RUAWARO MYSTERY

Evening Star, Issue 21623, 19 January 1934, Page 8

RUAWARO MYSTERY

BAYLY IN COURT FINDING OF GUNS IN SWAMP ACCUSED STATEMENT'S TO POLICE [Pee United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, January 19. By 8.30 a.m. to-day a queue had formed outside the Police Court, where the hearing of the Crown’s evidence on the double murder charge against William • Alfred Bayly was resumed at 10 o’clock. Among the crowd were residents of Unaware, although none will give evidence to-day, which will be devoted to evidence of detectives. Over 100 exhibits are to be produced in court. They are guarded by the police each, night. It is unlikely that the hearing will finish before Thursday. The court will adjourn to-night till Monday. Detective Allsopp, continuing the story of his investigations, produced a batten, benzine case, some fence battens, dried grass, and a piece of stone, all found in Lakey’s farmyard, and of which, he said, appeared to have traces of blood. These were all handed to a pathologist. At 4 in the afternoon, of October 21, with Chief-detective Sweeney, Detectives Snedden and Findlay, witness went to Bayly’s farm. Snedden took a statement from the accused in the cowshed, while the others executed a search of the house. Sweeney got a sheath and pouch, and a leather belt with a sheath knife from Bayly. Witness later examined the knife, which was not in the same condition as when he saw it on October 19. Its sharp edge had gone, and it was. dented and turned. On October 23, when witness, Snedden, and a settler named Lees were searching the swamp at the bottom of the accused’s farm, accused came down. Snedden asked Bayly if he had thoroughly searched his property. Accused replied: “ You have also had a- good search. Do you think I have got him?” Snedden told accused that they wanted to find Lakey. Witness asked him if he had found the missing cartridge from his car shed. Bayly said he had not.

, About 9 on the night of October 25 Bayly came to Lakey’s house and said: “ I will have to get some of you fellows to come over to my place. When I was coming up to my cow shed tonight I saw a dog and then saw a man running along the ridge. I sent my dog after the man, but he got away. My dog caught the dog and held it down.” Bayly said he had a good idea who the dog belonged to. Three detectives went to Bayly’s house. While there witness said (referring to the man): “If it is Sam Lakey and he calls at the house, would you give him a feed?” Bayly replied: “No d fear.” Witness said that . Lakey’s house ■ at this time was occupied by a large number of police.

“ NO TIME FOR FOUR SETTLERS.”

Detective Allsopp said that about 9.30 on the morning of October 26 they went to Bayly’s cow shed. Spedden started to take a statement from Bayly about the dog incident. Bayly said there were four settlers he had no time for. He mentioned the Wrights, the Stevens, and Sanson. He then hesitated. Witness asked him if the fourth was Lakey. He replied “ Yes.” In the separator room, the police noticed a Jong-handled 1 shovel, with what appeared to be a deposit of ash on the blade near the handle. Accused said he did not know what it was. He only used the shovel in the cow shed. Findlay then scraped the ash off the blade and took possession of the ash. Witness said that on October 30 he and a constable were searching the waterholes and swampland on Lakey’s and Bayly’s properties. Bayly saw them in the morning and in the afternoon. When searching the swamp down from Bayly’s house a gum spear struck something metallic. SHOTGUN AND RIFLE PARTS. Witness put his hand down and drew out the breach end of a shotgun. Ihe barrels had not commenced to - rust, and were quite bright. They were photographed’ on the spot. The fore end of the shotgun was found a foot away from the barrels, it had been pushed straight down into the swamp. Further down the swamp was the stock of a pea rifle. Witness beard a car approaching. He went up the hill and met the accused, and said: “I want you to have a look at something we found in the swamp.” Bayly made no reply, but walked down with witness. When they got to the position where they could see two constables at the swamp, Bavlv looked very surprised. Witness drew' the barrels a little way out of the mud, and said to Bayly: “ Is this yours?” Bayly replied, “ No.” He also said that the pea rifle was not his. They took a statement from him. Witness told him that the barrels of the shotgun might be Lakey’s missing gun and that the search would be continued. Bayly stood for a W'hile on the bank watching the search. He then left, saying he was going home for a cup of tea. Soon afterwards witness saw Bayly galloping down to them on a horse. He jumped off the horse and said: “I want to make another statement.” He also said: “ Who told you the guns were here? This is the only swamp you have searched to-day.” Bayly sat down on the grass and commenced to write out a statement in Snedden’s note book. Witness explained to him where they had searched ,that day. COULD ACCOUNT FOR BLOOD. Detective Allsopp said that after Bayly had completed the statement he said; “ When you were up at the cow shed the other day there was some blood there you did not see.” They went to the shed. Bayly showed them a small piece of cow after-birth in a pc 'tion of the shed Bayly did not use. Bayly agreed that it was blood from a cow. Witness picked up a piece of water pipe, which Bayly said was his waddy. It had a small mark on it. Witness proposed taking it away, but Bayly objected, saying: “ When you bring back my other things you can take it and have it examined.” As they were leaving Bayly said: “If any blood is found on my clothing I can account for ten kinds—horse, cow, calf, pig, sheep, 'hare, pukeko, some of the- kids’, and some of my own.” The detectives returned to the swamp, where the barrel of the pea rifle had meanwhile been found. The search .was continued next morning, and the stock of the shotgun was found. SEARCH OF BAYLY’S' HOUSE. Detective Allsopp said that on October 31 he told Bayly that they had found the complete parts of a shot gun and pea rifle in the swamp. Ho said: “ You had the swamp watched last night.” On November 4 witness went to Bayly’s cow shed and took posses-

