ALLEGED MURDER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11449, 25 February 1931, Page 2

ALLEGED MURDER

NATIONAL PARK ill AG ED Y

BOY’S TERRIBLE TALE OF NEW YEAR HAPPENING.

SEQUEL TO DRINKING BOUT

fPress Association ‘ HAMILTON;;. Feb. 21. { Tiie trial "of Chas. Colston , 88; lor tjlie -alleged; murder of Alice Rose Florence Anderson, at National ! ark, oil January 6, was continued in the Supremo Court at Hamilton to-day. : John Ernest Storr, 10, said tlmt m tlio spring of this.year he became acquainted with Ernest Toliey, -uw through him lie came to know Mrs. Anderson, who was then known as Mrs. Fisher. Shortly before Christmas the two families, the Fishers and tlio Tolleys, decided to go into the King Country and witness was invited to' accompany them. Before leaving witness was sent by Airs. Anderson to purchase a gun. He wag told to us e an assumed name and lie also bought some cartridges. J hey eventual!v arrived at Alclarlaue s farm. ,Qn i Saturday, January-. 3, a case of wine Vyas brought to tho house, hv Airs.' Anderson, The case was opened the same night, and a large consumed by the yhree adults. He believed the whole ot the dozen quart bottles were consumed, bv about 10 o’clock on. Sunday morning. Oh Monday evening another case of a do/.cn bottles arrived and was opened after tea. Airs. I idle} was Urn first to rise.on Tuesday Colston later arose, and lurthcu' dr Slicing took place in Mrs. Aiiderson s room before and after breakfast. Witness added tlmt during the evening an argument took place between Uie three adults and Phyllis Tolley, over a. missing bottle of wine. A\ tUiess heard Colston remark. 111 shot b_ ” Witness understood the reierence to b e to Phyllis Colston. He then went to his room. W-u-ncss entered Mrs. Anderson s room. ncss closed s the door anu bolted it on the inside - . While there he .heard Colston when passing on his way out of the house open ami muse the breech of the gun. Alter he had gone witness followed .hun OUu ,. v" he got outside he sa\v Colston dimpneariiJ" over the knoll. A iei. • oral's later he heard a .shot which seemed to. he. from, the gun GuKton. was carrying. Witness then Plivlfis running up the slope, o) <n- ; otlicr knoll about 000 yards aucad ol Colston. , , WOMEN FIGHTING ON FLOOR. | Proceeding* witness said he Uien i returned to tiie house, anu iouud vto | women lighting in Mrs. Tolley was on tho iloor hok u g Airs; Anderson's hair. On the Ihmr between the two women was a hr c in a sheath. Witness., picked n up, and put it iu his pocket. I.c tried to ‘•eparato' the women but latled, and afraid of .what was going to nappeu he ran out of th e house anu encountered Ernest Tolley., whom lie asked for a bridle. Securing one from tno shed, witness ran to the iront gate, and out towards Green’s hum, where he knew there was a horse His intention was to ride away and call the police. - As lie was leaving Mclarlaue’s farm he heard Ernest Tolley inside the house trying to-placate the two wemeu. As witness w-as on his way to Green’s farm he heard two shots fired. On catching the horse, ho galloped to the National lark station, where lie got the stationmaster to telephone the- police, {shortly afterwards he saw Airs. Anderson s ear coming round tlio bond of the Upper lletaruko road. Ernest Tolley was driving, Colston was sitting beside him and Airs. Tolley was in t,tO back with the little boy Anderson. Witness stopped the ear. Ho then rode towards Alclarlaue s farm, and when on liis way Phyllis emerged from a bush and called out to. him. She was half crying. He took her ,on the horse with him and cjroppcu her at Green's farm.

DISCOVERY OF AfllS. ANDERSON'S BODY. AY it 11 css, continuing, said lie them rode- on to MeFarlane's. After tying up his horse lie called -Mrs- -Oiderson. but getting no reply, entered the house and found her lying on tnc floor in a room. The feet were towards the window, and the face hair downwards. - The face was smothered with blood . There was a patch o red 'upon the breast, and a poo, ol blood upon the lloor. lliere were also blood stains on the wall, opposite the window. When witness jeit tue house to tro for the police, the window in Mrs. Anderson's room was in- " Witness said that when he »a" Colston in the car liy had changed his. clothing.

ALUS. TOLLEY SEOOTINO AT TREACLE TIN.

