POLICE METHODS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 78, 1 March 1929, Page 8

POLICE METHODS

EXHAUSTIVE INQUIRY. CONDUCT OF ELSIE WALKER CASE. Fer Press Association. AUCKLAND. Feb. 28. Further evidence was given by Chief Detective Hammond to-day at the inquiry concerning the police methods in the Elsie Walker case. Witness said that tho brief handed to the Crown Solicitor for the purpose of the inquest was not submitted to him for approval. The brief as a whole did not suggest death by foul play. Mr Currie: It was based rather on the proposition outlined by the inspector yesterday. —I can’t say how it was based. ... , . , Your 1 theory is similar to that which the inspector mentioned yesterday? • Yes. 1 think he has stolen my theory. VARIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. The Commissioner (Mr E. Page, S.M.) said he had had a number of communications of various sorts sent to him and he intended to question witness concerning the contents of some. One communication said that a member of the Thompson family at Papamoa heard a car pass to and from the Bayly's at 1 o’clock in the morn-ing.—-‘Was that witness called at the inquest?” he asked. —No. Do you know why ?—Because it was definitely proved that the car left much earlier. The mere fact that a woman heard a car pass her house was not of much importance. Your view was that it did not carry the matter further? —That is so. The Commissioner said it was also suggested that the Lees and Mortons had seen an important witness in Papamoa on the night the girl disappeared. “Your inquiries don t suggest that,” he asked. —Not at all. Witness indicated that anotner suggestion from Mrs Douglas concerning two men seen at Papatoetoe had proved abortive. Another inquiry, made at the instance of a cart driver at Huntly, who had seen a man and a woman in a car, was also exploded. The car driver had been assisted by the informant to remove a tyre, but it was proved that the incident was three weeks before October 1. Detective-Sergeant Thomas Kelly then gave evidence. He knew Constable Collins, who informed him of the finding of Elsie YV alker’s body and he was a man to be relied upon. Having been informed that the case appeared to be one of suicide, he instructed that the body be removed to the morgue. Witness was sent to make a thorough search of the locality in which the body was found. The general appearance of the bushes was that the girl had got underneath them and had not been thrcfwn among them.

SURGEONS EVIDENCE. Detective-Sergeant Kelly’s evidence was then suspended to allow Dr. D. N. ,W. Murray to give evidence. Mr Currie: Did the police make suggestions to you at the post-mortem as to what to look for? —No. YVliy should they I was competent to make tho examination. Extracts from the Chief-Detective’s evidence, in which he said he had made certain suggestions to the doctor, were read by Mr Currie. “What do you say to that?” Mr Currie asked. . . . Dr. Murray. It is untrue. CnielDetective Hammond and DetectiveSergeant Kelly were not in that building more than 10 minutes. YY’itness said that he made no comment on the matter of clothes to the chief-detec-tive because he took it for granted the police considered they were of no importance. On all previous _ occasions, where there had been stains of any , kind on clothing, they had been shown to him and ho trusted the police on this occasion. At that time, too, he told Mr Hammond that they could find no actual cause of death, but that the girl hhd a blow on the top of her head which he could not explain. He also said there was a bruise on the scalp, about the size of a shilling. He stated then that a person could get an injury producing concussion and probably death without showing any more sign. That was the finish of that interview. The same night, he called on Mr Hammond again and brought up the question of the blow on the head. He suggested that the girl might have been sandbagged and the chief-detective wanted to know who would sand-bag her. Witness then mentioned the money and the chief-detective replied that she might have lost it on the road. More discussions followed and Mr Hammond said that the girl probably died of exhaustion. However, witness said ho could not see how she could have died of exhaustion because she had had a meal a few hours before her death and she was a healthy girl. On the Sunday, he saw Detective-Sergeant Kelly and when witness mentioned the clothes, an under garment was shown him on which were stains. After looking at them, he suggested that it would be wise if they were examined by a bacteriologist. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT. In referring to the making of the supplementary report, witness said that it was written by Dr. Gilmour in the presence of witness and Detective-Ser-geant Bickerdike, who asked for it. Cross-examined by Mr Moody, witness said that he had not told Mr Hammond ho was worried over the bruise on the head. He had inentioncd it to Detective-Sergeant Kelly, but not to Chief-Detective Hammond. “You know what the chief-detective has said about a discussion at the morgue?” Mr Moody asked. Witness: Yes and it is wrong. But the chief detective is an experienced detective? —Yes, he may be, but not in medical matters. Mr Moody then asked if it was possible that the chief detective had suggested certain causes of death while at the morgue? “He did not,” replied witness. I am not going to agree with what did not happen.” Witness said it seemed an endeavour was being made to throw the .whole thing on medical mei. Mr Moody: Oh. no no ! Dr. Murray: Well, I cannot think anything else. From what he had read in the papers, he thought other people would think the same thing, too. He had been police surgeon for 16 years and he had not had a dis- • pute with the police, with whom he had got on all right and he thought he could still get on with them. Suggestions from the police were welcome. NO HEAT OR ANGER. “There was no heat or anger at any of these talks with the detectives when you dropped in at nights,” Mr Moody Dr. Murray: Oh, no. And there is none now?—No. You would know it if there was (laughter). You were quite happy—Oh yes, and we shall be a happy family after this is all over, too. I suppose the clothing from the body should have been 6liown to me by the police, witness continued. Mr Moody: Was there anything on Yhe clothing which would have assist-