MOUAT'S TRIAL

Grey River Argus, 18 April 1925, Page 6

MOUAT'S TRIAL

LAST SEEN OF WIFE Evidence of Neighbours REGARDING FIRES. CHRISTCHURCH, April 17. When th,* Mount ease was resumed the first witness was Ernest Friedlander. pawnbroker. He stated on February 20, a man who gave his name as F. Mouat, came to the shop, and sold a gold wristlet watch and a gold brooch. He pledged a diamond tiepin. Witness handed the articles to Detec-tive-Sergeant Connolly. Witness had other dealings with Mouat in November, when h ( > pledged a watch and chain. Detective Knudson, said that on March 4, in the accused’s house ho packed a quantity of lady’s clothing in large trunks. The two boxes (produced) contained all of the lady’s clothing he could find in the house. On thp same day he found false teeth on the mantelpiece in the front room. MRS MOUAT’S FATHER. George Morrett, father of Mrs Mount, said that the Inst time he saw her was abmit February 15, at his house. Il • had not seen his daughter since, but saw Mouat on February 23, the Monday after she was supposed to be missing. Mount sat down on a chair. Witness said: “What’s up with Nellie?” Mouat replied: “She went away on Friday morning.” Witness said: “It’s a funny thing tier going away like that.’’ Mouat said tha‘t they had been talking of going down to his mother’s place. Witness asked Mouat if he had any money. .Accused replied that he had a little. James Heeney, barman, said that he had known Mount and Mrs Mount for fifteen months. Since the Mounts lived in Beckford Road, he had visited them on several occasions and stayed at the house several times. Witness last visited Hie Mounts’ house on the night of Thursday, February 19. After fea they went to the Prossers’ together, lb* left the Prossers’ at ten minutes to ten to go back to town. The Mounts’ were there when he left. That evening, accused and his wife seemed to bo on the best of terms. Mouat was al ways joking and full of fun. The next week at the hotel Mount told witness that his wife had gone South. Another day he said that he was going to the Morretts’ to see if Nell was there. The Mounts got on all right so far as witness could see, and Mouat was a temperate man. Thomas Pheloung, drainage contractor. gave evidence that he paid Mouat £5 on February 13, as wages. Mouat said that he was going to Oamaru. John Warlow. carpenter, said that Mount bought No. ID Beckford Street for £1220 on terms. A cheque which Mis Mount tendered for the rent was dishonoured. While the house was being built ther<- were no fires on the • ection except the ordinary plumbers’ NEIGHBOUR’S QUERIES. Lucy Prosser, married, residing nt 31 Beckford Street, said that she knew the Mounts. They visit d her house on occasions, the last being on February 19. The Mounts left about a quarter to ten. Next day she was at •.he place n<xt door to Mounts. While there, Mount got over the fence. He said that Mrs Mouat had gone to her brother's. He said that he was going to meet her there next day and go to I Dunedin on the Friday. She saw the sheet and blanket on the line at Mounts; and she asked him if he had been washing. He said that Mrs Mouat washed them before she went away. On March 21, witness and her husband were in the. front garden. Their attention was attracted by smoke coming out of the Mounts’ breakfastroom chimney. Witness asked Mouat what he had had a fire for. He said he was heating water for a bath. On the day before she had seen smoke from a small fir,, on the Mounts’ section. On the last occasion witness saw Mrs Mount she was wearing a cream dress, with a black stripe. Witness identified the dress, and shoes Mrs Mouat wore on the night of February 19. Mrs Prosser added that on Friday, February 27, after Mrs Mount’s disappearance, she went through the clothes in the house. No frocks or dresses that witness knew of wore miss4ing. There was no top sheet on the bed. Morrett found a sheet in the cuplmai<i in the breakfast-room. There was a brown stain on the sheet, which was not quite dry. THE FIRES. David Prosser gave evidence that he saw blue grey smoke coming from Mount’s chimney on February 21. Later Mouat said that he hadn’t seen Noll yet. Mrs Beere, who resides next door, said that she saw Mouat near the fence on February 20. There, was a fire on the. section, and Mount asked if she smelt anything as he was burning old potatoes. There was. a smell of rubbish smouldering. WHAT A CHILD SAW. CHRISTCHURCH. Aprirl 17. In the Mouat case, Norma Low, aged six years, said she was sent by Mrs Prosser to Mount’s house. Sho saw Mouat inside poking the fire and putting .Teves Fluid round itMOUATS HAD ROWS. Francis Kelly, Railway Porter, said

