ALLEGED MURDER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12528, 13 April 1935, Page 5

ALLEGED MURDER

HA WEE’S BAY TRAGEDY WOMAN’S DEATH. TEAMSTER BEFORE COURT. SECOND DAY’S HEARING ' (Press Association). NAPIER, April 12. Only three more witnesses are to be 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 f (fourth will start sitting early to-morrow morning, and' the hearing''shoulij. he concluded liy midday. Air J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., is ''"presiding." ’ Further 1 evidence was called to,day to throw light 1 on. the movements of the accused and Aliss Aladden lollowing their departure from “Oreka- ’ station, where both Were employed for a. time.

Walter' Sydney Bennett, a postal clerk at Hastings, gave evidence that on Tuesday, February o, a. woman appeared at the money order office at Hastings Post Office, produced a book on the AVellington Savings Bank, and said he wanted to make a withdrawal. The woman filled in an application to ” withdraw the sum of £3o' signing it “Evelyn Mary Madden,’ ’anij requested that the money should he forwarded toi the Girls’ Friendly Society, Napier, and also ‘directed that the passbook should he forwarded to Waipawa. The witness said that the' money was never paid out. Edward Alervyn Murray, a bank clerk at Hastings, ’’ identified three cheques which he cashed for a woman on February 5. The cheques, which 'totalled £S 15s 9d, were drawn iu favour of Eva Aladden. A housemaid, Alargaret McGregor Reid, employed at the Girls’ Friendly Society, Napier, said that a woman; accompanied hv a man, called at tlie lodge on February 5 seeking lodgings.'* The woman,’ who, said that her name was Aladden, decided not to stay at the lodge, and departed with the man, who had waited outride the gate. A money order telegram arrived at the lodge for Alisa Aladden that afternoon, hut was not claimed, and witness did not sec Miss Aladden again. Alfred Rosenberg, a labor agent, of Hastings, stated that in August of last year he obtained a position for Price with James. Lowry. Price returned to witness’ office on February 5 last, and said he had left Lowry’s and was looking for another job. Later, Price left two suitcases with witness, returning for them in a taxi a day or two later. About February T 3 ,a man named Alarshall visited witness’ office seeking a ploughman, and witness gave him Price’s address. TA XI-DRIVER’ S STORY. Evidence was given by a- taxidriver, Joseph Bernard Dooney, whose wife is a relative of the accused.'"that on February 5 Price arrived at his homo and asked him to drivo him to a. Hastings hotel This lie did, Later in the day, Price returned to witness* home accompanied by a young woman whom he introduced as Aliss Aladden. They istayed for tea and supper ,-and then witness drove them back to Hastings. The witness' said he again picked Price up at his sister’s place in Napier on February 7. AY it ness asked Price where the girl was, and the accused replied that he left her at the home of Air Hollis, Argyll. The accused added that Aliss Aladden wan going away, probably to Auckland. Price remained in Nap'er between February 7 and 14, during which time lie drank heavily. On the latter date, Price told witness that he was, going to a. job at Argyll. ACCUSED AND WOMAN GO INTO COUNTRY. Norman John Guild, a taxi-driver of Napier, stated that on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 5, he went to Dooney’s flat, where lie shared an office. In. tho flat at the time were the accused ancl a young woman who was introduced to Him as Aliss Madden. The accused asked the witness to pick him up in Hastings at 2 o’clock the next afternoon in order to take him out'into the country. The next morning he received a message to meet Price at the Bastings railway station, at 10 o’clock in tho morning, instead of 2 o’clock. When witness arrived at the station, he was met by Aliss"'Aladden. Shortly after Price arrived and both entered the car. At Price’s instructions, tlie Witness drove via ' Stortford Lodge and Bridge Pa. to a house near Ala son’s Ridge, where witness ancl Prico left the car and drank from a whisky flask in Price’s possession. They returned to the car and cont’nued on for another two miles, where Price pointed out Taheke station to Miss' Madden. They next pulled up at a ploughman’s camp which the accused entered. The witness said thiat the accused conversed with a drover, after Which the- journey was continued. They stopped at other place's before they arrived 1 at Talreke station. Afo ter a short period' at the statlbn, they returned to the ploughman’s . camp. Where - Price and the girl got ou t * of ’ the' car. Price" said He was going to take the young lady over . to Hollis’ place by a short cut, as it, was-too far by roadY ACCUSED RETURNED ALONE r <•> O . y “They wont round a track over a hill’ r dn.d J’lost right of them”, witness said. “Before they left, the accused told ino to’ wait" for him, and isaid He might be an hour or two hours. Aliss Madden' ' had an overcoat over her arm”. Tho witness said that following the couple’s departure lie curled up in “the'front seat' and 'dozed;' ? 3fo saw no one/else about at the tiinet An 'hour and 20 minutes later Price returned along the road. He was then alone, and said lie had left the girl ■at vHollis’s place, and they would : bring her to the railway* station'’ the .following morning. Witness noticed

