THE TIMARU MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17632, 19 November 1920, Page 8

THE TIMARU MURDER.

MATTHEWS IN COURT,

CASE FOR PROSECUTION.

CLUES FOUND BY POLICE.

ACCUSED'S VISIT TO TIMARU.

[BT TELEGBATH. FBESS ASSOCIATION.] TIMABU, Thursday.

The preliminary hearing was commenced in the Magistrate's Court to-day of the case against Reginald Matthews, charged with murdering Clarence Edward Wagstaff at Timaru, on October 27. Mr. Mosely, S.M., presided. Mr. A. T. Donnelly, Acting-Crown Prosecutor (Christchurch) conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr. C. S. Thomas (Christchurch) was counsel for the accused.

Mr, Donnelly said that although a magistrate had presided at the inquest, additional and important evidence would now be submitted. He would outline the case under several heads: (1) The movements of the accused from October 5 to about 8 p.m. on October 25, within three hours of the murder; (2) the committal of the murder (3) the movements of the accused after that time until his arrest; (4) certain documentary evidence tending to connect the accused with the crime.

Under the first head came the statement of the Phillipson family, already known. He stayed one night at the Phillipson's and left a dressbasket and a box there, on going to Timaru the nest day, October 20, taking with him a leather suitcase. From Timaru he posted to a Mrs. Davey in Dunedin a box of chocolates, and got back a receipt in the name of Irving. It would be proved that some time before he had asked Mrs. Davey to address letters to him in that name. This was a factor of some importance in the case. Two young women would be called to testify that they were rudely accosted by a man in the street not far from the scene of the murder, and they both identic fied the prisoner as the man. Evidence would be called to show that the accused was found in an untenanted house belonging to Mr. Robert Parr, was permitted to stay there on the plea that he could not get lodgings, and Mr. and Mrs. Parr would identify the accused. Subsequent to his arrest some vases and signed post-cards stolen from the house were found in the accused's' belongings. Discoveries in the. Garden. Coming to the actual crime, Mr. Donnelly said three shots were fired and three empty cartridge cases were found in the Wagstaffs' garden, one of them on the night of the murder, one the next morn* ing and the third on November 3; also three postal, counterfoil receipt* for parcels sent from Wellington to Taibape. On the back of. each wag impressed with a rubber stamp " Young Brown, champion light-weight boxer of California, 1917-18, born Invercargill." The stamp bad been handmade and set UP by hand. In a search of the Paris' house in the room the accused had occupied four pieces of paper were found apparently torn from a writing block and on each of them was the same stamped impression.

The Arrest at liytteHon. . The accused returned to Ohristchurch on October 28 and went to the Phillipsons'. _ When the murder was mentioned he said they would have to prove it on the man. When he left the Phillipsons' he said he was going to Wellington. .He was arrested at Lyttelton after wounding Constable Templetorr- with an automatic]' pistol. Five cartridges were taken from the pistol and these were of the same kind as the empty cases found in the garden. When arrested the accused had in his possession gome papers marked with the rubber stamp previously mentioned and in his suitcase was found the rubber stamp with which the impressions had been made. The suitcase was identified as the prisoner's, by Mrs. PhUlipsor., who recognised some of the clothing in it. The accused's dressbaskefc was taken on the steamer to Wellington, and in it were found three vases and signed postcards which "had been stolen from' the Parrs' house. In, it' were also writing, which would be proved to be in the accused's hand, and his photograph, and on the baek of this, in his handwriting, the same words as those of the rubber stamp- 'After his arrest a number of people identified the accused as the man whom they had seen in the locality of the murder, and within a few hours of the commission of the crime. The Evidence. x Robert Parr and Mrs. Parr gave evidence concerning the trespass of the accused in their unoccupied house (he did not stay all night). He was cooking something and was told to get out when he had done. He left half-an-hour later, carrying a brown paper parcel. Constable Smith, who had been given duty in - plain clothes in Waiiti 'Road because of complaints of women being molested, testified that the accused came along the.street and witness, after some conversation, in which . the accused. said his name was Irving, challenged him to go to the house where the girls who had complained lived. The accused then bolted. Witness gave chase, but lost him. H. Scott, owner of the house referred to, gave corroborative evidence as to the accused running away.

Story of Murder Retold. Clifford Wilson Knapp, deceased's companion, gave evidence as at the inquest, as to seeing a man moving about the house about' 11 p.m., and the two young men endeavouring to capture him, of the man turning at a corner of the house and firing one shot at them. Then the intruder moved on a few paces, turned, and fired two more shots. After the third shot the deceased staggered and fell. The man jumped over a- fence, and witness followed through the gate, went after him some distance, and then returned on hearing the deceased's cries. The deceased's parents and sisters wore then attending to him A doctor arrived., and then Constable Palmer, who found a slip of paper at about the spot where the second and third shots were fired- It was a counterfoil of a parcel post receipt. Witness did not identify the accused at the gaol on November 3 Henry Wagstaff, father of the deceased, said his son was 19 years of ace. At about 11 p.m. on October 27, witness heard a noise as of persons running round the bouse. He went out and found his son lying on the path. To 'i lr - Thomas: He saw a man leap over the fence, saw him crossing the lihrn to the fence, and saw a revolver in his Si w -?" 1 a PP ear * d to. fire three *'.™ witness heard no report, and though* the revolver was unloaded The man seemed to him to take deliberate aim i»r. Gibson gave evidence of the treat- : ment and subsequent death of the deceased At the post-mortem examination : the next day he found a bullet wound beside the breast bone. The deceased d:ed of hemorrhage. i Victim's Dying Statement. ; A statement by the dying youth, made before bis removal to the hospital, was put in by Constable Palmer as follows: — ; '• Clifford woke me up and said someone was trying to get into the house. Then we chased lam and he shot me." Constable Palmer continuing, said he searched the garden and found the folded parcel post counterfoil above mentioned abcu* ten feet from where th a boy was lyma Knapp was present and said: "No one of that name is in the house." About 4.15 B_m. the next day witness picked up a cartridge case near" the same spot lie saw' another which had been found the nest day. Detective Abbott gave details of thi> various other discoveries in Timaru concerning the stamped papers and "comparisons of impressions in several pipers found and concerning the contents of tfc* accused's dre&sbasket, as mentioned by the Crown Prosecutor. ' •■■ * i STfta Court adjournedg ; ' V