ALLEGATION OF MURDER

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 31 October 1933, Page 6

ALLEGATION OF MURDER

GREY LYNN WOMAN’S DEATH

DISCOVERY OF THE TRAGEDY. SUGGESTION OF DEATH PACT'. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 30. iMr Meredith; for the Crown, this afternoon continued his Opening address on the charge against John Hubert Edwards, 41, labourer, of having murdered Mrs Christian Cunningham at heir home in Grey Lynn on August 16. ~... Mr Meredith described the. return to the house of the daughter Joyce and Cunningham, who found the mother and Edwards lying on the floor injured. Assistance was obtained and both sent to hospital, where Mrs Cunningham died Ahd Edwards later recovered. Mr Meredith said there were no signs of a struggle. When Mrs Cunningham was attacked she must have been struck on the head by some blunt and round instrument. Tn Edwards' hand was a -tightly grasped razor. No doubt it was the razor with which Mrs Cunningham’s throat had 'been severed. It Was cleaT that the unfortunate woman) had been struck several severe blows on the head by a' round, blunt instrument, but a search of the.- room and the neighbourhood failed to discover the instrument.

On a 1 writing pad found on a gas meter, said Mr Meredith, was a message in the handwriting of Edwards.The message read: “Lovers we die together; the death pakt.” The note was signed “Jack Edwards and Mrs Cunningham,” but the signatures were both written by Edwards. No doubt the defence would raise the question ■of insanity; but the law upon the question was that.every person who committed a crime was deemed to foe sane until the contrary had 'been proved, and this was for the defence to prove. Edwards was apparently a man of fairly violent temper, ahd it was quite clear that on the morning of the tragedy Mrs -Cunningham had given him a good dressing down. “The only suggestion there can foe is that he lost his temper, lost control of himself and committed the -murder,” said Mr Meredith.

Evidence on the lines of counsel’s opening was given and the hearing was adjourned until to-nibrrow.