GREY LYNN MYSTERY

Evening Star, Issue 17766, 14 September 1921, Page 3

GREY LYNN MYSTERY

THE INQUEST CONTINUED. MOVEMENTS OF JEW AND M'kAHON. The, inquest concerning the de&th of Francis Edward Jew on Jmy 16 or 1' a " Grey Lynn was continued at Auckland yesterday. ■■■■,■ On resuminc, Mr Meredith made a request that while each witness was being examined the other witnesses should bo excluded, in view of the possibility of discrepancies in statements being of some value. The coroner acquiesced, and for the remainder of the inquest this course was followed. A newsboy named Edward Eaton described the behaviour of Jew and Tom M'Mahon outside Shearer’s shop between 6.15 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. on the Saturday of the murder. Jew said he would bet M'Mahon that he could stand straighter than M'Mahon. Jew seemed to be trying to get a bottle, but could not do so, and he told M'Mahon to stop fooling and go home. They went down a right-of-way, and seemed to be squabbling for a little while, and then came back. At that time Jew’s overcoat and fawn colored coat were on a seat outside Shearer’s.

Other aspects of the same incident were narrated by William Hayes, another newsboy, who stated that jew bet M'Mahon ‘■he could spit farther than he could. They had one try. Tom M'Mahon asked a boy ffiamed Green to draw a chalk-line to see who could stand the straighter, but Jew declined. Witness thought the two men were friendly, and they did not seem to be quarrelling. M'Mahon seemed unsteady on h;'s feet, but Jew was all right. Throe other newsboys gave evidence concerning the incident, one of them stating that he saw the two men eventually get on a t ram car. Francis Kevin Burns narrated how he travelled to town from Grey Lynn early on the evening of July 16 in a tramcar in which Jew and Tom M'Mahon were seated. Leaving Shearer's corner, M'Mahcn, who appeared to have taken some liquor, said : “Let her go,” or words to that effect. Jew had asked M'Mahon where he was going, and M'Mahon said “To the King’s Theatre.” Jew told him that lie (M'Mahon) had no business there, and should be at home. The pair got off the train at Ariki street, and walked_ back towards Grey Lynn. Jew had paid the fares. Both young men had been calling out rather loudly in the tram. Shortly before the tram started M'Mahon was leaning forward in his seat, and was told by Jew to “ sit up.” Jew got off the tram first, and told M'Mahon to get off. 1 He appeared to be looking alter M'Mahon. Alexander James Pollock, who was conductor of the 6.55 p.m. tram from Shearer’s, Grey Lynn, to town on the evening of July 16, said Jew was sober, but his companion was well intoxicated. Jew called his companion “a cow of a man” several times, added the conductor.

Among the witnesses was Frederick Louis Armitage, Government Bacteriologist, who said he received from the police a hat. overcoat, coat, waistcoat, and trousers for examination for human bloodstains. The hat was marked “T. M‘M.” There were no traces of blood on the hat, ocoat, waistcoat, or overcoat, There were bloodstains inside both the left and righthand trouser pockets. He could not give tbs age of the stains, as there was no test determining this. It was human blood in each case. The bloodstains must naturally have come from the knuckles, not from the palms, owing to their position in the pockets.