MADDEN MURDER

Evening Star, Issue 22004, 13 April 1935, Page 21

MADDEN MURDER

EVIDENCE AGAINST ACCUSED TEAMSTER [Pew United Press Association.] NAPIER, April 12. Only three more witnesses are to ho heard in the lower court hearing of the case in which Charles William Price, .alias Edwards, is charged that, on or about February 6, at Argyll, he murdered Evelyn Mary Madden. The court will start sitting early to-morrow morning, and the hearing should be concluded by mid-day. Further evidence was called to-day to throw light on the movements of the accused and Madden (whose body was found in a creek), following their departure from Orcka station, where both were employed for a time. (This evidence was published yesterday.) Ransomo Tinsley Harding, mercer, of Hastings,, produced a docket showing the sale of two pairs of socks on February 6. Witness said the socks exhibited were identical with those ho had in stock. Gerald Joseph Faulkner, dentist, of Hastings, said that an upper denture and a partial lower denture which he had inspected fitted the mouth of a skull brought to him. Witness could say definitely that the dentures would not fit any other mouth. Reginald Bridge, manager of the Bank of New South Wales, Hastings, said he was of the opinion that the signatures on a passport, withdrawal receipts, and the endorsement of cheques were those of the same person.

Mary Edith Nestor Bnyliss said that on February 6 Edwards (Price) called and she offered him a cup of tea, but he refused, saying he had a young woman waiting in the car. Edwards asked her for a job. Witness thought it likely that ho might bo given a job later. Accused was wearing a brown suit resembling that exhibited in court. Elizabeth Margaret Murphy, sister of the accused, said his correct name was Charles William Price, but he sometimes went under - the name of Edwards. On February 6 her brother came up to her placo in Napier about 6.30, and from that evening up to February 15 stayed with witness. On the evening of the 6th they had a small family party. On the following day they went out to Hastings in a car, and her brother called at Rosenberg’s office and[ collected some bags. Ho did not say to whom th 6 cases belonged. Detective Bernard Farquharson, of Hastings, gave evidence as to the finding of the body. A fresh growth of grass, he said, prevented the finding of any marks about the water hole. Two branches of willow overhanging the pool were broken off and lay in the water. Witness attended the morgue at Hastings during the post mortem and took possession of the clothes removed from the body. The next day the clothes were examined by Miss Jamieson, who identified portions of them as belonging to Eva Madden. On arrival at the scene o| the tragedy next day ho and Detective-sergeant Bickerdike spoke to the accused, and were told that he was Charles Edwards. 1 ‘ He was informed that we were making inquiries regarding the death of Madden,” continued witness. “ The accused replied: ‘ I know Miss Madden. I took her to a house in Heretaunga street, Hastings, on 'February 4 and left her there.’ ” The accused was told that it was important that Madden’s movements and his should be traced since leaving Lowry’s. He replied: “1 will come into Hastings with you and point out the house where I left her and then give you a statement of my movements since I left there.” Detective-sergeant Bickerdike and witness drove the accused round to Marshall’s, where the accused changed into a brown suit. Before arriving at the Stortford Lodge corner, in Hastings, the accused said: “ Miss Madden didn’t stop at that house i took her to. She had a look at the room and didn’t like it.” Late the samq night the accused was arrested on the present charge. The \ charge was read to the accused, who mumbled something about Madden, and in a louder voice said “ Fire ahead.” On February 23 witness was in charge of a search party near the spot where the body was found. While there he and Constable Dunn were shifting some cut manuka scrub five chains from the pool and there found a woman’s blue overcoat with a woman’s white hat, handbag, and shoe. Next day the coat, hat, and shoe were identified by Miss Jamieson. The day after that witness went to Wellington and took to Dr Mercer, pathologist, the woman's coat and white hat and the coat of the brown suit worn by the accused when he was arrested. _ The witness, continuing to detail his investigations, said that in the pool he found a number of pieces of wood, one of which was found near where the body lay. On Sunday, March 31, witness was present when the body was exhumed.- The head was removed and taken bv witness to Dr Gilmour at Auckland. The court adjourned till to-morrow.