that Price’s feot were wet, ante the accused v>aid liq had dipped ' while stepping across a creek. Witness did not notice anything strango about Prioq’.s demeianour/ ...They returned to Hastings.' “During the journey homo, Price i:aid he had 'got' -some money f rom Aliss Aladden’’’, Gould 'continued. “He said he had got £3O troin her, hiit did not show me the money. Then we ' stopped sit To Aute . hotel and had a. drink, for ’winch' the accused paid. He also paid” me £2 from a toil of " notes. Which included one or tivo 4 fivers.” The witness said that. Price'’told him that he would be meeting Aliss Aladden at Hastings railway station tfic'following- morning. ■’ AT THE PLOUGIIAIAN’S CAAIP .i : 1 > ■! S’Xi't. , V '(■ ■ , : William Rose Gunn, shepherd, described a conversation he had with the accused at the ploughman’s camp 'on February 6. “He kneri the accused as Echvafids, arid he said lie was looking for a. job. and asked for Bayliss. 'AVitnchs said Bayliss was away at Hastings. Edwards then left. Dudley lan Halbert Fitch, a ’farmhand, of Argyll East, said that the accused called at AlcAlillan’s, where witness was employed, on February 6, and asked'for either of the AlcAlillan brothers. Witness told niin that they were away. Price then ask ed for Airs McMillan, but witness said she wa» in hospital. ' Price thereupon went away. Ransom Tinsley Harding, a mor, cer, of Hastings, produced a docket showing the sale of two pairs; of socks on February G. Witness said the socks exhibited were identical with those he had in stock. Gerald Faulkner, a dentist, Hastings, said that an upper denture and a. partial lower denture he 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 ojf the ißank of New South' Wales, Hasting-;, said he was of opinion that the signatures on tlie passport, withdrawal receipts, and endorsement of cheques were those of the ■same person, SEEKING A JOB Alary Edith Nestor-Bayliss said that- on February (i, Edwards called and she offered him a cup of tea, but he refused, • saying he had a young lady Jim Lowry’s housemaid, waiting in the car. In reply to a jocular remark by witness, he said she was not liiis girl, ancl that she was a respectable girl. Edwards asked witness for a. job. Witness thought it likely: that lie might ho given a job later, and said that Air Bayliss would lot him know. AVitness understood it was accused’s brother-in-law who drove him in the car. Accused was wearing a brown suit resembling that exhibited in court. Walter ’.Langdou Edward, a farmhand, said that lie was employed in February by Air Blundell. As lie was going to tho men’s quarters at the station on February 6, be saw u man walking througli the plantation to-., a car just outside the gate. In the car there was a man at tho wheel and a woman sitting behind. The car* then drove straight away. It was at Bayliss's 'station, Taheka, that he saw this. Lillian Enid Hollis, wife of an Yrgyll East farmer, said she and her husband were home for all meals on February 6, and that no one else stayed ' with them that right, nor did any woman come to their house at any time on February 3. She never knew Charles Edwards and had never seen or known Eva Madden. Arthur Alexander Hollis supported this evidence. DRINES AT TE AUTE HOTEL Gordon Hector Hart isaicl he was looking after Te Aute Hotel tor his father on February 6. He was serving in the bar that day. Guild, a taxi-driver, came in accompanied by the man in the dock. Accused called for drinks, and tendered a. £5 note in payment. AVhen told that witness could not change it, accused pulled out a roll of notes ancl gave bin £l. He then said he had just come down from Tikokino, where he had been working. Accused had about five shandies and port wines, and paid for all the drinks. He appeared to be sober when ho left. SISTER’S EVIDENCE El’zabeth\Alargaret 'Murphy, sister of accused, said his correct- name was Charles William Price, but he. sometimes went under the name or Edwards. On February G her brother came up to her place in Napier : about 6.30'. From that evening up to: February 15, he .stayed with, witness. On the evening of February 6, they had ■ a imralU''family'' party ’ and on' the following day wbnt'out to Hastings in a car. Her brother called fit Rosenberg’s office and collected some bags'" and got home between 12 find 1 o'clock. He did not say to whom the suitcases belonged. He s,aid he would leave them.- Blue and Brown' -suitcases produced in court were stated by witness to he similar to’'those brought tql her house'.' Ac-] cu'sed was wearing a suit like that produced, oil' The evening of FebruHerbert Lawrence Gc'dger, a clerk at Napier PosY Office, produced a money Order" teJdgram for £29 17s 6d to Evelyn Alary Aladden, at the Girls’ Friendly Society, from AVellihgtonF The' telegfani was' ‘re- f ceived at 10.6 a.m. on F'eßruary 6, and .was sent- cut 'on several oceas-! ions hut was .never* claimed by the; addressee.

