MYSTERIOUS DEATH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1911, Page 9

MYSTERIOUS DEATH.

THE CHRISTCHURCH SENSATION FURTHER EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. fB7 TELEQHAPH — PEESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, 17th February. Tho inquest on the death of Ethel Bradley, who was found dead in a right-of-way, was continued to-day. William Jackman, accountant, said ho went to Sadler's shop at 7.55 p.m. on Tuesday, 7th February, to get some tobacco. Witness remained there about ten minutec. Jack followed witness out of the shop, and went to tho Zetland Arms Hotel and had a drink, remaining there for about five minutes. Witnebs parted from Jack in tho doorway of the hotel, Jack going in the direction of the Cashel-street bridge, and witness went straight up Cashel-street. Witness overheard Jack make some remark when he was in the ahop about his going to meet someone from Dunedin. Richard Humphreys, horse trainer, Halswell, said he was stopping at the Zetland Arms Hotel on the night of Tuesday, 7th February. He was standing about the private entrance at about eight o clock, with Freeman and a man in uniform. The man in uniform passed some remark about a woman standing near the hotel. He renumbered about this time Jack and another man coming out of the hotel. Jack went towards the Cashel-street bridge. Witness did not see Jack' meet the woman. POLICE EVIDENCE. Edward Bird, police sergeant, said that on Wednesday, Bth February, he was in charge of the 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Cashel-street bridge beat. At 1.55 a.m. Constable Rough informed witness that a drunken man was alleged to bo in some stables in Cashel-street. They could find neither the stables nor tho man. At about five minutes past two they went through the right-of-way where tho woman was found. In their search witness and Constable Rougn walked with their lamps to about thirty feet or so of the Lichfield-street entrance of the right-of-way, and they returned the same way as they had gone in. He could say with certainty that the body was not where it was found then. There was no moon then, and the sky was overcast. It was daylight at about four o'clock. At four o'clock, however, it would bo much darker in tho lane than in the street, owing to the high buildings on either side, and the lane being only 12 feet wide. x'o the coroner : The const-able on the beat passed tho lane via Cashel-street every hour, and passed the Lichfieldstreet entrance ten minutes before he completed his 'beat. Chief-Detective Bishop : Knowing a rubbish heap to be by the tank, do you think Constable Rough might have taken the body of the woman for the heap? Witness: I could not say. Chief-Detective Bishop informed the Coroner that Constable. Rough wished to go into the box again, and amend his evidence, to say he might have been mistaken ivi saying he did not see the body, as he might have taken it for the rubbish heap. The Coroner : I think he wafi mistaken. Continuing his evidence, witness said that at about two o'clock he heard the sounds of what he presumed to be footsteps in the street-. He saw no lights in Sadler's shop. The- police paid special attention to lights in. any shop at that hour. { To the foreman : When ho heard the footsteps he had just emerged from the right-of-way into Cashel-street. John Rough, police 'constable (recalled), said that after having given, hie previous evidence lie had mad© a thorough investigation of the lane, and he now considered there was a reasonable chance of tie body being by the tank at four o'clock that morning, as there was a heap of rubbish by the tank, and ho had not gone up to the tank. Furthermore, though it was light outside, it was darker in tho lan© owing to the high walls. William Millar, police sergeant, gave evidence as to visiting the lano at 7.10 a.m on Wednesday morning, and finding the dead body of deceased. From the position of the body he concluded that it had been plaped there. Ho gave instructions to Constable Potter to stand by and let no one go near the body till he returned with a detective.* He returned shortly after with Detective Ea,de.' Witness was in court when Detective Ead-e gave his evidence ac to the position of the body, and such evidence was correct. Within three or four feet of the body was a piece of blue cord off the drees, some pieces of -lace, and several flakes of fresh tobacco. SIGNED STATEMENT. Chief-Detective Bishop said that, acting on the advice of his solicitor, Sadler would refuse to answer questions at this stag© of tho enquiry. He would therefore not put him in the box, but put in hia signed statement instead. • The Coroner said accused had to answer a charge, and it would be better for him not to be put in the witness box at the present stage. Chief-Detective Bishop said if he put in Sadler's statement it would save Sadler attending at the resumption of the inquest. Thomas Gibson, police detective, said on tho morning of 11th February, at 9.30 he went into Sadler's shop to get him to attend the inquest. After a minute or two, Sadler said, "Here is the man who will clear the matter up," and he called out of his shop to a, man who gave tho name of Hanssen. Witness took this man to the detective office, and ho then gave witness a signed statement. Hanssen immediately disappeared, and had not been found sinco. The coroner remarked that the police must mako anothsr effort to find the man. Witness: "fie is a sailor." The coroner, after reading the statement, said it was only valuable in one respect, in that it proved Hanssen a, liar, and would not be received as evidence in any criminal proceeding. He made one statement first, and then said it was a lie. At this stage he would not admit tho statement as evidence. Continuing, witness said that on the morning of 11th February Detective Millar and himself went tc Sadler's shop, and served Jack with a summons, and asked him to come to the detective office with them. Sadler said : "Be easy on the poor beggar; he's innocent of everything." THE ARREST OF SADLER. On 14th February, at 11.30 a.m., the chief detective and witness arrested Sadler. Witness warned him that anything he might say would bo given in evidence agailnst him. ll© said : — "Arrost me? What have I done? What will my wifo do? Let mo have a drink of whisky. Let me lmvo a smoke. You are the hardest of tho lot of them on me." Sadler at the Police Station said : — "You will be sorry for this, but I will not tell you now. When I do it will settle you." Sadler then started abusing witness. In the cell he said to witness : ' 'Do what you can for mo and forgive me anything I said to you." Ho and Jack were put in the van and brought to the court in tho van. Ho said : "Now prove yourself a man." Cudby was also in tho van. To Constable Cudby Sadler said : i "Jie a mm and stick $o me like a leech." ,

The const-able replied: "I will tell the truth." In court Jack said to Sadler: "Nobody knows better than we that we are innocent of -this, eh, Wai?" When they wore taken back to the Police Station Sadler said: "Stick to what you said, Harry. You are innocent. At least I hope you are." The inquest at this stage was adjourned until next Friday at 11.30 a.m.