LATE NEWS Auckland Murder: Intensive Police Inquiries

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 5

LATE NEWS Auckland Murder: Intensive Police Inquiries

AUCKLAND, This Day (P.A.).— An intensive police search is proceeding to solve the mysterious murder of Frederick Edney, aged about 55 or 60, a teacher of dancing. When the body was found clothed on a bed in a studio flat at 7.40 a.m. on Saturday evening by two male friends of Edney, there was a hole or punctured wound, about one inch in diameter, in the skull above the left ear, also much blood about the flat. The body was covered with an eiderdown, while over the pillow under the head was a bloodstained towel.

It is believed that the wound was probably caused by a single blow with some instrument, such as a balltip hammer. Leading from the foot of the stairs from Queen street were drips of blood on the left side near the wall, suggesting that, after being injured, Edney probably walked up rather than was carried. The trail, of blood led through the dance hall into the kitchen and bedroom. There was no evidence of a struggle in the studio or flat. On a glass-covered table in the kitchen was much blood, one patch being about six inches in diameter. Three pathologists, Drs Gilmour. Doyle, and Cairns, examined the body in the flat in daylight yesterday. Fingerprint experts also worked in the flat for hours. The police removed bloodstained articles of furniture and the pathologists later performed a post-mortem examination at the city mortuary. Wrote Note To Friend The police believe that Edney was attacked at the Queen street entrance to the building some time before he died. With a severely injured head, he must have staggered up about 27 steps to his flat behind the studio. There he evidently examined his private papers and wrote a note which he left with about £240 in banknotes for a friend.

This seems the most probable of several theories being investigated by the police. Although a telephone was beside Edney’s glass-covered table, he apparently made no effort to use

it. The medical findings confirm that it was possible for Edney, although injured, to make his way. upstairs. Despite the depressed fracture of the skull, the injury to the brain was very slight. No Sign Of Struggle A note written in pencil, reading “For you, Bill,” was found by the police on the kitchen table, together with an envelope containing banknotes. Several private papers on the same table revealed blood drips, suggesting that Edney was able to examine the papers and write the note before going to his bed, where he died, probably early on Saturday morning. The absence of signs of a struggle support the theory that Edney, after being injured, moved abouf the flat quite a lot and left a trail of blood from the stairway.

An inquest was opened at the city mortuary this morning before the coroner, Mr Alfred Addison.

Friend’s Evidence

William Jeffrey Adams, a caterer, said he had known Edney since 1934. “In 1937 and 1938 I was a partner with him in his business,” witness added, “and had since kept up the association with the dancing studio. I last saw Edney alive on Friday evening, when I visited the studio at 6.25. He was then in normal health and good spirits.” Witness described the finding of Edney’s body at 7.45 on Saturday evening, when he and a friend, Harold Quintal, arrived at the flat to keep an appointment. The inquest was adjourned sine die.