RUAWARO MURDER CHARGES

Evening Star, Issue 21622, 18 January 1934, Page 8

RUAWARO MURDER CHARGES

THIRD DAY OF HEARING FARMER'S CONVERSATION WITH ACCUSED MANY EXHIBITS PRODUCED IN COURT [Pen United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, January 18. - The hearing was continued yesterday afternoon of the double murder charge against William Alfred Bayly, aged 28, a farmer, of Ruawaro. Bayly was charged that, at Ruawaro, on or about October 15, he did murder Christobel Lakey, and further, that at Ruawaro, on or about October 15, he did murder Samuel Pender Lakey. Clarence Ivan Baldich, a clerk, said he was at Lakey’s at Christmas, 1932, and heard part of a conversation between Bayly and Lakey. Mr Meredith (Crown Prosecutor): You know where the boundary fences are between Lakey’s and Bayly’s?— Yes. On any occasion did you see them close to their boundaries talking?—Yes. Did you go down to where they were ? —Yes. Why?—To help to drive heifers into a paddock. What did you hear them say?— That if either one came on the other’s property they would come to blows. The Magistrate: Do you remember the words of either of them?—Bayly said that if Lakey came on his property he would attempt to attack him. I can’t remember the exact words. Lakey suffered from a rupture, and Bayly said if it were not for that he would not hesitate to attack him. The Magistrate: Otherwise, fight him?—Yes. Lakey said that if Bayly came on to his property he would fight him.

On another occasion witness was about 15yds or 20yds. away when Bayly and Lakey started talking. Witness went over because his action in crossing Bayly’s road was commented on by Bayly. Bayly complained of some damage done. Witness remembered Bayly calling on Stent, who was also present, to witness that he had called on Lakey to remove a certain fence. Lakey refused to move the fence and Bayly said he would remove it. Mr Meredith: What happened after that? —Mrs Lakey then came out of the house. Was anything more said?—l do not remember anything except that Mrs Lakey said: “Your guilty conscience is pricking you.”_ This was said to Bayly. More was said, but I have no recollection of it. William John Stevens, a farm labourer, of Ruawaro, said he had known the Lakeys for over thinfcy years and had lived at the farmhouse continuously for over four years until twelve months ago next month. “Mr and Mrs Lakey got on well together,” said witness, who added that Lakey had two watches, the larger one being used when ho was at work. Witness had worn Lakey’s watch, which was similar to the one produced in _ court. Lakey smoked a cherrywood pipe and wore “ nap ” trousers, with a belt and braces. “ The braces were the same as mine and were bought at the same time,”- witness continued. “ Lakey had false top teeth.” Constable Robertson, of Huntly, said he was informed by telephone of the disappearance of Samuel "Lakey, and he rang up a number of settlers in the Ruawaro district. . . „ Mr Meredith: Did you ring up Bayly? —I did. , ~ . , What did you say?—l asked him to notify me if he had heard or seen anything of the missing people. _ What did he say?—He made no reP Witness then described the condition of the Lakeys* house when he visited it with settlers and the finding of Mrs Lakey’s body in the duck pond. This evidence was on the lines of that given yesterday by tbe settlers wbo were on the property at the time. Mr Meredith: When you went to the duck pond what did you find?—l found a heap of manure bags lying alongside the pond. They were laid crosswise over the body. There were eleven bags, and all of them were across the body. They were laid very particularly flat across. Witness said the body was lying face downwards, and from the breast to the head it was immersed in water. The head was under water about to the ears. , , 0 Mr Meredith: How was her clothing? —lt was up about her waist. Did you notice any injury ?—There was a small abrasion on the chin about the size of a sixpence or less. Do you know whether Bayly, on October 16, took part in any of the search parties?—Not as far as I know. PUBLIC INTEREST SUSTAINED. Interest In the Bayly case, the hearof which is now in the third day, is fully sustained. Another party of witnesses from Ruawaro arrived by special car just before the court opened. Many brown paper parcels of exhibits, including turf neatly packed in wooden boxes, were in court when the hearing was resumed. The first witness to-day, Constable T. D. Elms, corroborated Constable Robertson’s evidence regarding observations at Lakey’s house towards midday on October 16. He said there were three abrasions on Mrs Lakey’s faceone underneath the chin, one on the right elbow, and the third on the forehead above the left eye. There was a slow flow of blood from the nose. The body was taken to the bouse and a search for Lakey was begun. All those present went towards a wattle tree, beyond which, about two chains away, was Bayly’s boundary fence. About 12.30, he met Bayly, and told him that Mrs Lakey’s body had been found and they were searching for Lakey, and had discovered Lakey’s gun was missing. Bayly said; “I suppose you already know we were not on friendly terms. Witness asked him again if he had seen Lakey or heard a report of a shotgun. Bayly replied that he had not. Bayly also passed a remark about Lakey having “ put something across him ” over some sheep. Witness left him and returned to Lakey’s house. Witness gave formal evidence relating to the removal of the body to the morgue. Charles Calvert, a farmer of Ruawaro, said he knew the Lakeys well. Bayly often visited his house, and on Sunday, October 15, h© rode up about midday. He wanted witness to milk his cows on the following Tuesday, when he (Bayly) would be in Auckland.. They had previously conversed by telephone on the same subject, and Bayly said that there \v<vs a. black cow to go in a particulai bail. They left Witness’s house about 3 o’clock and went to witness’s cowshed, and. were there till Bajdy left at 4 o’clock. Witness said Bayly .would pass Lakey’s place. Bayly said ho was going to George Furness’s place for meat. Bayly was dressed in working clothes, with an oilskin. Witness identified the shotgun produced by Mr Meredith as the one lie had lent Bayly.

