BURWOOD MURDER.

Grey River Argus, 23 June 1927, Page 6

BURWOOD MURDER.

SEARCH FOR MAN. In the Scrub. fPor .Press Assn.) CHRISTCHURCH, .Tune 21. Is the murderer of Gwen Scarff hiding in the lupins near Brooklands? Detceti es engaged on the case have now turned attention again to the scrub, making a thorough search. They are seeking the whereabouts of a man whose description coincides with that of the man seen running from the spot where the body lay when it was discovered on Wednesday last. The man is known to have been a friend of the murdered girl. He has disappeared since the tragedy. Someone during the week-end broke into the hut of Reginald Thompson, at Brooklands, a few miles from the scene of the 1 ragedy and stole a razor. No effort is being spared by the police to learn the whereabouts, of the man who is said to have known the girl for >ome time, and who, it has been learned mysteriously disappeared on the day on which the body of Gwen Scarff was found. This morning a car load of detectives left for Brooklands. Certain information in the hands of the police throws grave suspicion on the man for whom a search is now being made. He had been seen with the murdered girl frequently before the tragedy. It is believed that the man is not far from the scene of the tragedy. It is thought that he has been lying low.

Smashing one of the windows, the man who broke into Thompson’s hut. ransacked the place. Although there were a number of things he might have taken, he stole only a razor. The bed clothes and articles of furniture were strewn will', abandon about the floor. The scene, when Thompson visited the hut after the burglary was one of disorder. There was no food in the house.

On Wednesday morning, when it is assumed that the murder was committed, cries were heard from the direction of the road by an elderly lady named Mrs Davis, who lives near, the scene of the tragedy. She was discussing the matter with, Mrs Delamain, who was emphatic that she heard cries, and remembered having noticed what she thought was children crying out. At the time, Mrs Davis thought nothing of the mutter, but after talking with Mrs Delamain. it struck her as curious that both should have heard the cries at the same time. Mrs Delamain is positive the cries were not those of a child. “They were not screams,” said Mrs Delamain, “but cries as if someone was in dee]) distress. There were three cries 1 heard, not those of a child. They were too sharp for those of a child. All the children were in school at the time. 1 noticed the noise at once.” FATHER’S REQUEST. The father of the murdered girl, Mi Wu'.ter Smrff, asked for an interview with a Press representative. When : u. Mr Scarff revealed that his concern was over rumours to which more . liun deserved importance had been attached. Mr Scarff, who has been on ihe verge of a nervous breakdown, is 1 now restored to a more resigned state I of mind, and he has resumed business Ifor the first time since the tragedy. He ! asked th.“ reporter to express his apI | reciation, and that of Mrs Scarff, for |-he kindnesses that had been extended Ito them in their black days. The two vounger sisters of the dead girl, he i : aid, had simply been told that the Gwen they loved had been called away, and might not come back for a very long time, and they were not to worry. There arc thus at least two young people intimately connected with the tragedy who have been spared its sharpest pangs. The police are pursuing extensive onquiries both in the city and elsewhere. The presence of the linesmen who were near the scene of the tragedy on the ■Jay when the murder is most generally thought to have been committed, is known to them, ami the men have | not been overlooked in the course of | the exhaustive enquiries prosecuted l>y the detectives. What their statements I would be is, of course, not known, but in quarters explored yesterday after- [ noon it was indicated that if they had unything of value to communicate, it would be in support of the not unreasonable supposition that the murderer did not kill his victim in the forenoon oi Tuesday, Morbid interest in the scene of the nagedv has waned, very few people visiting it yesterday. All traces have been removed, the only visitors being occasional eyelists, who find it worth their while to dismount and wander about the clearing that has been made around the actual locality. The tragic spot is now unrecognisable, being covered with the growth that, cut down bv the police and their voluntary assistants. in their search for the murderer’s implement, has been heaped high over nearly half an acre of

ground. If is not improbable that, after a ferocious attack, the murderer, believing his victhn dead, to6Tc her to the scrub with the intention of leaving her there and, finding unexpected signs of life, went back for a likely implement and made sure of her despatch in the barbarous method that her injuries revealed must have been employed. The position in which the spanner was found would support this, for it was discovered near the road, where it . wild have been thrown by a man who realised in his hurried departure that .! might be incriminating evidence. An '"aspect of the case is the reiteration bv residents that a woman answering to the description of the mur,lered woman had been seen in the district with a man who is described as being about six feet in height and ot verv powerful build. There arc stated to have been about this man certain peculiarities that would make his identification a comparatively easy matter. “I could tell him among,a thousaid,” declared one man emphatically, “though I have only seen him myself onee. and that fras about ten days resident stated that he had seen the man often in company with a woman. He endorsed the description given by the first man, and added that he would have no difficulty in identifying the tall man if he saw him again. One of the residents declared that it would be possible for a fugitive to hide ■ n the scrub almost indefinitely, turning, he said, that, the murderer had committed suicide, his body might remain in the scrub for ninths without being found. IN THE LUPINS? It is conjectured that the murderer mav be in the lupins near Brooklands, yesterday a carload of detectives went!

there. They are seeking the whereabouts of a man whose description coincides with that of the man seen running from the spot where the body lay when it was discovered on Wednesday last. This man is known to have been a friend of the murdered girl. Someone, during the weekend, broke into the'hut of Mr Reginald Thompson, at Brooklands, a few miles from the scone of the tragedy, and stole a razor.

Certain information in the hands of the police throws grave suspicion on the man for whom a search is now being made. He had been seen with the murdered girl frequently "Tjeforu the tragedy. It is believed that the man is not far from the scene of the tragedy. It is thought that he has been lying low. On Wednesday morning last, when it is assumed that the murder was committed, cries were heard from the direction of the road by an elderly lady named Mrs Davis, who lives near the scene of the tragedy, She was lis cussing the matter with Mrs Delamain, who is emphatic that she hoard cries, and remembered having noticed what she thought were children calling out. Au the time Mrs Davis thought nothing of the matter, but after talking with Mrs Delamain it struck her as curious that both should have heard cries at tl'.e same time. Mrs Delamain is positive that the cries she heard were nor those of a child. “They were not screams,” said Mrs Delamain, “but cries as if someone was in deep distress. There were three cries she heard were not those of a child. They were too sharp for those of a child, and as all children were in school at the time, I noticed the noise at once.”

Mr R. E. Green says the police should tell the public what they know. He remarked: “I think that if they took the people into their confidence it would be almost sure to lead to some evidence that might lead to the arrest of the guilty person. There are scores of people you meet in the street under suspicious circumstances, but you think nothing of it because nothing has been said, ’ it if any unusual circumstances got into the papers the police might be put in possession of valuable evidence, Ono particular feature that ought to lead up to important result was the spanner. The photograph of that spanner was remarkable. There are many things about a spanner that might lead to its identification. The name of the maker, for instance. Take the Mouat case. Had that case been brought, before the public it is (|uito possible I would have come forward and told them what I thought. My opinion still is that part of the woman’s remains are buried in the sewer nt Mile* Road. When the contractors lay a certain, length of pipe it must remain open until the inspectors have passed it. Then they start filling it in. At this stage it would have been quite possible for anyone to take along a parcel and cover it up loosely, and when the workmen resumed their work next morning they would have completed the job. At that time it would have been a small matter to open up“ the hit of trench that had been filled in from the time of the woman’s disappearance, There was another theory, too. ft would have been easy for a man to open up a plate on the top of a brick kiln and drop a parcel in. If the kiln had been opened up promptly, in that case bones would have been detected. By leaving ’ the kiln until it had burned out, the •bones wuld have been reduced to pow- ‘ der,”