THE MOUAT CASE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 17 April 1925, Page 5

THE MOUAT CASE

ACCUSED IN COURT

IDENTIFICATION OF BONES

OPINIONS OF EXPERTS. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION CHRISTCHURCH, April 16. Evidence in the alleged murder charge against Frederick Peter Mouat, ged 4o was continued at the !Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch yesterday. Mr. Thomas, and with him Mr. Sim, appeared for Mouat, and Mr. Donnelly, Crown Prosecutor, conducted the ease for the police. At the conclusion of his evidence with reference to the examination of certain bones submitted td him by the police. Professor Lowland, of the Otago University, exhibited the articles. Mr. Donnelly: All the bones in class one are dark* in colour; what is the cause? Professor Gowland: By their having been subjected to fire. For the purpose of giving detailed evidence concerning the identity and characteristics of the bones a complete skeleton of a woman was produced. Professor Gowland stated that tne pieces of collar-hone found had been investigated from the point of view of sex bv Professor Parsons, an expert from London, who concluded that they were well within the female range. Continuing, Professor Gowdand said that they were undoubtedly human bones which he had placed in class one Class two consisted of bones which were human from the scientific point of view. Of these there were eight classes. Three presented an appearance consistent with their being human

bones. Professor Gowland stated that front the nature of the collar-bones one coula state positively that the person was over twenty years of age. On resuming after lunch, Professor Gowland described the bones. in class three. They were consistent with being human bones. He.produced a piece of skull bone which, in his opinion, had formed part of a human being. Number two of the exhibit was a portion oi humerus, and number three- was one lower end of one left humerus. Number four of the bones in class three was the head of the fifth metatarsal bone. Number, five consisted of two specimens of curvical vertebrae, which was the vertebrae of the neck. Number six consisted of six pieces of skull bone. Everything about the bones was consistent with their having come from a human female aged over twenty. Replying to the magistrate, Professor Gowland said: “I canont say whether the bones have been there for i few weeks or a few months, or anything of that kind. My opinion is that they are not fossil bones. ’ Dr. John Cairney said he was the only person in -New Zealand who held a degree of anatomy at the present time. He had been senior assistant to Professor Gowland in the department of anatomy at the Otago University for the past four years He was also a Rockefeller fellow of anatomical research in America. Throughout Professor Gowland’s investigation witness was with him, and the certified list of bones was prepared jointly by Professor Gowland and witness. The bones in class one were certainly human hones, in liis opinion, the bones in class two were bones which, bv comparing them with a large number of bones which lie had seen, he, would think were human bones. Mr. Donnelly: Why have you put them in class two? . Witness : I would be prepared to exhibit them before a society, such as the Anatomical Society, as human bones, but certain of them are incomplete or damaged. .' .- ■ Regarding the bones in class three, Dr. Cairney said he certainly would not sav they were human, but could only rely o n the specimens which had been produced, which showed that they were consistent with human bones. He concurred in the opinion that the collar-bone was that of a female. After experiments conducted by Dr. , Gowland and himself he considered that the bones were fresh and not Maori or fossil bones. . . . Portions of old bones were burnt m fires of different intensity, and it was found impossible to produce /a definite black stain. By using a coke fire, however and carefully turning the bone fragment from time to time, it was found possible- to produce- black stains, but it‘was extremely short. Class, three comprised fragments the l appearance of which was consistent, with their being human hones. ’ Jhe bones could not be identified as belonging to any particular individual. Their appearances were quite consistent with the presumption that they had come from the same individual. There were no duplicates anlong them. Thev were smaller than the average size' and in three instances the parts articulated together. The Magistrate : . Are there any instances where they might articulate and do not. Witness : No. Mr. Donnelly: Can you express any opinion as. to ‘whether the bones came from a female or a male.—They aie consistent with those of a female. Had vou been supplied with particulars of the general build of Mr*. Mount? —I was shown a photograph. Were you supplied with any other particulars ? —I was informed that she was a small woman of light build, and that she weighed only a little over seven stone. Are those bones consistent with having come from.a person of that descrip, tioii ?—Yes.

Can you give any opinion' as to the time the individual died or when the bones were burned?—None whatever. There are no 'big bones in this collection?—There are no complete long Referring to other bones which had been handed back to the police, Di. Cairnev said that among the collection there were bones which were clearly animal. There were other bones, small fragments of which might be human or animal, but they were not recognisable as either. Dr. Cairney, in reply to Mr. lhomas, said he could not give any idea of the age of the bone he had burnt for the purposes of comparison with one of the exhibits. It was burnt ovev a bunsen burner. - ~ . Mr. Thomas: That would be very concentrated heat? —Yes. How long was this piece of bone exposed to the heat of the bunsen burner. About five minutes. How does the heat of -a bunsen burner compare with the heat of an ordinary coal fire?—That I could not say. Dr. P. S. Foster, internal examiner in anatomy for the University of New Zealand, said he examined the bones included in the list as class one. He identified the bones as human bones. He stated that the collar-bone could

not be mistaken for’ anything else, and. judged by its size and’ shape it was a female collar-bone. Mr Donne! Iv: Can you express any opinion about the average size of bones?—They are apparently on a small size. - ’ ■ ,■ , , Dr Foster also identified the bones classed in class two. He thought the bones were definitely human. llie •bones, in class three were badly burnt, and it was very difficult to identify them as human bones. He would definitely say that number two was portion 'of the lower end of the humerus. . l>r. Foster said the bones m class three were all consistent with the idea that tliev were human bones. He would not like to say anything about the age of the bones. Detective Robe-1 Lean, Dunedin, said that on March 3 he went to Purakanui where Mount’s mother lived. He obtained a bag lettered E.L.M. from the accused’s mother’s place there. It contained a lady’s overcoat and a pan* of gloves in the pocket, a lady’s blue and white dress, a pair of lady’s shoes, a number of keys, a comb, a toothbrush,., a pack of cards, a -string of red beads a dust-cap. sundry pieces of ribbon’and cloth, three garters, a bottle opener, three pencils, a crochet needle, a pair of small scissors, three hairpins buttons, safety pins, etc., and two enveloDes containing accounts. The bag was sent to Christchurch. At 5 p.m. the court was adjourned, until 10 a.m. to-morrow. . The Crown will call 32 witnesses m all.