THE STYCHE CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11536, 22 November 1900, Page 6

THE STYCHE CASE.

EXPERT WITNESSES. EVIDENCE OF THE ACCUSED. [bt telegbaph.—pbbss association.} CHBiSTCHracH, Wednesday. The Styche case was continued at the Supreme Court to-day when the examination of expert witnesses for the defence was re- : sumed. Thomas T. Joy detailed the result of the examination he made on the previous afternoon of the original letters and copies made by Gilby, and described what he considered were the variations. He was cross-examined at considerable length by Mr. Stringer, and in the course of his examination struck a number of letters on Styclie's typewriter in Court. He "admitted that there was a resemblance between the original letters and Gilby's copies, but did not consider that it was more so than that between any ordinary copies by typewritten matter. It was quite possible" that a fall on to a chair before falling to the floor would produce all the damage suffered by the machine. Looking at the letters he himself had produced, there was nothing to indicate that they had been written on the machine in Court rather than any other machine. Herbert James Cummington, mechanical engineer, said that he had seen the machine now in Court about three months ago at the police station. He considered that most of the injuries might have been caused by a fall. He had been shown a table in Mr. Rhodes' office on which the machine had been kept, and thought it very likely indeed that the injuries might have been caused by a fall from that table. He had examined the original letters and copies with Joy. He had heard his evidence and agreed entirely with him. He could not undertake to swear that the letters had been written on the machine now in Court. To Mr. Stringer: He was not a specialist in regard to typewriters. After having critically examined the letters, he would say it was probable that the machine in Court had written the letters. There were marked peculiarities in the original letters, and that machine would produce some of them. From mere perusal of the letters one would draw the conclusion that they had been written on a machine with a vertical stroke over the " 3," but it was possible that they might have been done on another machine. Alfred Smith, mechanical and electrical engineer, said it was quite possible for all the damage to the machine to be sustained by a fall from a table. He could quite imagine the keyboard being damaged by striking a chair on the way to the floor. The accused, Henry Vincent Styche, then gave evidence. He said he was in no financial difficulties, and was now in a better position than when he was married in 1891. His wife had been delicate since their marriage, and as she had been getting weaker during the present year, she consulted Dr. Clayton of her own accord. After referring to conversations with Dr. Clayton, he detailed tTie occurrences of October i, on the evening of which day he called on Dr. Clayton at the latter's request. Dr. Clayton said: "It was not altogether about., your wife that I wanted to talk to you. In fact, I am rather short of money, and have been trying to raise £100," and thought that you, through your wealthy employers, might be able to help me." Witness said he himself had no money to lend, and asked what security the doctor had to offer. The doctor replied that he had practically none. After some further discussion as to the loan Dr. Clayton said that some kind friend had offered to give or lend him £200 for the very small favour of putting a patient out of the world. He explained that it could be very easily done. It simply meant giving of a little" extra morphia. "Some more talk followed, and Dr. Clayton then said he had' been much annoyed at receiving some anonymous letters, and he would hand them to witness in the order he had received them. Witness read them mostly to himself, but the light was bad. and one" part of one of the letters was indistinct, and he could not make it out very well, and the doctor noticing this asked him to read it out aloud. When he handed over the letter card he said : " Now, don't you think this refers to Mrs. Styche." Witness replied that it was very suggestive. When speaking about the letter Dr. Clayton said he thought the word "terrible" indicated that a woman had written them. After having read the letter-card witness said that whoever' was the writer was a coward, using no pronoun. He, however, thought the letters were a hoax, and told the doctor so. The doctor said the proposal was absurd. That job was worth more like £2000 than £200. He then asked if witness would go halves in getting in a detective, but witness replied that he thought it would be better to wait to see how things developer], and in that Dr. Clayton agreed, and said be would show witness any further correspondence. The domestic relations between himself and his wife were the happiest that could be imagined. There had never been any friction between them, and he had always paid her every possible attention. In 1893 he took out a joint life insurance policy for £300, the main object being to provide some sum for his wife in case of his death. Of late years, since he had mastered the machine, he" had never used the vertical stroke in mistake for "3." He had never seen any of the original letters produced until he saw them at Dr. Clayton's house, nor had he written any of them or any part of them. He had never found himself making such blunders as appeared in the letters. He was not at the office after business hours, and he did not know of his own knowledge whether any one could obtain access to the offices after business hours. He did not know until after his arrest that the folding dftors had been found unlocked. The typewriter usually stood at the end of the table, and in addition to the chair on which he sat there was another chair at the end of the table. He would swear that he had accidentallv knocked the machine from the table to the "floor, his coat sleeve catching in the machine as he was moving some books from the table to the counter at his back. In its fall the machine struck a chair by the table. He had not tampered with the machine in any way, and he could not say that he knew whether it had any characteristic defects. Mr. Stringer asked no questions. The Court then adjourned till to-morrow, when counsel will address the jury, and His Honor will sum up.