ELSIE WALKER’S END.

Grey River Argus, 15 January 1929, Page 5

ELSIE WALKER’S END.

MORE WITNESSES. Heard at Inquest. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, January 14. When the Elsie Walker inquest was resumed to-day, William Alfred Bayly, married. 22, who was in the box practically all Friday, was examined by M r E. H. Northcroft’ (counsel for the Bayly family.) Bill said there was no truth in, the suggestion of the detective that he had threatened his brother Trevor with a hiding, if he said anything about his visit home at th e time of Elsie’s disappearance. H e had never been on particularly friendly terms with the girl and never heard from her when away from home, and had not seen her since her disappearance from Papamoa on October 1, nor had he any knowledge concerning her leaving there. This concluded Bill’s evidence after five and a-half hours in the box. Mrs Constance Ivy Bayly (aunt of Elsie) said the girl’s position in the house was that of a companion at 12/6 weekly.

Mrs Bayly’s evidence was finished just as the luncheon adjournment was taken. Th e principal feature of her testimony was a statement by her four years old son Tom to her that he had seen his cousin (Elsie Walker) drive a car.

Mrs Bayly stated that on Saturday befor e Elsie disappeared, the girl had bumped her head on the billiard room window. “I looked at the head, but there was neither cut not mark. She went about her work as usual. Elsie’s principal companions were Maoris*’. ” Witness had been asked by her father to take the girl and give her a better environment.

Under cross examination witness said that Elsie was younger ’than her years, almost as young as her son, Tom Bayly. Although 17. she was far too young for love affairs.

Witness said that she had an interview with Detective Bickerdike when he came to discuss Elsie’s clothes. He brought a pair of drawers, but they were not the ones produced in Court. The garments she inspected had no stains on them.

Mr Meredith: You don’t recognise these garments (indicating those sen* to the bacteriologist). Do you suggest they weren’t Elsie’s?

Witness: Yes. Mr Meredith: Do you know they were taken from the body? Witness: I don’t think they were hers, although she had two pairs of fugi silk. Coroner Hunt: Did you handle every garment the police got?—Yes. Then you say the drawers shown you by Bickerdike were not Elsie’s! Mr Meredith: Then you suggest •hat she procured another pair after leaving Papamoa. —Yes. Coroner Hunt: There is nobody you can suggest who would be likely to cause more light to be thrown .on the matter?—No. . Mr Hunt: Well if there is, you let me know, for its very unfortunate for you and your family. I’ll call any mquiry to be made. Witness: Thank you Mr Hunt. The Court adjourned till 2.15 p.m. afternoon hearing--At the Elsie Walker inquest, Audrie Bayly, a niece of the Baylys, who was staying with them at the time.of the deceased’s disappearance, said that she saw the deceased in the kitchen just before eight o’clock on the night of her disappearance. Nothing Rad attracted the attention of witness. While they were talking in the billiard room next morning, she was told that Elsie had gone, and she was told to see if any money was missing from her bag. She (witness) found that seven pound notes and a 10/- note had gone. Mr Mowbray: Did you notice anything peculiar about Elsie Walker? — No; nothing, except that she had a slight giggling habit, which I thought was natural to her.-

Mr Hunt: Nobody commented on the fact that Elsie was missing during the evening?—No. Recalled, Mrs Bayly said that she vzas not decided that the first gar ments found on the body she recognised as belonging to Elsie Walker. The second was similar to a garment that Elsie owned and shown by Detective Diekerdike, but were not in the same condition.

• The Coroner: When Detective Bick urdike showed you the garments at the house, did you say that they neve, came out of Elsie’s things!—No. I said I did not recognise them. I questioned them. I said: I don’t recognise that lace; but I said: She might have got it unknown to me. Did you say to Detective Dickerdike, “No garments left the house in that condition’’? —No.

Thomas Clifford Bayly, aged 11, another cousin of Elsie Walker, said that she was not talking at all when they washed the dishes on the night that the girl disappeared. Elsie seemed to be angry that night. She was quieter than usual.

Mrs Dorothy Teague, of Papamoa, said the Baylys were neighbours, and she had known them about 18 months. She had known Elsie Walker since she had lived at Bayly’s. Witness had seen her at a neighbour’s about three weeks before she died. Mr Meredith: Was there any conversation about motor cars that afternoon?—Yes. Elsie Walker asked me how I got there, and I said I got a lift. Elsie grabbed me by the arms and said, “I can drive a car,’’

Did anybody else hear that remark? —I don’t think so, because she passed the remark very quietly, and the others were a little distance away. I took it rif quite natural, and did not ask any* questions, because so many girls can' drive these days. The fa (her of the dead girl, Oharles De Renz; v Walker, said that in August, 1927, he Jude arrangement* witk' Mrs

Bayly for Elsie to stay with her. Ho thought it would do the girl good if she went to his sister, for it was very quiet at his place. He had letters from Elsie and the tone of them was “quite all right.” The last letter that witness' received from his daughter was on September sth. It was a general letter, and in it she said that she would be home for Christmas. In the letter she said that Bill was going to be married. As far as he knew, there was- no boy connected with Elsie’s life. There was no trace or suggestion of Elsie corresponding with any boy friend. As long as Elsie was with her father, she could not drive a car. There was no appearance of rancour about Bill Bayly’s marriage in the letter that Elsie wrote to witness. The inquiry was adjourned till tomorrow.