TAMAKI TRAGEDY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 January 1929, Page 9

TAMAKI TRAGEDY

ELSIE WALKER’S DEATH.

POLICE INVESTIGATIONS. DETAILS GIVEN AT INQUEST. i (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Jan. 16. At to-day’s proceedings at the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Elsie Walker, Detec-tive-Sergeant Kelly gave a detailed description of the police investigations. Inquiries were made on different routes by detectives and police', all tea shops were visited, also those houses where the girl might have called after leaving Papamoa. Questioned by the coroner, witness said that he was not in a position to state what was in the girl’s mind. Detective Kelly went on to mention the clues followed, when the coroner' intervened, saying, “I’m not here. for the police inquiry, but to delve into the mystery of the dead. If we go into what clues you followed we’d be here for a month. Witness said that oil October 17 he went to Papamoa and Te Puke districts, thoroughly combing them, but he could get no information about the car. The girl had never been seen in company with any young man except once in company with her cousin Trevor and another man. “I found.” said Detective Kelly, “that the girl bad the reputation of being a nice, 'quiet, clean girl. The movements of all, young men in the district. were traced, and all were satisfactorily accounted for. To Mr Northcroft: He interviewed William Alfred Bayly, who gave him freely a detailed statement of his movements. He saw Bill a couple of weeks later, having meanwhile made certain inquiries. He did not find much to support Bill’s statement. Mr Northcroft: What did you find to make von say so?

Tlie coroner here interposed with some questions, the detective eventually admitting that he had verified certain statements of Bill’s.

Mr Northcroft: When you examined him the second time you asked him again about some' of his movements on October 1 ?—Yes, and they were consistent with his statement. Bill was well known in Papamoa, and Te ‘Puke. I was unable to find anybody who had seen or heard of him in the district, and it was not reasonably possible for him to travel into the district without being seen by. someone. Witness attempted to verify Bill’s movements from a housefllaid at his Auckland boardinghouse. She had no distinct recollection, hut thought she would have noticed if he .had slept there on October 1.

After detailing other stens to check un statements made by Bill Bayly that he was at the boardinghouse on October 1, the coroner asked Detective Kelly: Can you exnlain why the "lothes were not handed over to the bacteriologist earlier? Witness: I was at Papamoa, I did not actually hand them .over. I went away on October 17.

Mr Hunt: That’s, all right.. I’ll find out before the inquiry is finished. The next witness was Reginald Charles McMasters, motor manager, who gave evidence concerning petrol consumption. The' court then adjourned .for 10 minutes while the coroner, police officials. and counsel examined a model of a egr identical to Baylv’s. To Mr Northcroft: Witness said it was' possible for a. person to strike his head on the bar which crosses the hood.

William Alfred Dobbs, manager of a dairy farm at Henderson, said. he had been there about a week when Bill and Mrs Bayly went out. He was- not quite Mr Northcroft: Another man who can’t remember things. Dobbs, continuing his evidence, said that it was possible for anyone to come to the farm house without anybody seeing him. While Bill was at the farm he had not mentioned being out on Monday, October 1. After Bayly’s- father and solicitor (Mr Lusk) called on Sunday, October 7, Bill said he_ had got into serious trouble with this gentleman, and had to go to Tauranga.

Examined by Mr Northcroft, Dobbs was emphatic that Bayly, senr., and Mr Lusk stayed nearly four hours with Bill. He remembered somebody going into the cowshed with Bill, but could not remember who it was. Mr Northcroft: Your memory is hot too clear on the subject. Witness: I didn’t take particular notice, because I was not interested. The court adjourned till 2.15. The inquest is expected to conclude to-day.

In course of Detective Kelly’s evidence he- said that one of the blind clues was a statement by a. man, who declared that he saw a stranger buttoning up trousers and coming out of a paddock (where the body was found) on the afternoon of October 2, subsequent to the car being found abandoned.