sion of the piping he had seen on October 30. It was in the same place, but was covered with manure. Bayly said that the cows must have knocked it down. On November 16 detectives took four samples of deposits from the floor of the separator room in Bayly*s cowshed and from the cow bails. Detective Allsopp noticed the lowered portion of a 40-galfon drum which appeared to have an ash deposit sticking to it- . ,

On November 29 four detectives went to Bayly’s house with a search warrant., Bayly said that he had no objection. Detectives Allsopp and Snedden took possession of the long-handled shovel and a tin which had been used as a furnace. These were in the cow shed. They told Bayly that they proposed to empty his sheep dip. He said that if they did they would be responsible if any cattle were poisoned. They took possession of a small piece of the drum and the ash deposit from the ground beneath it._ Bayly said he had only burned woSd in it. ■ Witness asked him why the drum had been cut in two. He said it was because the drum was no good. Bayly showed them a portable boiler which he said he used for killing pigs in the winter. Witness noticed a small number of animal bones, and asked Bayly what he did with them. Bayly replied that he smashed them up and put them on the garden. if he burned them, he replied “ No.” "EASIEST ONE TO CATCH." On December 1 witness went to Bayly’s. He discovered that he was missing, and his wife handed to him a letter dated the 30th. In this letter Bayly said he had received definite information in Auckland the previous day that the police were going to put the blame of Lakey’s disappearance on him. " They have to vindicate themselves somehow, after the bfunders they have been making m the search for Lakey, and think I will be the easiest one to catch, statea the letter. ‘“As you know I was with you that night, but 1 do not intend to let them put their dirty tricks on to me. I bore picked out a nice spot to rest in, so love to you and the kids. ; The farm will bring you in a bit.” Witness said that on December 4 Constable Watts and he dug in a plot of dug ground beside Bayly s house. One part had been diig when they were there on October 18. They found nieces ot charcoal and what appeared to be small pieces of bones mixed up with dried grass. There also appeared to be a part ot a pair of braces and a trouser stud. Both appeared to have been through fire At this time witness received an order to return to Auckland, and that night in Auckland he arrested Bayly on a charge of murdering Mrs Lakey, "aylv said nothing. On the 6th witness 'started to sieve the soil in Bayly s garden. They found two artificial, teeth pieces of burned bone, a burned rag and a small piece of what ho thought was some kind of fat, and part of a pipe stem, etc. ’• The court adjourned for lunch. [The concluding evidence yesterday afternoon appears on page 3.]