DOCTOR REFUTES POLICE EVIDENCE IN WALKER CASE

Manawatu Times, Issue 6848, 1 March 1929, Page 7

DOCTOR REFUTES POLICE EVIDENCE IN WALKER CASE

No Suggestions Made INFORMATION THAT WAS NOT GIVEN AT INQUEST ORIGINAL SUICIDE THEORY Per Pros 3 Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night. "When the inquiry concerning the police methods in the Elsie Walker case was resumed to-day another solicitor appeared, Mr. H. O. Cooney, representing Constable Jackson, who figured Largely in the original inquiries regarding the Elsie Walker mystery. Discussing the instructions issued to the various police stations to prosecute inquiries along certain lines, Mr Currie, counsel for the Crown, said that when it camo to a scrutiny of tho replies received it would bo seen that the directions given were inadequate. Some of the replies were very perfunctory. The indication was that the inquiries at some garages were insufficient.

Mr. E. Page, S.M. (the commissioner): Why do you suggest that the document relates to garages only?

Mr Currie said that it failed to indicate to the police that inquiries should be made at private places where benzine could be procured in addition to garages. Some policemen had obviously gone only to garages. Mr Currie producod an anonymous letter and asked the chief detective what had been done about it. The latter replied that the letter was signed “F.R.F.” and was written to •the inspector and said that Mr Page might know something. Hr Page had already been soen, but instructions were given to make further inquiries. The commissioner subjected the chief detective to a series of searching questions. Wise to Shift Body.

Witness said that where a body was found in circumstances which might indicate death from foul play, or from natural causes, the body should not be removed till it had been seen by experts. Each case must be left to the individual office* based on his individual experience, Sometimes that officer was a country constable.y jf He thought that the constable in thgibip eumstances was justified in the o-pioron that the girl had died. eithejgggoin natural causes or by suicide. had been lying there for aha would havo bccoroo decomposed. Wj the circumstances it was wise to shift the body. The brief to the Coroner did not suggest death by foul play. Chief Detective Hammond said the brief handed to tho Crown Solicitor for inquest purposes was not submitted to him'for approval. ;The brief as a whole did not suggest death by foul Mr. Currie: It is based rather on the proposition outlined by tho inspector yesterday. —I can’t say how it was based. . Your theory is similar to that which the inspector mentioned yesterday ?- Yes. I think he has stolen my theory. The Commissioner said he had had a number of communications of various sorts sent to him and he intended question witness concerning the contents of some. One communication said a member of tho Thompson family at Papamoa heard a car pass and from the Bayly’s at 1 o’clock in the morning. “Was that witness called at the inquest ? ” he asked. —No. Do you know why ? —Because it was definitely proved 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. Tho Commissioner said it was also suggested the Lees and Mortons had seen an important witness in Papamoa on the night the girl diappeared. “Your inquiries don’t suggest that ? ” he asked —not at all. Witness indicated that another suggestion from Mrs. Douglas concerning two men seen at Papatootoe had proved abortive. Another inquiry, made at tho instance of a caTt ariver at Huntly, who had seen a man and a woman in a car, was also exploded. Tho car driver had been assisted by the informant to remove a tyre, but it Was proved the incident was three weeks before October 1.

Suicide Theory. Detective-Sergeant Thomas Kelly then gave evidence. He knew Constable Collins, who informed him of the finding of Elsie Walker's body and he was a man to be relied upon. Hav* ing been informed, tho case appeared to be one of suicide, ho therefore instructed that the body bo removed to the morgue. Witness was sent to make a thorough Bearch of tho locality in which tho body was found. The general appearance of the bushes was that tho girl had got underneath them and had not been thrown among them. Detective-Sergeant Kelly’s evidenvo was then suspended to allow Dr. D. N. W. Murray to give evidence. Evidence of Post-Mortem, Mr. Currie: Did the police mako suggestions to you at the post-mortem as to what to look for ?—No. Why should they ? I was competent of doing the examination. Extracts from tue Chief-Detective’s evidence, in which he said ho had made certain suggestions to the doctor, were read by Mr. Currie. “What do you say to that I ” Mr. Currie ask ed. D. Murray: It is untue. Chief-De-tectivo Hammond and DetcctivenSorgeant Kelly were not in that building more than 10 minutes. Witness said he made no comment on the matter of clothes to the ChiefDetective, because he took it for granted the police considered they wero of no importance. On all previous occasions, had been jttoinJta

