MURDER TRIAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 9 March 1923, Page 5

MURDER TRIAL.

CHARGES AGAINST COOPERS

(BY TELEGRAPH— PftFJUi tNSOniATJON.) n* r, Wellington; March 8. lne Cooper murder case was continued in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr E. Page, S.M., was on the bench. Mr P. S. K. Macassey, Crown -Prosecutor, conducted the case. Mr C A L. Treadwell appeared for the mdle at U£ ecV Dj)mel Richard Cooper;, and r?* J' Jackson for the female accused, Martha Elizabeth Cooper The charge is that they did at New, lands on or about October 20 1999 murder _the infant child of Margaret wSS. GOd "?* William James ageOftheChlldwaßSiv- ■_ Minnie King said she knew Cooper. He called on her in October last to. SL ™c W°." ld take a confinement and she was introduced as Smith. The clothing produced that was identified hr™eA? a? 7- ? 7 **ar Saret McLeod was brought to her house before Lester's baby was born. The baby wore some or the clothing when it was taken i away The baby was* born in the house! on witness'place. ■ A description of the methods of the search adopted at Cooper's Newlands' property was given by Detective Jerrold. He said he first saw the spade he used inside Cooper's gate on January 1. At 11.30 a.m. on January 3 his attention was drawn to a spot amonsst some trees, and he there saw a patch of clay^about eighteen inches in diameter. He dug in this spot and noticed a smell when at a depth of two'feet, #Sf r C\ hf Procee<ied more carefully. The body was,shortly disclosed. The spade only; touched the child on one occasion, and this was when the back ot the head, about half an inch of it was disclosed. Absolutely no iniury was inflicted to the body. There were marks m the grave into which the spade he found on the property and used fitted, exactly. These were'made by someone who was digging in the grave before it was filled in and before any police.examination. On January 16, 1923, the male accused was interviewed by Detective McLennan at the waiting room in the' Central police station. Mr Maule, the sohcitor for accused, was present Cooper was told the child of McLeod! was born at. Newlands and placed in ins possession. A request was then made for an explanation as to the i child's whereabouts. Cooper replied: "I have nothing to say." Detective Jerrold said Mrs Cooper retused to give any information as to tound. • In reply to questions she said where the McLeod baby was to be she had nothing to say. When the male accused was asked to produce tho baby he.said it was impossible while he was m prison. He was told that if he would give .information the police would endeavour to produce it for him. VVhen both accused were charged with the murder of MeLeod's child they declined to make any statement, except that they were not guilty. Inspector Mcllveney, in charge of the Wellington police district, gave evivrrl 166 as to the discovery of the body. When accused were informed of the discovery they declined to make a statement, -except that they wanted to see a solicitor

Senior-Detective Lewis said Cooper! made a statement. He" said, he was 39 years old, and that he practised as a health specialist at Dunedin, eventually 1 removing to Wellington. When told about the discovery of the. child He said: "I wonder what the meaning of' that is. I, know nothing about it. If it is the, man Lupi who has done away with the child' I don't know, what to' say. It is possible when they come to a man's house and do a thing like that to go and bury a cfiild and not give' it a decent burial."

An Island Bay fisherman named LuDi said he knew nothing of the child and he did not bury a child on Cooper's premises. His child, by Miss Lester, was a male child. .

OtSer detectives gave evidence regarding clothing, etc., discovered at Cooper's place at Newlands. There were no records of adoptions of children mentioned.

Lilian Lester, of Dunedin, said Hugo Lupi was the father of her child. After her confinement; Cooper said he had arranged to have the child adopted, but he would not divulge the name. "I kissed the baby,'' said witness, <' and never saw it again." The hearing was adjourned.