ALLEGED MURDER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 30 August 1926, Page 6

ALLEGED MURDER

CHARGE AGAINST A WOMAN

HEARING OF CASE NOT FINISHED

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 27. The charge against Elizabeth Ann Nevill of having murdered Elsie Davis, a married woman, on or about July 11, was proceeded with at- tlie Magistrate’s Court this afternoon. Mr. Macassey appeared for tlie Crown, and Air. Stevenson for accused. Detective Murray handed in tlie depositions. In the statement the. deceased said that she visited accused’s house at 150 Queen’s Drive, Lyall Bay, on July 11, and had an operation performed on her by accused. She had paid accused £2O for tlie operation. Kenneth Mcßean Stewart stated .that he had known deceased about eight or nine years. He went to lief house at Hataitai on July* 10 and later drove her to Ly-ali Bay. “When we got to Queen’s Drive,” said witness, “she asked me to stop, and she turned back towards No 150. She was away scarcely more than five minutes.” Dr. Sidney' Rivers Cattell said that lie was called to Mrs. Davis at a very late hour on July 13 or July 14. He examined her and found that she was about to have a miscarriage, and liad a temperature of over 102. He ordered her immediate removal to tlie hospital. John Fenwick Forsyth, -house surgeon at Wellington Hospital, said thatdeceased was admitted to the institution at 3 a.m. on July 14, suffering from septic miscarriage. Ho prescribed suitable treatment and did not see her again. Richard Bowden / Mjarbin, anjother house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, said that deceased progressed satisfactorily until July 19, when she was transferred to a private hospital. She was readmitted to the public hospital oil July' 20 and died the following morning. Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist at Wellington hospital, gave evidence that. he conducted a post mortem examination of deceased on July 21. Death, in his opinion, was due to peritonitis, following a septic miscarriage. There were no marks or wounds of any instrument having been used on the deceased. To Mr. Macassey : If an instrument were skilfully used there would be no marks; on the other hand, the unskilful use. of an instrument would leave marks. Detective Frank Sinclair gave evidence that at 6 p.m. on July 20, in company with detective (Murray, he went to the house of accused. Detective Murray asked her if she was Airs. Nevill, and accused said .she was. Accused denied that she kneiv Mrs. Davis, and although witness described the appearance of Mrs. Davis, accused said that she did not know her. She also said that she had been living in the house for two years. Witness then .said that ho had a warrant for the arrest of a Airs. Nevill, 150 Queen’s Drive, and took her into custody. In the house they found a 1 quantity of cotton wool ail’d a bank book, showing that large sums of money'; had been deposited from time to time. Mr, Stevenson raised formal objection to the evidence regarding the bank deposits. Continuing, witness said that accused had £l4l in her possession when arrested. Later he escorted accused to the hospital', where- deceased’s depositions were taken. Witness had known accused for some time as Airs. Wylie. A female witness gave evidence of having visited accused’s house for a certain purpose. As Mr. Macassey had to go south, further hearing of the case was adjourned till Friday, and accused was liberated on hail, self in £3OO and two sureties of £l5O each.