard Dooney, whose wife is a relative of accused, that on February 5 Price arrived at his home and asked him to drive him to the Hastings Hotel. This he did. Later in the day Price returned to witness’s home accompanied by a young woman whom he introduced as Miss Madden. They stayed for tea and supper, and then witness drove them back to Hastings. Witness said that he again picked Price up at his sister’s place at Napier on February 7. He asked Price where the girl was, and Price replied that he had left her at the home of Mr. Hollis at Argyll. Accused added that Miss Madden was going away, probably to Auckland. Price remained in Napier between February 7 and 14, during which time he drank heavily. On the latter date Price told witness that he was going to a job at Argyll. Norman John Guild, a taxi-driver, of Napier, stated that on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 5, he went to Dooney’s flat, where he shared an office. In the flat at the time were accused and a young woman who was introduced to him as Miss Madden. Accused asked witness to pick him up at Hastings next afternoon in order to take ■ him out into the country. Pair Walk Across Fields. When witness arrived at the station he was met by Miss Madden. Shortly afterward Price arrived and both entered the car. At Price’s instruction witness drove via Stortford Lodge and Bridge Pa to a house near Mason’s Ridge, where witness and Price left the car and drank from whisky, flasks in Price’s possession. They returned to the car and continued on for two miles, when Price pointed out the Taheke Station to Miss Madden. They next pulled up at a ploughman’s camp, which accused entered. Accused conversed with a drover, and the journey was then continued. They stopped at other places before they arrived nt Taheke Station. After a short period at the station they re-

turned to the ploughman’s camp, where Price and the girl got out of the car. Price said he was going to take the young lady over to Hollis’s place by a short cut, as it was too far by road. “They went round a track over the hill and I lost sight of them,” witness said. “Before they left accused told me to wait for him and said he might be an hour or two. Miss Madden had an overcoat over her arm.” Witness said that after the couple had departed he curled up on the front seat and dozed. He saw no one else. An hour ami twenty minutes later Price returned alone along the road. He said he had left the girl at Hollis’s place and that they would bring her to the railway station on the following morning Witness noticed that Price's foot was wet, and Price said he had slipped while stepping across a creek. Witness did not notice anything strange about Price's demeanour. They returned to Hastings Accused’s Money. “During the journey home Price said he had got some money from Miss Madden," Guild continued. “He said he had got £3O from her. but he did not show me the money. Then we stopped at the Te Ante Hotel and had a drink, for which accused paid. He also paid me ’£2 from a roll of notes which included one or two “fivers.” Witness said that Price told him he would be meeting Miss Madden at tiie Hastings railway station on the following morning. William Rose Gunn, a shepherd, described a conversation he had with accused at the ploughman's camp on February 6. He knew accused as Edwards. Accused said he was looking for a job. and asked for Mr. Bayliss. Witness said that Mr Bayliss was away at Hastings. Edwards then left Dudley lan Hulbert Fitch, a farm hand of Argyll East, said that accused called at Mr. McMillan's, where witness was employed', on February 6, and asked for either Mr. McMillan or his brothers. Witness told him they were away. Price then asked for Mrs. McMillan, but witness said she was in hospital. Price thereupon went away. Mary Edith Nestor-Bayliss said that on February 6 Edwards called and she offered him a cup of tea, but he refused. saying he had a young lady, Jim Lowry’s housemaid, waiting in a car. In reply to a jocular remark by witness, be said she was not his girl and that she was a respectable girl. Edwards asked her for a job. Witness thought it likely that he might be given a job later, and that Mr. Bayliss would let him know. Langdon Edward, a farmhand, said he was employed in February by Mr. Blundell. As he wa.s going to the men’s quarters at the station on February 6 fie saw a man walking through a plantation to a car just outside the gate. In the car there was a man at the wheel and a woman sitting behind. The car then drove straight away. It was at Bayliss’s station, “Ta.keka,” that he saw this. Two Unknown to Hollises. Lillian Enid Hollis, wife of the Argyll East farmer, said she and her husban were home for all meals on February 6, and that no one else stayed with them that night, nor did any woman come to their house at any time on February 6. She never knew Charles Edwards and had never seen or known of Eva Madden. Arthur Alexander Hollis supported this. Gordon Hector Hart said he was minding the Te Ante Hotel for his father on February 6. He was serving in the bar, and Guild, the taxi-driver, came in, accompanied by accused. Accused called for drinks and tendered a five-pound note in payment. When told that witness could not change it accused pulled out a roll of notes and gave him £l. He said he had just come down from Tiko■kino, where he had been working. Accused had about five shandies and port wines and paid for all the drinks. He appeared to be sober when ho left. Accused’s Sister in Box. Elizabeth Margaret Murphy, sister of accused, said his correct name was Charles William Price, but he sometimes went, under the name of Edwards. Ou February 6 her brother came up to her place in Napier about 6.30, and from that evening up to February 15 stayed witli witness. On the evening of February 6 they had a small family party. On the following day they went out to Hastings in a ear, and her brother called at Rosenberg’s office and collected some bags. Tliey got home between 12 and 1 o’clock. He did not. say to whom the suitcases belonged. Herbert Lawrence Goodger, clerk in the Napier Post Office, produced a money order telegram for £29/17/6 to Evelyn Mary Madden. Girls’ Friendly Society, from Wellington. The telegram was received at 10.6 a.m. On February 6, and was sent out on several occasions but never claimed by the addressee. David Condie Marshall said lie engaged accused on February 13 to work on his farm. He arrived on Friday, February 15, and witness met him at 2.30 p.m. about three-quarters of a mile from the farm. Next morning accused asked the direction to a ploughman’s camp at Bayliss’s property, saying he wanted to see one of the men about a horse. Witness gave directions and accused left on foot for the camp, six miles distant across country. Witness next saw accused with Detective-Ser-

geant Bickerdike about 1.3 Q at witness’s place. Detectives Meet Accused. Detective Bernard Farquharson, of Hastings, giving evidence as to the finding of the body, said that a fresh growth of grass prevented the finding of marks about the waterhole. Two branches of a willow overhanging the pool had been broken off and lay in the water. The breaks were recent and fitted exactly. On his arrival at the scene of the tragedy next day he and Detective Bickerdike spoke to accused and were told he was Charlie Edwards. “He was informed we were making inquiries regarding tlie death of Miss Madden, whose body had been found in the waterhole in the creek about two chains from where we were standing.” continued witness. “Accused replied: ‘I knew Miss Madden. I took her to a house in Heretaunga Street, Hastings, on February 4, and left her there.' Accused was told it was important that Miss Madden's movements and his be traced since leaving Lowry's. He replied: ‘I will come into Hastings with you and point out the house where I left her, and then give you a statement of my movements since I left there.’” Before arriving at Stortford Lodge corner. Hastings, accused said: “Miss Madden didn't stop at that house I took her to. She had a look at a room and didn’t like it.” Late the same night accused was arrested. On February 23 witness was in charge of a search party near the spot where the body had been found. While there he and Constable Dunn were shifting some cut manuka scrub five chains from tlie pool, and there they found a woman’s blue overcoat with a woman's white hat, handbag and shoe wrapped in it. Inside a purse were an empty purse, a handkerchief, and a small newspaper cutting.