THE PONSONBY MURDER

Evening Star, Issue 17328, 16 April 1920, Page 6

THE PONSONBY MURDER

COURT. PROCEEDINGS. . [Per United Pbess Association.] AUCKLAND. April 14. At the Polica Court to-day Dennis Gunn was charged with the murder of AugusUu Braithwaite and robbery at the Poiwonbv Pcet Office on March 13. Mr E. J. Pxendergset defended the prisoner.

Mr Tole, Crown Prosecutor, said there were 30 or 40 witnesses. Of the apparent deliberataness and callousness oi the circumstances of the murder it was difficult to speak in terms of moderation. At the time of the trcg-c-.ly Mr Braith.wfiite was in excellent health and spirits. He wer.t into the r-ost office presumably to the key of tne stiong room. At 7.15 p.m. he was seen by a lady to leavethe post offi-re, and 35 minutes later, carrying a handbag, to close the door after huh. Before he entered the nest nrhce as he alighted from the tram prisons:.was only about two yards from him, and he <xrold have seen Sir Brjithwaite enter the_ post office. When Mrs Braithwaite arrived from a social function about 9 o'clock she found her husband dead on the iloor, face do.vnwards, apparently unconscious. Shortly afterwards she te*lei>honed for a doctor. The keys of the 'strong room were missin-r from her husband's pocket, and the police subsequently found them in the post office. On March 17 the prisoner was eoen by the police, who ascertained that Gunn was seen in the vicinity of the post office on the evening of the murder. It would be shown that he was also there earlier in (he dav. fimm said he had been !,ome all the afternoon of March 13. When nres=ed he varied the account of "is movements. When charged with the two c"imes Gnnn replied : " Yon will have a job to prove it," Mr Tole described the smhrequent find of three revolvers, ammunition and money in a Sag on a vacant sction F-0 to 150 vards f-om the rmson™-'* residence. The. evidence w.oi.ld showthat fino-sr nr'nts on the two cashhoxe* were from the. prisoner's hand, and that th« finger nrints on one revolver were '.he prisoner's fin cter orbits. That was the revolveT- from which it wouVl be shown >h ie bullets recovered from the hodv were fired.

Evidence was c/iven hv Mra Braifhwm'te .is to tho d-scoverv of her htisbatid's bodv. "no bv T\ is<rx, who saw a man he now knew to be (rvmn in the vicinity of fl'p nV,r!t 2 30 p m. on the rlav in 'mrstinn. Inter in the bo e nw ; n the fame pi a?" between 3 and 4. Another "inn v:r: with him. whom witness had s'nee identified as P'-''-iner's brother diaries. Witness saw -orisoner ru'ain w'tb the sumo man about- 6 t>.m. immpd-'alely outside the post office. Before witness went lie saw nrinn-rer in the enmp nla'ep. alone On March 26 he =.r,v f We* Genu i'lnnnjTst- about 150 people, and identifier] ! i i m.

A ladv resident raw* evidence that the r, w between 7 and 7.10 n.m. nn .•. pfr,-; "!,.,_ ivben she n,-= 0 paw and spoke to Mr Braithwaite as he entered the post ( fli-'p.

T--ridence V.-.IP next that the door of the no?i o<rire was locked -shortlv after 6 T).i-\ bv a- te!<>2Taph who put the keys in the Wter-hox according'to cvtnm. and bv n teWranh operator, who lo<-ked the hack window at 5.30 n.m.

Further pvider.ee was given as to the ny->i:ev_in tlv» stronT room', including Bank of A "ew Zealand particularly crumpled and a, cancelled p;>stal note-. No. 3"R 572, bearintr the office stamp and the witness's initial.