DETECTIVES SOLVE BATH RIDDLE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 143, 13 March 1937, Page 26

DETECTIVES SOLVE BATH RIDDLE

Fog of Suspicion Cleared From

Innocent Man

Dramatic evidence at an inquest at I’urtheawl. Glamorgan, successfully scotched rumours that had been circulating in .the town for nearly a fortnight. causing the finger of suspicion to be pointed at an innocent man, and bringing Scotland Yard detectives hotfoot from London.

It took a jury only one minute to come to the conclusion that the subject of the rumours, a retired schoolmistress, whose body was found in her hath, had met her death accidentally by drowning.

Thus, in a gaily-decorated dance hall —incongruous setting for a coroner’s court —ended the investigation into the fate of Mrs. Alice Bulley, aged 64, of Arlington Place, Porthcawl. It was one of the most difficult inquiries ever carried out by Scotland Yard officers. For 11 days Chief-Inspector Ivor Hees and Detective-Sergeant Stinton, of Scotland Yard, aided by pathologists and the local police, had pursued intensive inquiries into the mystery of the well-to-do widow’s death.

Scores of statements were taken, and ihe speedometer of the police car showed that in the course of their investigations the detectives travelled over TOO miles.

One of the disquieting features of the ease was that the bath in which Mrs. Builey’s body was found was empty. Sergeant Stinton. under the direction of Chief-Inspector Rees, carried out a number of sensational experiments in the actual bath.

At one period of the investigations preparations were made to exhume the body of Mrs. Builey’s husband, who died more than a year ago. This plan was afterward abandoned. Eventually, the detectives formed the opinion that there was a simple explanation of Mrs. Builey’s death and that the many startling rumours circulating in the district were unfounded. Nevertheless, the detectives carried on their investigations, and it was not until within 2-1 hours of the inquest that the whole of the carefully prepared ease was completed and ready for the coroner. One of the names mentioned in connection with the case was that of Mr. William Jones, of Neath, to whom Mrs. Bulley left her estate. In the words of his counsel, rumours concerning Mr. Jones had been flying about. To-day Mr. Jones stands completely vindicated. The inquest was held at the Pavilion Ballroom, and the coroner. Mr. B. Edward Howe, sat immediately below the stage.

The first witness was Inspector Ben Davies, who described how, on December IS. He went into the bathroom and there discovered the unclothed body of Mrs. Bulley. Site was lying the full length of the bath, her head to the left, and slightly below the top portion of the bath. Her legs were in a bent position. On a chair near the bath was a towel which was slightly damp. The body was in a natural position, and the hair-pins in the hair did not appear to have been disturbed. In the kitchen the table was apparently laid for breakfast for one person, and the fire was laid.

Both front and back doors were bolted from the inside: the windows were also secured from the inside. The only means of access would be by breaking a small window and removing the latch.

Coroner: You have been aware of certain rumours in connection with the case? —I have.

From all the material collected by you as the result of your inquiries, have you found any justification for the rumours circulated? —I have found no evidence to justify any rumour whatsoever.

Coroner: I think it is only fair as Mr. Jones’s name has been mentioned to ask him this: Wherever Mr. Jones gave an account of his movements and you have been able to check it, you have found that his statement has been absolutely corroborated? —Yes, absolutely.

Dr. Morley Thomas stated that when he examined the body of Mrs. Bulley, it was quite dry, and the bath was dry, too. Apart from the left side of her head her hair was also dry. Coroner: What was your opinion of the cause of death?—My opinion was that she died of drowning. Coroner: You have seen experiments performed in the bath; are you able to assist the jury, from your observations of those experiments, how the bruises might have been caused?—Yes: as regards all the bruises of the right and left, arms and hands, I think they could have been caused by the flinging about of the arms as the body lay deep in the water in efforts to raise herself out.

Coroner: Do you think that she went into the bath in a reasonable.healthy condition, and something happened in the bath? —Yes, I think she slipped or collapsed into the bath, which was then level to the overflow. The size of her body caused the water to rise to the rim of the bath, and the water swirled over, leaving her with her mouth and nose definitely under the level of the water.

‘•She then attempted to rescue herself,” Dr. Sladden continued. “She was on the left side, which was the least suitable to rescue because the rim of the bath is right up against the wall and one cannot grip it. lu my opinion she swallowed such an amount of water that she became unconscious, and was unable to help herself. These circumstances could have produced such a group of bruises as was found.”

Coroner: So far as your examination showed, there is nothing to suggest anything in the nature of foul play?—-I can find no evidence of foul play. Dr. Sladden said that the limbs of Mrs. Bulley were consistent with her having been seized with cramp while in the bath. It would take about two minutes for lhe water to have shrunk below the level of her nose and mouth, and it was quite possible for her to have drowned in Unit time. As stated above it took the jury only a minute to come Io lhe verdict that Ute cause of death was accidental.