Public Interest Attracted— The Cranston Murder: Hearing Of Charge

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1948, Page 5

Public Interest Attracted— The Cranston Murder: Hearing Of Charge

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Charged with the murder of Mrs Katherine .Gladys :Cranston, whose body was found, on Mount Victoria on September 26, Edward Raymond Hcrton, aged 20, a blacksmith’s striker, attracted great'public interest when the hearing of the charge against him was opened in the Magistrate's Court this morning. So many people endeavoured to gain admission that a detachment of police had to be detailed to keep the crowd in check.

The court orderly’s call for silence when Horton entered the dock had to be ' relayed 'by a constable stationed in the body of the courtroom. On the request of Mr A. J. Mazengarb, 'Who appeared for the accused and who stated that the case was expected to last.throughout the day, Horton was permitted by the Magistrate, Mr A. A. McLachlan, to be seated. There were numerous diagrams, photographs, and exhibits on trestles at the side of the courtroom. The case for the Crown was conducted by the Crown Prosecutor, Mr W. H. Cunningham, assisted by Detective-Sergeant F. O. Scott, who took a leading part in the police investigations. First Witness' The first witness, Mrs Muriel Durwood, said she knew, the deceased, who was-her husband’s cousin.. After office hours Mrs Cranston spent her time with witness. The deceased did not have any male friends and did not smoke or take liquor. She was very fond of walking and for a woman of her age was quite fit. Before September 26 Mrs Cranston had gone walking on Mount Victoria. On September 26 Mrs Cranston left home some time after 11 a.m. with the expressed intention of going for a good walk. Witness was not sure if Mrs Cranston was carrying any money when she left the house. After dinner witness got anxious about Mrs Cranston’s not returning. Inquiries were made in the evening at the hospital and the police station. Witness then identified a series of articles and clothing as having belonged to Mrs Cranston.

Plans of Area Produced

Sergeant. Charles Edward Tanner produced, in evidence, plans of the area where the body was found, 9ft 6in below the level of Alexandra road. Witness said the spot where bloodstains were found on the road was approximately 632 ft from where a Mr and Mrs Woods were supposed to have been sitting. That spot, however, could not have been seen by Mr and Mrs Woods, because of a bend in the road. Other evidence was given by photographers, who had photographed the body and the area where it was found.

Thomas Richard Baker Clemas, aged 15, described how he and other boys, while playing on Mount Victoria on September 26, had discovered the body. He had seen a leg and then the whole body. They had approached to within a yard of the body, after which they had ascended to the road to keep their young brothers away while two boys left to report the discovery. Witness said

it was about 3.30 p.m. when they first saw the body. Russell Keith McGregor, aged 17, gave similar evidence. - Sergeant George Waple described the arrival of the police at Alexandra road. The body was lying at the end of a ledge on the hillside and could not be seen from the road. Charles McCombie Durwood, an insurance agent, said his cousin, Mrs Cranston, had lived very quietly, with witness and his wife. He had identified the body found on Mount. Victoria as that of Mrs Cranston. Asked for Directions George Joseph Wood, technician' in the Meteorological Service, described a walk he and his wife took on Mount Victoria on the morning of September 26. Witness said that while they were sitting near the gun emplacements they saw a woman approach. “She made a startled exclamation as if she had not expected to see anybody there and asked for directions

to get to Palliser road.” Witness identified the woman he saw as resembling very closely the photograph of Mrs Cranston. He could not see where she went after she reached the road. He did not notice any spots of blood on the bitumen pear the gun emplacement and did not hear anyone call out or hear any noise. It would be just before noon when the woman spoke to him. Kathleen Wood, wife of the previous witness, corroborated her husband’s evidence. The court adjourned for lunch.