of any kind on clothing, it had beta shown to him and he trusted the police on this occasion. At that time, too, he told Mr. Hammond they could find no actual cause of death but that the girl had a blow on the top of her head, which he could not explain. He also said there was a bruise on tho scalp, about the size of a srilling. 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 tho blow on the head. He suggested the girl might have been sand-bagged and the Chief-Detective wanted to know who would sand-bag her. Witnoss then mentioned the money and the Chief-Detective replied she might have lost it on the road. No Death from Exhaustion. More discussions followed and Mr. Hammond said the girl probably died of exhaustion. However, witness said he could not see how she could havo died of exhaustion, because she had had a meal a few hours before her death and she was a healthy girl. On the Sunday, ho saw Detective-Sergeant Kelly and when witness mentioned tho clothes, an under garment was shown him, on which were stains. After looking at them, ho suggested it would be wise if they were examined by a bacteriologist. In referring to the making of the supplementary report, witness said it was written by Dr. Gilmour in the presence of witness and Detective-Ser-geant Bickerdale, who asked for it. Cross-examined by Mr. Moody, witness said he had not told Mr. Hammond he was worried over the bruise on the head. He had mentioned it to Detective-Sergeant Kelly but not to Chief-Detectivo Hammond. “You know what the Chief-Detec-tive 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 the chcif detective had suggested certain causes of death while at tho morgue ? “He did not,” repliod witness. “I am not going to agree with what did not happen.” “Blame the Doctor.” Witness said it seemed an endeavour was being made to throw the whole thing on medical men. Mr. Moody: Oh no no! Dr. Murray: Well, I cannot think anything else. From what he had Tead in the papers, ho thought other people would think the same thing, too. Ho had been police surgeon for 16 years and had not had a dispute with the police, with whom he had got on all right and he thought he could still get ■bn with them. Suggestions from tho police were welcome. No Argument With Police. “There was no hcatw anger at any of these talks with the dotectives when you dropped in at nights?, Mr. Moody asked. Dr. Murray: Oh no. And there is none now?—No. You would know it if thoie was (laughter). You were quite happy?—Oh yes and wo shall be a happy family after this is all over, too. “I suppose the clothing from the body should have been shown me, by the police,” witness continued. ■Mr. Moody: Was there anything on the clothing which would have assisted you iii assigning the cause of death? — No. ; ,i,j , Cause of Deaths “Looking at the wholo general position now,” Mr. Finlay said to Dr. Murray, “the actual cause of death has. not even been found.” Witness said that was so. The Commissioner: Do I understand you to say you do not know the cause of death?

“Yes Sir,” Dr. Murray answered. “We cannot say whether sho died of concussion or not but it was probable the bruise on tho skull had something to do with it. However, he would not advance that on a criminal charge. He did not think in a court the jury would convict on medical evidence.

Why did you wait two months before making the second report? asked tho Commissioner.

Dr. Murray said they had to review the whole case. They had to considor the garments. The first report and the second report were the same, in his opinion. The Commissioner: Why didn’t you give the probable cause of death earlier!-—We were waiting the result of the test of the stomach contents. There may have been poison. , When you got that result, why did you not tell the police then?—Wo were waiting for the final examination of the clothes. DM you always intend making a final report!—Yes. When did you get the final result of the clothing!—On November 21 I think. _ . And you made the report a fortnight later.—Yes. You cannot say when that was! — No. This concluded Dr. Murray's. evidence. The Commission then adjourned until to-morrow.