Witness used to own Bayly’s farm, and sold it to Bayly five years ago. There was now a sheep dip on Bayly’s property close to the cowshed. Furniss said that on another day, Bayly, referring to the police search for the body said: “Do you know, George, I think they are looking for something that doesn’t exist.” Bayly repeated the remark on a later date. Witness said that Bayly possessed a sheath knife without a handle. He had helped Bayly kill pigs about the end of September.' Bayly boiled the water, in a copper resting on top of a benzine drum, in which he lit a fire. Bayly remarked that it took only a few minutes to boil water. Witness identified the drum produced in court in two pieces. Bayly also used a kerosene tin for boiling water. Witness identified a tin (produced). He said that on the Friday after . Lakey disappeared he milked Bayly’s cows. Ho noticed a pea-rifle in the cowshed and .also the copper, which had a verdigris ring on the inside. There had been nothing left inside the drum after they had boiled pig. He next saw a similar drum in two pieces at Bayly’s place. BAYLY’S THEORY. George Furniss, a farmer, said that he was on good terms with the Lakeys and Bayly. Bayly visited him on Friday and Saturday, October 13 and 14, and helped him to erect a windmill. Witness did not know anything : of Lakey hurting his hand while working on the mill. Bayly usually visited witness on Sundays to play tennis and to collect meat. On Sunday, October 15. there was meat waiting for him, but ho /lid not arrive. On Tuesday morning, about 10.30. witness went to Bayly’s place and saw accused and Bayly, sen., near the car shed. Bayly, sen., said: “ Bill has got a good theory. He says Sam Lakey must have put the cream out at the gate after he found Mrs Lakey dead. He must have put it out to give him time to get away, so that the cream man would collect the cream as usual without investigating.” Bayly, sen., then rode off home, and witness and accused searched in the scrub for Lakey till about 1, when witness went over to Lakey’s for a cup of tea. Early m November Bayly asked witness to milk his cows while he went to see a solicitor in Auckland. Mr Meredith: About what? Witness: He said , someone had planted some guns in his place not far from the house. He, also said he-thought he knew who it was. Mr Meredith: Did he tell you who? Witness: He said the Wrights. DISCUSSION ON REWARD. Witness remembered a conversation with Bayly about £IOO reward offered for Lakey’s body. Bayly said: You re not out searching for the £IOO. Witness replied: “ No; I - haven’t been out. Have you?” Bayly said;. No, it wouldn’t do for me to find it, because all those down below reckon I did Bayly, when leaving, asked witness who used a certain brand of manure. Witness said: “ Only the Wrights. Bayly said: “ I would like to see those done in.” Bayly repeated that he was suspected by neighbours, and added: “ But I don’t care a . Witness remarked: ‘Well, no one needs to worry if they have a clear conscience.” _ . . , . T, Mrs Doris Furniss said that Bayly came to her house on Monday about 1.30 and asked if she had heard l the news. He said his theory was that Mrs Lakey had a seizure and that Lakey, on finding her, got breezy, and bolted with the gun. He said he did not think Lakey would commit suicide, as ho was not brave enough. He might be hundreds of miles away. She said she did not think Lakey would cover his wife’s body with sacks. Bayly said that Mrs Lakey bad been taking druo-s for a weak heart. Witness said Bavlv seemed to he a hit worried and uneasy. His eyes looked very tired and bloodshot. „ ' , Florence May Hancock, who lives with the Furniss family, corroborated this evidence, and said that she and Mrs Furniss both thought afterwards that Bayly looked tired. .... Mr Northcroft: That is important. That is spontaneous evidence of a conference which took place afterwards. SMOKE FROM COW SHED. John Robinson Herbert, a farmer, said that in the late afternoon of October 15 his attention was attracted by smoke around Bayly’s cow shed. It. hung low and seemed to be all round the cow shed. He had never seen a similar happening there before. Before o-oing to bed he glanced across again and there seemed to be more smoke than ever. , . A farm labourer, Noel Francis Brooker, also said that he remembered seeing snloke around Bayly’s .cow shed just before dark. He had never seen anything like that before. Next day lie heard that Mrs Lakey had been found dead. ‘ . The. court adjourned for lunch.