TAHEKE MURDER

Evening Star, Issue 22004, 13 April 1935, Page 14

TAHEKE MURDER

THE CHARGE AGAINST PRICE PRELIMINARY HEARING CONCLUDED [Pee United Fkess Association.] * NAPIER, April' 13. The preliminary hearing of \ the charge of murder against Charles William Price was concluded this morning. The principal witness to-day was De-tective-sergeant James Bickerdike, who produced a statement made by accused shortly before arrest. Bickerdike stated that he went to Argyll with Detective Farquharson on February 16 and saw the accused near the scene of the crime with two constables. When informed of the nature of the police investigations, Price said: “I knew Eva Madden. I left her at Hastings Hotel on February 4.” Accused returned with the police to Hastings and was interviewed by witness and Detective Coddington. He was told that the police had been informed that there was a woman in the car in which he travelled to Taheke. Accused said: “ There was no woman in that car, and you can’t prove it,” Witness said he only wanted to be clear on that point, and accused again declared that there was no woman in the car. The clothing belonging to Miss Madden was shown to Price, who identified it as deceased’s. “ There is no doubt in my mind that they are her property,” he said, “as I - have seen her wearing them at Lowry’s.” Detective Bickedrike read the statement made by Price at Hastings Police Station just before his, arrest. Price said he and Miss Madden quarrelled in Hastings Hotel on the evening of February 5, when she accused him of being drunk; The following morning accused approached Madden and said: “Why don’t you be friendly?” She replied: “ I ant finished with you,” Price said he left Madden at Hastings Railway Station. . Shortly after he was approached by a man “seeking a loan, but accused said he was not holding, and asked the other if he knew where he could get a good man who owned a blue Sedan car. He said he did not, and Price- asked him how much he would want to 7 drive him to Taheke: The man replied “ A pound,” and the offer Was accepted. The man, continued Price, was a stranger to him, and was not a taxi driver. He thought he would know him if he saw him again. No woman accompanied them on the journey to Taheke, and if anyone said a woman was in the car: he was not telling the truth. The detective proceeded that Price also denied that any woman or ■ girl had been picked, up during the journey. He asked Price what sort of girl Madden was.. Accused replied that she was a very respectable girl. Witness also asked him if there had been intimacy between him and Madden, and ha replied : “ No, it never entered my,mind.” Following the arrest of Price on a charge of murder, witness went to Marshall's farm, at Argyll and took possession of Price’s kitbag, in which he found a.bunch of keys. Two of the kevs fitted suitcases in the possession of "the police. On February 20, witness took possession at the Hastings railway station of a cabin trunk bearing the initials E.M. Two days later some of the contents were identified by Jamieson, and Mrs. Lowry as the property of Madden. . Acting-detective . Herbert Francis Coddington corroborated much of the evidenced giyep .by, Bickerdike. , Charles August Copland, >- dress fabric specialist, stated that he had tested the material of Madden’s frock and the 1 pieces of material found in her cabin trunk. They were identical. Accused was committed for trial.