ELSIE WALKER CASE

Evening Star, Issue 20256, 17 August 1929, Page 12

ELSIE WALKER CASE

FACTS RECALLED AND HEW DEVELOPMENTS [Special to Tins 4 Star.’] / AUCKLAND, August 16. ' The Auckland ‘ Star ’ representative who has been making further investigations concerning the baffling Elsie Walker mystery, called upon Mr Hunt this afternoon and asked the coroner what action, if any, he intended to take as a result of the recent developments. , . , Mr Hunt said that tins morning lie had. sent a letter to Mr V. R. Meredith (Crown Prosecutor at Auckland), who led the evidence at the inquest on behalf of the police. In this he suggested to the Crown Prosecutor that either a prosecution for perjury should be instituted against one of the witnesses at the inejuest or that application should he made-to the Supreme Court for authority. to reopen the inquest, so that the evidence of Mrs Margaret Thomason and her sister (airs Langdon) might be taken. The coroner’s dramatic action follows immediately upon the publication in the 1 Star ’ of letters exchanged between Mrs Constance Ivy Bayly and Mrs Thomason, and of statements made by Mrs Thomason and Mrs Harriet Richardson, her sister, to the ‘ Star. In one of the letters which Airs Thomason sent to Mrs Bayly sho stated: Mv df.ar. it only needs that information to have gone to the coroner, and probably there would have been a different aspect in the case. Dr D. N. W. Murray, police surgeon at Auckland, who carried out examinations on the body of Elsie Walker, and also gave lengthy evidence at the inquest, is at present in England on a lon' T vacation. It will lie remembered that after the .police inquiry winch fob lowed the inquest Dr Murray resigned his position as police surgeon. It was asc<?r tained to-dav that Dr Murray has taken to England with him full particulars of the injuries sustained by Elsie Walker, particularly concerning the bruise, which be considered unusual. About this Dr-Murray will hold a discussion with emipent pathologists in London.- 1 including Sir Bernard Spilsbury, the Home Office pathologist, and a world authority. Elsie Walker, aged seventeen, disappeared from the home of her uncle ami aunt (Mr and Mrs Frank Bayly, of Papamoa, Bay of Plenty) on Octobei 3. Her body was found near the Knox Home at Tamaki on October 5. On the same night that the girl vanished the Bnvly’s motor car was taken. The coroner’s inquiry, after a formal open iim, was adjourned, and it was not resumed until January 10. It was conducted by Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., extended over eight days, and created extraordinary public interest. Counsel s addresses were given on Tuesday, Jaminry 22, and on the following Fndav the coroner delivered his verdict, which was : ** That the deceased, Elsie Walker, died about the first day of Octoboi. 3928, somewhere between Papamoa and Auckland,. and that the cause of her death was concussion following a blow on the head, but whether that blow was accidental or homicidal there is no evidence for rne to determine.” The coroner further said: “I very much regret that I find it my duty to draw attention to the way the police handled this case in its early stages. The Superintendent of Police for - the Auckland district was present throughout the inquiry. Ho must have seen, as I did, the mistakes that were made, and the inefficient way the inquiries were carried out. T feel sure that he will, see the necessity for holding an inquiry at once into the whole matter. The public are entitled to better service from the police than they received in this case. It is possible that suspicion may rest against a perfectly innocent man lor the rest of his life. This might have been avoided had prompt and intelligent inquiries been made.

Following the coroner's remarks concerning the conduct of the case by the police, the Minister of Justice (the Hon. T M. Wilford) appointed Mr E. Pago. S.M., of Wellington, to conduct a full inquiry. The inquiry was held at the Magistrate's Court, Auckland and after a prolonged hearing Mr Page completely exonerated the ■ police officers concerned from any blame whatever. Mr Wilford subsequently expressed great sa Lis 1 action with Mr Page's finding.