that, at the Glcnavy Hotel last year, lie witnessed two rows between the Mounts. Once Mouat and Mrs Mouat scurried on the floor for a. quarter of tn- hour in the scullery. BLOOD ON BED CLOTHES. In the Mouat case Dr. Robert Roy Douglas Milligan, Bio-Chemist. of Christchurch Hospital, said that he made an examination of :i pillow handed to him by Dr Pearson. He examined a little strip from the bloodstained area, and he came to the conclusion that, blood was present. lie made several tests before arriving 'it tluil conclusion. Witness detailed the nature of his investigation. Half of the stained portion, which was removed, was taken by Mr Bickerton. Witness also examined two blankets. One had a largo niece ent out, but a good deal of the remainder of the blankets was stained. , He concluded that the stains were blood. There were a number of other small stains on that blanket. On tho second blanket there were several stained areas. Where stain was presiui tests were applied. he had 1 ri -.lts indi-mting the prosHe ux:imi a sheet \. :. ;. i ;ed :i numb.- I i ns. He examined several of rL. and he concluded that blood was present. BLOOD IN WASTE PIPE. A. 0. Bickerton, Government Analyist, Christchurch, said he had examined the waste pipe for blood, and ho found Hie stains to contain the colouring matter of blood. On March 18 he received from Doctor Pearson two pieces of blanket, which he examined for blood. He found red colouring matter that gave the required test, and in his opinion it was blood. MOUAT’S STATEMENT TO POLICE Senior-Sergeant Shannahan, of Oamaru. put in a statement which he ob- ) tained from Mouat on March Ist. Tn it he said:— i “On the night of Thursday, February 19th. my wife and I were at a partv at Prosser’s house, in our street. The party broke up at about 10.30 p.m. My wife and I went home together. Mrs Prosser came to our gate. My wife and T w-ont inside, and went to bed. We were on good terms, and went to bed at about 10.45. 1 got up at about 6.15 a.m. on Friday (February 20th). and made a cup of tea, using the gas. T took a cup of ten into mv 'wife, and had one myself. T then went into the garden, dug some potatoes, and started to clean the brass round the house. I worked on that until breakfast time. My wife called me in at about 8 a.m. for breakfast, which she had ready, of bacon and eggs. After breakfast T went out into the garden, grubbing grass. My wife came out of tho house about 9 a.m. She was dressed in a blue serge costume, a small fitting hat of dark colour with red and blue feathers, and brown leather shoes. She had a leather purse bag’ in her hand, and was wearing brown stockings. Sho said: 4 Well. now I’ll go, as T don’t want to disappoint Mrs Hardy, and if I don’t come back to-night, take my bag to the station. We had arranged to go to Furakanu:, to my mother’s place, on Saturday. She would patch about the third tram to tho city. I have not seen or heard of her since. From Purakanui. T advised Mrs Hardy (by letter A Mrs Edwards (by letter). "Mrs Prosser (by letter), and Mts Morrett (by telegram). that I could not got any trace of my wife. I have been married since 1910. ami mv wife and T have always got on well together. We have never had any quarrels, except in 1914 in Christchurch. She went off with another man. I was in Melbourne at tho time, returning from West Africa. Gn February 16, 17. IS and 19th, T remained about homo, as I had asked for time off to collect accounts at Oamaru. 1 wanted my wife to go, and she wanted me to go. Eventually we decided, after leaving Mrs Prosser on that night, that wo would go on Saturday. My wife soaked a. blanket and a counterpane (’white) on Thursday, February 19th. between three and five p.m. She loft them in water until before breakfast on Friday morning, February 20th. T put them on tho lino for her. I took thorn in on Saturday morning. They wore off the bod whore .Tim TToonov sleeps when ho is at the house. The bedding on the bed consisted of three blankets, a white counterpane, and one sheet. My wife and T generally slept together. Sometimes, if T was going to bed early, I would take a paper and go into a spare room and sleep there. We slept together the night before she loft. I do not know if my wife was friondIv with any other man. or likely to have gone off with any man. T did not report the matter to the police, as J thought, she may have come home.” MRS HARDY’S TESTIMONY. Annie Marion Hardy said. That MrflMouat did not keep an appointment with her on Friday, February 20th, and she had not seen her since. On February 25th. about 8 in the morning, she saw Mouat at her house. He said: “Did you see Nellie*?” Witness said: “No! T-n’t she at home*?” Tie said “No,” and stated that she was not up home. Witness asked “Where is she, then*?” and Mouat said that ho did not know. Tie said that she went on Friday morning, and he had not seen her since. Witness said.: “Do you mean that?” Mouat said “Yes!” Witness said: “You must know where she is. Every man knows where his wife is when she leaves the house.’ Witness told Mouat to go to .Tack’s place (Morrett’s) to see if she was lhere. Mount said she would be away down to his mother’s. Witness knew

what dresses and. frocks Mrs Mouat had. as she had. shown them to her. Witness went with the Chief Detective to the house at. <St. Martin’s, and could not find any dresses or frocks of Mts Mount’s. The missing pair of corsets produced was the only pair Mrs Mouat had as far as witness knew. The handbag produced was one which Mrs Mouat always had when she went up to to»wn. She had seen Mrs Mouat wearing the wristlet watch tipd the' nugget brooch (produced). Witness identified the top set of false teeth now in the possession of the police as the set which Mrs Mouat wore when at witness’s house. Tho Court adjourned till 10 a.m. tomorrow.