LAST PHASE OF MURDER TRIAL

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3462, 25 September 1926, Page 10

LAST PHASE OF MURDER TRIAL

MOST SENSATIONAL CRIME IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY. TWO MEN CONVICTED OF MURDER. Tho trial of Philip Treffeno and William Coulter on the charge of murdering Police - Inspector Walsh and Sergeant. Pitman at Kaigoorlio, was concluded at Perth on September 1 r>. Hot li were convicted and sentenced to death. •Vpparont.lv their counsel’s address caused C’.v’,:'-'r and Treffene to listen to the ad dress of Mr. Parker, Crown prosecutor, with much composure, but while Mr. Justice Draper iu his sum-ming-up referred to instance after instance in the defence case where vital evidence was at variance, both men rat, clenching and unclenching their hands, and showed other signs of perturbation.

The Judge did not review the evidence in detail, as tho jury, he said, would bo able to judge on tho facts. Evidnecc on the actual murder, he pointed out, could only lie circumstantial. Clarke would be treated as an accomplice when bis evidence was considered, and as his evidence was not corroborated it would not be safe to convict on that alone, although it was within tho jury’s province to do

The jury retired at 12.45 and returned their verdict at five o’clock. “The jury has found both WiLiam Coulter and Philip Treffeno guilty of wilful murder," announced Hie foreman in a low voice shaken with emotion. In a slightly raised voice ho stated that it was the jury’s unanimous opinion that they deplored that Clarke had not been placed in the dock also.

When .Coulter came up the steps from Hie ceils below to hear (he verdict. he appeared as usual, but Trcffcuo was shaking and wiping his hands with a rolled handkerchief held between them. When they stood together at the rails each man had his bands clasped in front of him, but wbcu the verdict was announced both folded their arms at the same time. When the word "guilty” was heard in Court, women’s voices in different sections cried. “Guilty. Oh, My Godl" and there wore sounds of low sobbing. In answering the usual ncstions. Coulter said to Hie Judge. “You said I ran down from the plant and I shot Walsh. That is not correct. I was not there at Hie time, and X am not guilty." Treffeno said: “T am innocent of any charge of wilfully murdering these two men. II was purely and simply an accident.’’ Mr. Justice Draper’s fate was ashen as lie assumed his black cap and pronounced Hie death sentence. The bodies of Detective Walsh and Pitman, who had been investigating gold stealing in the Kaigoorlio district, were found mutilated at the bottom of a disused mine shaft near Kaigoorlio on May 1.2. On Juno " Hio police arrested Evan Clarke, hotel licensee, of South Boulder, and Philip John Treffene, a barman in the same hotel, on a charge of murder. William Coulter was arrested subsequently. Clarke gave tho police full information, and the case against him was not pressed. He stated that Coulter told him that, the detectives came upon Treffene and himself white they were carrying a load of gold-bearing ore into the bush. Treffeno shot Pitman and Coulter killed Walsh. They then Sawed up the bodies and tried to burn (hem in the furnace of tho illicit refining plant. Counsel for the two convicted men has lodged an appeal against the carrying out of tho death sentence.