Asked if the wine ho drank o" Tuesday,morning aifoeled Idm at all. witness replied that it did uot -- did the night, before, however. wtupss said the -Monday was spent, m drinking and card playing. Dm mg the night Colston had seen Mrs. lmley lire 1 one shot from the gu". * : J'° fired at a treacle tui to test tue spread of the shot with one brand of cartridge. Colston then tried the spread Willi - another brand - * thought Mrs. Tolley was a lan s >o . Ho was not aware that she usually carried cartridges in a pocket m lieu dress.

ROY WARNS SISTER OF ’I DANGER. Ernest Edward Albert lolley L>, said the gun was used mostly by t-o - stun .and liiniSelf. Ho corroborated Store’s evidence regarding the consumption of the wine. Uur’tig tue argument between the adults lat.ei concerning the planting 01, the wine■ he heard Colston say that. Phyllis had taken it. Phyllis later left the house As she did so, Colston rose from too hex; on; which ho was sitting outsm<\ and came into the house -stumbling-. He left shortly afterwards .with the gun. He went iii, the; direction * by;Us liad gone. 'Witness then 'got a P° u rifle and followed Colston. • ills aunt--Mrs. Anderson, tried to taker tlio nJm from witness. .-,She wanted To go alter Colston herself.. Her lnlenuoi was to shoot Colston it he shot .. by * Tik. 'Witness followed Colston lor » distance. He saw his -sister on the hill, and lie called out. to her to r»Ji> Phyllis started to run.

MOTHER AND AUNT .FIGHTING V Returning .to the house: immediate lv afterwards:, lomid- ins mother and'aunt fighting. .His motlicr was on the bed and Airs. Ander Sen was- standing' beside her. Axis*. mother was trying to kick Mys, A» dersou.’ Ho managed to'get. Airs. Anderson to her own room, ; and bolted The door ou. tlio inside.' While no vvas still in the room C'olsloii returnect. jukl -kicked ■ oil tlio door 01 .Anderson's -room.. AVitness then became alarmed. : and sniaslied the wmMow. with the butt of 'the rifle, and Vpt out. He ran across tlio' road, and Tnto a:-bush, - tvliefo he remained about half .'.an hour. He heard no shots. On his return to tho house there was iiobody about. He, climbed: up a ladder and-looked through Airs. Anderson’s .window. Entering the room he saw Airs. Anderson on the floor. Bho was still breathing . He • turned her. over, then left her and went out and gbt the car. He drove- towards, the .station, and when about a mile down Tlio road overtook Colston , who seemed shivering and crying' He * was then wearing old clothes, Further on, witness overtook Ins mother and the litllo bov Anderson. Cross-examined, witness said that

Colston consumed a Targe quantity m the wine and was drunk. , Nnswerina: counsel for tne dolence. witness said that at the lime of the jl.rht bis mother was hysterical ana lTs aunt drunk. Coition drank of Hie wine ou the morning of me i ragedv. .. , Plivilis Olga Tolley. 14. ucsenued tlm planting of the bottles, t elstou was angry "with her. and she ran from the‘house. .She heard a stmt fired, but did net- see Colston to!lew her She wa* present when the little bov’ Gordon Eisbev was questioned by ihe defective. Through Ins mother. Hie detective asked him who was fighting with the gun. He replied, ‘‘ Auntie Lillie. ihe detecti\ e asked him ‘‘ Who-else f ‘ and he answered “Uncle Chariie's mummy, and the gun made a big bang, and mummy shot herself." Witness said, her aunt ami Colston wore more or less drunk. Colston did not know what he was doing in her opinion.

ACCUSED'S STORY TO WARDER

HE AND WOMAN STRUGGLING WHEN GUN WENT OFF.

Hawfrv Warren Glynn, warder at Waikune prison camp, said he saw Colston at National Park station. He said. “Is \ our name Colston r He replied, “tes.” Witness stud. “You ar« the man who is running round the v country with a gun. We wan* von ” Witness did not know at the time that Airs. Anderson had been shot. .Mrs. Tolley called out several limes. “You leave him alone. He didn't do it. She did it herself. Colston interrupted saying, ‘You can take me." Airs, lolley then saul that somebody had been hurt. anu witness understood that- the. girl had been hurt, and asked if such. was the Colston replied, “I don t know. There was a lot of blood. It's Airs. Fisher that's been shot you know. He said lie and Mrs. Fisimr had been •Trim-ding for the gun when the weapon “went dtf lUKlor her enm. r l’!m trial was thou adjourned until to-morrow.