David Condic Alarfihall said ho engaged accuecfl on February 13 to work -on his farm. Ho arrived on Friday. February 15. and witnessmet him at 2.30. about '"threequfirters of ia mile from the farm. Next morning accused' asked the direction to the ploughman’s camp at Bayliss’ property:' ’-.saying■ that lie wanted to see'fone of'"'the-' meri about a horse. AVitness gave the directions, and accused left on feet for the camp, six miles distant across the country.* Witness next saw accused /With Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike! about 4.30, at" witness’d place, h

Acting-Detective < James Bowman gavri evidchdc that tie upli,|t|d" Iljo inonej' order telegram referred to in Gqpdger.''S oridenee. ;r ' y SWAG LIFTED 1 ■ FROAI PARCELS: ‘OFFICE : AVilliam Rhymer AVatson, clerk in the Parcels- /Office of! the Hastings railway (station, said that between 4 and 5 p.m. on February 14, a man called and asked for his swag: AVitness asked the man- for liis ticket,’ but the man -said lie had lost it. He then pointed to a canvas'hag. AVitness identified the hag produced in the court. Tlie man took the hag and -signed ail"indemnity form. Asked what he wax going to do with the cabin trunk, accused'®aid he d:d not want it. ‘-lie said be would pick up the kit bag next day when lie was going to AVaipawa. FINDING THE BODY : , .11 NO, /.i Detective Bernard F'arquharson, of Hastings, gave evidence as to> tho finding of the body. A fresh growth of grass, he sai(|, ' prevented finding any marks about the waterhole. Two branches of willow overhanging tlie pool were broken off, and lay in tho water. The breaks were" recent, and fitted exactly. AA"ibices attended the morgue at Hastings during the post-mortem examination, and took possession o,f the clothes removed from the body. Next day the clothes were examined by Alias- Jamieson, who Identified portions of them asbelonging to Eva Madden. “I KNEW AIISS AIADDEN” On arrival -at the scene of the tragedy next day, continued witness, he anil 'Detective-Sergeant Picket-dike spoke to accused, and wore told lie was Charlie Edwards. “We informed him'we were making (Inquiries regarding the death of Aliss Aladden, whose body had been found in a waterhole in the creek about two chains tronv where ho was standing. Accused replied: ‘J. knew Aliss Aladden. I took her to a house in Heretaunga street, Hastings, on February 4, and left her there. Accused was told that it was important that Aliss Aladden s m-ovemont,? and bis should lie traced since leaving Lowry’s. He replied: ‘I will come into Hastings with you and point out tiie house where I left there. Detective Bickerdike and statement of iny movements since A left there. Detecivo Bickerdike and witness drove accused around to Marshallr;, where accused changed into a brown suit. Before arriving at Stortford Lodge corner, Hastings, accused said: “Miss Madden did not stop at that house I took her to. She had a look at the room, and did not like it.”' Late the same nTgTi't' accused ' was arrested on the present charge. The charge was read to accused, who mumbled something about Aliss Aladcfon,- and in a louder voice, said, “Fire ahead.” On February 23, withnefis was in i-liarge of a search party near the spot whore the body was found. While there ho and Constable Dunn were shifting some cut manuka scrub, five chains from the pool, an-d there found a womans, overcoat, with a woman’,> white hat hangbag ancl shoe wrapped in it. Inside the handbag were an empty purse, a handkerchief and a small newspaper cutting. Next day the coat, hat, and shoe were identified that witness went to Wellington and took to Dr. ’ Mercer, ' pathologist, the woman’s coat and white liat, and the coat of the brown suit worn by the accused when lie was arrested. AVitness, continuing to detail his investigations, said that in the poo] were found a number of pieces cf 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 placed in a metal container which was sealed and placed inride another metal container. This was taken by witness to Dr. Oilmour/ at Auckland.

The court fidjourned : till to-mor-row.