THORNE ON TRIAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 March 1925, Page 5

THORNE ON TRIAL.

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE

SUICIDE THEORY

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, March 14.

The trial -was resumed of Norman Thorne, the Crowborough poultryfarmer, who is charged with the murder of his fiancee, Elsie Cameron, of Ken sal Rise, London. Miss Cameron was employed as typiste. Her body was found in a chicken house on the farm occupied by the accused. Thorne gave evidence that Elsie Cameron wanted to make immediate arrangements for their marriage, but he told her this was impossible. She seemed partly hysterical and cried several times. He left her in a hut when he went to. meet Miss Caldicutt.

When he returned at 11.45 at night he found Miss Cameron suspended from a beam with a slipnot at the back of her head and her feet touching the door. He cut the cord and the girl’s face struck a suitcase. While he was carrying her to a bed he thought she was dead and he lost his head and, cut up the body. Sir E. Cassel, K.C., defending counsel, in dramatically developing the defence theory of suicide, declared that microscopical slides of tho skin on Miss Cameron's neck indicated that these slides proved Thorne’s case. The heating was adjourned.