COOPERS ON TRIAL

Evening Star, Issue 18258, 24 April 1923, Page 10

COOPERS ON TRIAL

TEE NEWLANDS SENSATION. FINDING OF THE BODIES. In the Police Court at Wellington yesterday further evidence was taken in the caso m which Daniel Richard Cooper and his wife stand charged with baby murder. Constable Carroll gave evidence that on April 3 ho discovered the body of tho third child some 18in below the surface and about 130 ft behind the cnb. The body was covered with some kind ol material. Dr Wright was sent for, and ho removed tho body from tho grave, It was then taken to the morgue. _ Constable William O’Donnell said Cooper called on him with reference to Golder in November, 1922. Ho reported that this man Golder had gone into his shop, also that Golder had stolen his tools. Ho saw a hammer and a mattress. When asked if Golder had sold them, Cooper said no, they were still in the shop. Witness told Cooper he did not think it a caso ot theft. Witness arranged to go round to Golder s with Cooper. Ho went to tho shop, but Golder was not at home. He saw Sirs Golder, Cooper said he wanted them to get out of the shop. Mrs Golder said her husband had (made arrangements with Cooper. Cooper said Golder most have taken tho key from under tho shop. Mrs Goldor became angry, and told Cooper to take the mattress away. Golder came along with witness, and Cooper went to meet him. Mrs Golder came clown and told her husband what Cooper had said. Golder said he had obtained the key from Cooper out of Cooper s office in Wellington. Golder would have assaulted Cooper only witness happened to bo there. Ho understood from the conversation that Golder had bought a section from Cooper. Cooper was to allow Oolder to stop on in the shop until he built a place lor himself. Cooper agreed to give Golder his deposit hack if ho left the shop, as ho had no money. He gave him an I U G, and they parted, apparently good friends. Witness never at any time board Golder say he would get even with Cooper. Witness had made unsuccessful efforts to find Golder since. About nine months ago Cooper’s house and store had been burnt. Tho house had later been rebuilt. This concluded the evidence concerning the finding of the second baby. Dr Wright said that on arrival at the Coopers’ place ho found what app-caied to be tlio body of a child in a hole in wet, decayed vegetable matter. He removed this as much as possible and lifted the body and placed it in a box. Ihe body appeared to have some material bound round it like a bolt. He handed it over to the police, and tho following day ha held a post mortem with Dr Hector and the police officers. The body was better preserved than that of the second baby. The scalp was torn, exposing the bone, and the slcull appeared to have been burst. Tho whole, body was laterally compressed. The scalp was” probably torn by natural causes, not by exterior violence during life. He could not say what tho opening in the front of the scalp was due to. A further examination of the material round the body revealed a grey flannel binding 6in wide, fastened by two safety pins. There was no trace of the navel string. Decomposition was not so far advanced as in the case of the second child, as shown by the post mortem. It was possibly a full-time child. Witness thought it was. The bones were those of a newborn child. The third child appeared to be lighter built than the second, and the skull was smaller. Witness thought tho body had been under ground about six months. He was unable to say what tho sex of this child was. The cause of death also was unable to be determined. Ho presumed from the facT that the baby had a binder on it that it had lived, and also the absence of a navel string pointed to Its having lived. • Mr Treadwell (for Cooper) asked if witness was prepared to say that the pressure of the earth on tho body did not cause tiie skull to burst.

Witness answered that he thought the earth would not have caused sufficient pressure. The bursting of the skull would be consistent with violence before or after death. Dr Hector corroborated this evidence. Ha said if the child had lived it was not lor long enough to undergo any material change from a new-born child. All traces oi the navel string might have been lost, even if it were there when the child was buried. Edward Walter Dinnie produced photographs taken on April 3 at Kewlands of the third child discovered. Detective M'Lonnan said he was present when the third body was found by Constable Carroll. He assisted Dr Wright to remove the body. They took it to the morgue on April 4. Ho and Seniordetective Lewis interviewed, the accused. They told him a child had been found, and they asked for an explanation as to the cause of death or any other particulars. The female accused said: “ I can only refer you to Mr Wilford, as I did last time.” The male accused said: “ 1 absolutely know nothing about any of the children which I have been (old have been found at my house and section in Xewlands.” Senior-detective Lewis gave evidence on similar lines. Dr C. M. Hcctni gave evidence on similar lines to Dr Wight. The bones of a child set in plasticene produced in court were those examined by witness. It was impossible to say accurately how long the child had been in the ground. He maid say, however, they had not been there two years, but might have been for only six months. His opinion was it had been buried for approximately Twelve months, because of the pink color of the brain. Edward Walter Dinnie, officer in charge of the criminal investigation branch, produced photographs taken at Ncwlamis immediately after tho body was discovered. The body was found 44ft in front of tho crib. Senior-detective Lewis corroborated Detective M'Lennan’s evidence. Ho gave particulars about tho finding of the body, and also of interviews with both accused in gaol. Cooper said he did not know Holder's Christian name, nor whore ho was to be found. He also said he did not wish to add anything further until he had seen his solicitor, when, if so advised, he intended to make a statement about the matter..