ACCUSED’S FRIENDSHIP

Grey River Argus, 7 September 1939, Page 5

ACCUSED’S FRIENDSHIP

With Married Woman CHRISTCHURCH. September 6 ol Mrs Daphne Gladys Sp ’ cnmn Their house was near Patiences being about 100 yards away. They were on friendly terms with the Patiences, and exchanged visits on October 4 the day that Mrs Patience disaoneared. She saw her several times. Mrs Patience was of a very quiet an reserved disposition, and was always the same. She seemed no different from usual that day. She saw her last about 4.45 o’clock that evening. Mr Patience had come home about o’clock. She went over to see Mrs Patience about 7.15 a.m. next day, and the door was locked. She saw Patience going to work when she went across. She saw him again when he came home from- work that evening. She asked where “mother” had gone, and he said she had gone to town, the evening before. The next time she saw him, on October 6, he said he would not know until the Sunday when Mrs Patience was coming back.

j WOMAN FRIEND OF ACCUSED. I Mrs Clarice Rita Chapman, widow, of Christchurch, said that her husband was killed in an accident on the Public Works at Conway in July, 1938. She had known Patience for two years, having first met him at the Claverley Camp. She was on friendly, terms with Mr and Mrs Patience and exchanged visits. The Conway Camp, where she and her husband lived then, was five or six miles from Claverley. Mrs Chapman said that she and her husbahd were not too friendly at times. Just before her hus- | band’s death, she was friendly with 1 accused. She had relations with him

in November, 1937, and relationship continued . till quite recently—two months ago. Patience, when he came to town used to stay at the house at which she lived. In October of last year, he moved to Rosy Morn Camp. She had been to that camp occasionally. After her husband’s death she discussed her future with Patience. She told him he should ask to get a separation from- Mrs Patience if he intended to go on the way they were. She discussed the matter with Patience several times. As far as she knew, Mrs Patience did not know of the relationship between-Patience and herself. He came on October 7 to the place at which she lived in Christchurch. She asked him where Mrs Patience was, and whether she was at Mrs George’s. He said she was not there, but had left. She asked him what he was going to do about Mrs Patience’s disappearance. He suggested the police and she, not knowing what to do, suggested a lawyer. He told her that on October 4, between 6.30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Mrs Patience went, out, and that she had taken £4B with her. Witness lived at her mother’s house in Christchurch. He stayed there on Friday, October 7, and. that week-end. She received a letter from him that week, but did not remember what was in it. She next saw him on October 20, when he came to her place. ‘She asked him if he had heard where Mrs Patience had gone, and kept on asking him to do something ab*out it. She had made arrangements to take a holiday in October. She and Patience went to Blenheim. They intended to go to Tophouse.

STATEMENT TO POLICE. They arrived at Blenheim and she booked in at an hotel under the name of Mrs Patterson. At tea time, Patience was interrupted, and told he was wanted. They finished their tea, and she went up to her room, and he went round to the Police Station. She herself made a statement to the police that evening. Twice before she and accused had booked in as Mr and Mrs Patterson at the Federal Hotel, Christchurch. . After they were interviewed by the police at Blenheim, they did not stay at Barry’s Hotel, where they had been. They, left and went to the Criterion Hotel, where they booked in under their separate names.

Mrs Chapman said that her own married life was not happy. The question of her leaving her husband had been discussed between them, but she could not remember if she had discussed it with Patience. The question of Patience leaving Mrs Patience had been discussed in October. She received clothing and teaspoons from Patience. Accused had asked her to go away with him. At. first she said she would, but later, she refused. She would have married him, but she would not go away with him.

IN DOUBLE ROOM. Daisy Mann of the Federal Hotel, Christchurch, said that on the evening of December 17, 1937, a man and woman booked in under the name of Mr and Mrs Patterson. She produced the hotel register. She gave them a double room for the night. They stayed there and had breakfast, the next morning before they left. On January 21, Mr and Mrs A. Patterson were booked in, and again given a double room. They left' after- breakfast the next morning. Arthur Henry Hudson, a porter, at Barry’s Hotel, Blenheim, said that about 5 o’clock on Saturday, October 22, a man arid a woman arrived and asked for accommodation. They asked for and were given a double room. The man was the accused.

DIFFERENCES WITH WIFE. Albert Edward Fletcher, who knew Patience at Claverley, said that towards the latter end of the time, he was there, there seemed to be a difference between Patience and his wife. Mrs Chapman appeared to be the cause of it. He received for Patience from Mrs Chapman about 12 letters. They were enclosed in envelopes addressed to him. This was done so that Mrs Patience would not know.

BLOOD SPOTS SEEN. David William McKay, a single man who used to work at Claverley Camp, and had worked with Patience for the last eighteen months, told of one day after Mrs Patience’s disappearance, when he and Patience were going from the Camp to Suicide Point where work was being done on the road from Claverley Gate to Happy Valley Gate. Between a quarter and half a mile towards Suicide Point he noticed blood spots. He passed a remark, to Patience about them and accused said it might have been a dog. There was quite a number of blood spots. Just before going down to Happy Valley Gate next day, when Patience went off work at the end of his shift, at 11.30 a.m., he went towards his home. McKay said that at that time he went to Happy Valley Creek to get water in a billy. He glanced back at Patience, who was going back to the camp, and, at the spot where he had passed the remark about the blood spots the day before, he saw Patience kick something with his boots. It was the exact place at which he had seen the blood spots. 1 Hugh John Clark, who was at Claverley Camp until October of last year, said that one morning going to work he saw bloodstains on the road between Claverley Camp and Happy Valley. He was with Patience and David McKay when he saw them. They extended a fair way along the road. Someone said it must have been a dog or a sheep.

DISCOVERY OF BODY. William McQueen, Public Works labourer, at Happy Valley, near Claverley, described the wants and discussions after the disappearance of Mrs Patience. He said that on July 20 of this year, he went to the beach in the afternoon and there saw a woman’s body unclothed. It was the body of Mrs Patience. He wuld recognise it. During the three years he had been there, the sea had not washed away the land at Suicide Point until the day before the body was found. At t his stage the Court was adjourned until 10 o’clock to-morrow morning. '