MISS MADDEN'S DEATH

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 13

MISS MADDENS DEATH

CHARGE OF ..MURDER

MOVEMENTS OF THE ACCUSED

(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, alias-Edwards, is charged with murdering Evelyn Mary Madden on or about February 6 at. Argyll. Further evidence was called today 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.

Mr. J. G, L; Hewitt, S.M., is on the bench. Mr. H. B. Lusk, with him Mr. L. W. Willis, is appearing, for the Crown, and Mr. S. Averill for the defence.

Mary Edith Nestor-Bayliss said that on February 6 Edwards called and she offered him a cup of tea, but he refused, saying that he., had a young lady, Jim Lpwry's :• housemaid, waiting in a car. In reply ..to;.a jocular remark by witness, he. said: she was not his girl and that she>was a respectable girl. Edwards -asked 'witness for a job. Witness thought it ' likely that lie might be given a job later, and that Mr. Bayliss would let him know. Langdon Edward, a farmhand, said* that he was employed in February by Mr. Blundell. As he was going to the men's quarters at the station on February 6 he sawl' 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, "Takeka," that he saw this. NOT KNOWN BY THE HOIXISES. 1 Lilian Enid Hollis, wife of . the Argyll East farmer, said that she and her husband were home for all meals on February 6, and that no one else stayed with, themthat 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. ■ v;-\. ■■- ::. . ■ ■ • Gordon Hector Hart said he was minding the Te Aute Hotel for his father on February 6; He'w«s serving in the bar, and Guild, the taxi-driver, came in, accompanied by the accused. The accused called for drinks' • and tendered a five-pound note in payment. When told that witness could not change it the accused. pulled out a roll of notes and gave him £1. He said he had just come down from Tikokino, where' he had been working. The acc.iised had; about five shandies-and port wines and paid fog all the drinks. He appeared to be sober when he left. Elizabeth Margaret Murphy, sister of the accused, said that his correct name was Charles William Price, but he sometimes went under the name of Edwards. On February 6 her brother came up to her place in Napier about 6.30 p.m., and from that evening up to February 15 stayed with witness. On the evening of February 6 they had a small family party. On the following day they went out to Hastings in a car, and her brother called at Hosenberg's office and collected some . bags. They got home between 12 and 1 o'clock. He did not say to whom the suitcases belonged. UNCLAIMED MONEY. Herbert Lawrence Goodgcr, a clerk in the Napier Post Office, produced a money order telegram for £29 17s 6d to Evelyn Mary Madden, Girls' Friendly Society, from Wellington, The tel<£ gram was received at 10.6 a.m. on February^ 6, and was sent out on several occasions but was never claimed by the addressee. David Condie Marshall said that he engaged the 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 the accused asked, the direction to a ploughman's camp. at Bayliss's property, saying that he wanted to sec one of the men about a horse. Witness gave directions and the accused left on foot for the camp, six miles distant across: country. Witness next saw the accused with Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike about 1.30 p.m. at witness's place. ARREST OF TJHE 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 the accused and were told that he was Charlie Edwards. "He was informed we were making- inquiries regarding the 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. "The accused replied: 'I knew Miss Madden. I took her to a house in Heretaunga Street, Hastings, on February 4, and left her there.' The accused was told it was important that Miss Maddens 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 comer, Hastings, the 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 the 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 the 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.