SUPREME COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1930, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

WANGANUI MURDER TRIAL.

CASE CONTINUES,

(By Telegraph—Press Association).

WANGANUI, August 12.

Giving evidence at the Manley murder trial, Detective Walsti desenueu the finding of .the body on May 9. Witness identified a letter which Mr Bain remarked Manley had written to his mother and father. Witness said lie had received it from the Inspector of Police at Wanganui, about a week ago with a file of papers relating to Manley’s antecedents. The equiries had been made hv the Surrey police. Mr Treadwell said that he would protest gainst this letter being put

His Honour stated that he would not let the contents of the letter go tr the jury. Mr Bain said that his object in producing the letter was to establish the date upon which it was posted from Wanganui. The letter was not admitted. Pawning of the ring.

Amongst papers found on accused at the Police Station, said Detective Walsh, was a pawn ticket having the. name “H. Manley, New Zealander' Hotel” upon it, which showed that he had pawned a five-stone diamond ring with W. Smart for £3. The ring which was produced, and which hac been uplifted by the Wellington police had been identified by Mrs Cromarty A letter was then read by the' witness. Ho could not decipher the date. Mr Treadwell said he had workec it out as having been written on Thurs day, May Ist.

The letter implored Gladys to taki. the engagement ring back, and f . stater that the accused’s love fjor; her ;;.hajc* prayed on his brain.' Jt was signed “Your Brokenrhearted Lover, Bert.”' ' ; Mr Bain said there, were a numbei of other letters; but no good purpose could be served by putting them in.; PROSECUTOR. ADDRESSES JURY. Adressing the Jury, Mr Bain saic that the facts were neither long noi complicated. “This,man is in a mpsi unfortunate position,” lie said. “Hi is in danger of losing his . life, and il has been, the duty of the Crown t< bring, not only the evidence againsy him, but anj' evidence- >. we could find in bis favour. You will have no dif ,fjoiilty in coming to the conclusior that this girl,'Gladys Barringtoi Cromarty, was murdered. It is fo you to ask yourselves whether Maulej did murder her, and the second ques tiofi you have to decide is whether In littd aliv intention of killing her. ‘ Yov will find no difficulty in, determining that she died through a cut throat, ant you must ask yourselves, whether tin accused did it.” 1 '•

Mr Bain briefly reviewed the evidence for the Crown, which, he said showed the conduct, of the accused ujv, to the date of. the girl’s death anc subsequent to it. “These two people met in January 1930, and became engaged” he said. “Then, because of something which at the moment we do not know, she broke off the engagement, and return ed the ring, and you know what he did with that ring. The letters he wrote are significant in themselves. You will have no difficulty in deciding ■that when the engagement was broken he was a broken-hearted man. In one letter, written to the sister Dora, from the gaol in Wellington, he says: “Only think, I’ve not written home since April. Its been a hard enough fight to write to you. What I really like to say I can’t; but this I ca nsay; what I did was in love and jealously, and not hate. When I was repeatedly told to forget her and not worry, I could not and I don’t believe ever I could have done.” This was a letter written to the sister of this girl on the eight of July, two months after the commission of the offence, if he did committ it. I suggest to you that he did commit it, and that he was sane, Because he says he did it in jealously, and not hate. There is no evidence of insanity in this case and no evidence of insoberiety. His Honour: “Of course, Mr Bain, 1 will direct the jury that, according to our law, it man is .sane until he is proved otherwise. The Court then adjourned until 10 o’clock to-morrow morning when M' W, J. Treadwell will address the jury It is expected that his address will last two hours. WANGANUI, August 13. The Court was tensely packed this morning during the final stages of the Manley trial, hundreds waiting outside the main door before ten o’clock. Mr W. J. Treadwell in his address spoke for two and a-half hours and stressed insanity and asked the jury not to find him not guilty of murder but insane.

His Honor in his address to the jury said that it appeared from the evidence and ho could not help referring to it that the photo of the accused was published in the newspapers while the police were investigating in this' ease, Fortunately no harm had been done because it is clear, and is admitted that accused was the person who actually killed the girl The question of killing was another matter. Supposing there had been any question of identity and the erson who committed the act had been seen leaving the premises the publication of photo of accused might lmvo done incalculable harm and

might have defeated the interest of justice. Mr Treadwell had said in his address, and His Honour did not stop him; that other material had been published and a cable from England. Relating to apeused. His Honour hoped that such a tiling would never*,' happen again. His Honour continued they may find it possible to bring in a verdict of manslaughter hut lie did;' not think so. In that case there would he only two possible -verdicts that, accused was guilty or that he was not guilty on the grounds of insanity. ’ (V '*