MURDER CHARGE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 300, 15 September 1937, Page 13

MURDER CHARGE

Sequel to Death of Storekeeper

ACCUSED REMANDED FOR WEEK

Earlier Court Appearance on Another Charge

By Telegraph—Press Association

Christchurch, September 14.

Arrested on Monday evening on another charge after his arrival in Christchurch on the express from Dunedin, Randall Reginald David Smith, labourer, of no fixed abode, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon with the murder of William Gaby at Arundel on September 10.

On the application of Chief-Detec-tive W. H. Dunlop, Mr. H. A. Young, S.M., remanded accused to appear on September 21. Smith, who was not re presented by counsel, had no objection to offer to the remand. It appears that three detectives took Smith into custody on Monday evening at the Christchurch railway station shortly after 5 o’clock, and later arrested him on a charge of obtaining money and goods of a total value of £B/16/from Gordon McHardie at Seacliff on September 13 by means of a valueless cheque purporting to be signed by David Bell and drawn on the Bank of New Zealand, Geraldine. On this charge he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court before Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., at 9 a.m. to-day, an hour earliei than the usual time for the sitting of the court. He was remanded until September 21 on the application of Detec-tive-Sergeant T. Holmes. The accused man is fairly tall and thin, with long, dark brown hair brushed back over his head. When he stepped into the dock he was wearing a grey coat, grey flannel trousers, a collarless blue shirt, a white sweater and black patent leather shoes. Inquiries are being made by the police for the owner or driver of an Essex motor-car that passed Arundel about 9 p.m. on the day of the tragedy, • Friday, September 10, and picked up a man three or four miles south of Arundel and gave him a ride to Timaru. In a statement to the “Press,” made at Geraldine to-day, Superintendent A. Cameron, who ha s been in charge of the investigations, said that the police wished to thank those who came forward and gave information or whe had in any way assisted. The general public had helped greatly in the work of the police and bad given particularly good service in the search for the missing weapon. The arrest of the man charged with the crime was the result of efficient co-ordination between the police at Christchurch, Timaru, , and Dunedin. The movements of all strangers had been closely followed and checked, involving a good deal of work. Quite a lot of matters would have to be investigated before the police had their brief complete, and some little time might elapse before their case was ready for presentation to the

court. Superintendent Cameron remained at Geraldine this evening. Constable D. Callanan and Mr. A. G. Bryant, a relative of Gaby, who came to Christchurch on Monday evening, returned to Geraldine this evening, and it is expected that Detective-Sergeants Thomas and J. Bickerdike will return there to-morrow morning.

It was not known yet where the case

would be heard, Superintendent Cameron said, but it would probalfly be heard at Timaru. though that was really a matter for the court to fix. He did not think that it would be heard in Geraldine, as the courthouse there was in a serious state of disrepair. The funeral of William Gaby took place this afternoon to the Arundel Cemetery. Services at the graveside and ar the bouse of Mrs. G. H. Bryant in Geraldine were taken by the Rev. Canon J. F. Coursey, Geraldine. The pall-bearers were' Messrs. G. Wood (Orari). R.

Morrison (Geraldine), L. Wood (Mount Somers) and L. Valk (Ngapara). There was a very large attendance at the funeral and more than 40 wreaths were sent, including ones from the Arundel' School Committee, the Arundel Women’s Institute and the Arundel Hall Committee.