A GRIM CRIME.

Grey River Argus, 9 July 1926, Page 5

A GRIM CRIME.

KALGOORLIE MURDERS. The Full Story. BY MAN WHO~WAS THERE. (Received July 8 at 11.10 p.m.) PERTH, July 8. At the Kulgoorlie inquest, Clarke Was called for the Crown. He gave evidence that when he took over his hotel at Boulder City, Treffeno was the barman there, and he remained in that capacity until the 6th of June. After witness bought the hotel, he (witness) began trafficing in illicit gold, Treffene being associated with him in buying and disposing it. Witness said he financed Treffene, and allowed him to purchase gold ore on the hotel premises. The ore was kept on the hotel premises, and, when sufficient of it accumulated, it was taken to the bush by Treffene and Coulter in his (Clarke's) car. On the 27th of April, witness stated, Treffene and Coulter took a load of gold-bearing ore in the ear to the bush, and they had a shot gun in the car. Later on they returned. They called him aside, and Coulter said: — “Pitman and Walsh came on us today, and Treffene shot Pitman before 1 knew what had happened. I then shot Walsh.” Clarke, proceeding, said: “Treffene did not deny Coulter’s statement. Neither did Coulter deny Treffene’s statment that Coulter shot Walsh.” Witness said he then asked Coulter what he had done with the bodies. Ho replied: “They are still at the plant. We tried to burn them, but they would not go into the furnace.” Coulter .non said that he wanted Clarke to go with him that night in order to prove an alibi for Treffene, who would be working at the hotel, and also to clean things up, and for Clarke to bring a knife ami a saw. He (Clarke) agreed, and they went in the car into the bush to the treatment plant, and, while witness remained in the car, Coulter went to the plant with the knife and the saw. Coulter several times returned to the car for whisky, and on one occasion he said that he had the bodies in the furnace. “J have burned their heads,” he said. On another occasion, when Coulter was at the plant, witness could hear sawing. When Coulter finally returned, he said that he had burned as much of the bodies as he could. Coulter then brought several parcels to the car, and drove to the abandoned shaft. He threw the parcels and the tools down the shaft, and then they drove home