THE TRUNK MURDER

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 127, 2 June 1927, Page 9

THE TRUNK MURDER

ROBINSON IN COURT j STATEMENT TO POLICE (United Presi Association.—Copyright.) (Received 2nd Juno, noon.) LONDON, Ist June. There were remarkable scenes in tho Westminster Court when John Robinson was charged with tho murder of Minnie fionati. Women and girls fought for admittance. At the outset defending counsel, Mr. Vine, objected to the admission of the alleged confession. He declared that something improper, amounting to inducements, had happened in the course of the half-hour when Robinson was in a sitting-room at Scotland Yard with Sergeant Clarke. The prosecuting counsel offered to call Clarke, whereupon Mr. Vine lengthily questioned him in regard to tho conversation in the waiting-room. Clarke dciiio^ saying: "Robinson, you are in a serious position, but I do not believe you did it; I do not think you would do such a thing. You have Been Sir Bernard Bpilbury's theory. You ought to tell us all about it. I will be your pal, if you justify yourself and can tell that the woman died of neart, failure." Mr. Vine declared that Robinson would say on oath that this conversation occurred. The Magistrate ruled that tho statoment was admissible. STORY OF CRIME. This showed that Robinson met tho woman in tho street. She suggested that she should accompany him. They went to his office where the said she ivas _ hard-up and asked for a pound. Robinson refused and sho became abusive. He lost his temper and struck her in the face. She fell, striking her head. He left her lying there. He went home and returning the following day was surprised that she was still lying there. Not knowing what to do he decided to cut the body up and bought paper, string, and a chef's knife. He finished tho work as quickly as possible and wrapped up the pieces and left tho office. He had a drink, met his wife, and went home tho next day. Paced with the difficulty of disposing of the remains, he went to Brixton, bought a trunk, packed in it the remains, went to an hotel, met a friend, asked him to help him with the trunk downstairs, and took it in a taxi to Charing Cross, where he had it deposited. If he had not done so, the woman would have been a lifetime nuisance to him. A typist formerly in Robinson's employ gavo evidonco that a duster which had wrapped the remains was one used by her in Robinson's office.