YOUNG WOMAN'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20114, 27 November 1928, Page 11

YOUNG WOMAN'S DEATH.

"STONEWALL"' AT INQUEST.

QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED

CORONER'S STRONG COMMENT. INDEFINITE ADJOURNMENT. The refusal of witnesses to answer questions created a situation described by tho coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M , as a "stonewall," at tho continuation yesterday of tho inquest wito the death of Miss Freda Helen Clark, ajjed 29, late of Te Aroha. While in the homo of Mrs. Georgina Colnett, an unregistered nurse, at, 88, Williamson Avenue, Grey Lym, Miss Clark died on the morning of November 1, her death b«ing due to acute septicaemia. Declaring they believed that whatever tliey might say i" answer to Mr. Meredith. Crown solicitor, who conducted tho investigation on heha'.f of tho police, might incriminate them later, Mrs Doris Dannefeard, ot St. Andrew's Poad, Epsom, sister of Miss Click, Mrs. Doris Bauer, -of Epsom Avenue, Epsom, who said slip knew Mrs. Dannefeard, Mr. J'prcy S. G. Sowerby, of Kerecne, Morrinsville, a friend of deceased, Mr George A Colnett. tutor in French, and his wife, Mrs. Gem-gina Colnett, exercising their legal rights at the instructions of Mr. R. A. Singer, solicitor, declined to reply to questions. At one stage the coronor said- "This is shocking, I do not intend to sit here and watch this inquest bluffed out by these witnesses refusing to say anything. It is a dreadful thing. Everyone seems intent upon throwing up » itonewall." W hen the eleventh witness for tht> polico was called, Mr. Meredith said that was all the evidence ho proposed to call that day. "There may bo more later," ho said, suggesting an adjournment. Tho Coroner; \es, I do not think th* inquest should be ended yet. I shall ad journ it sine die. It is a most unsatisfactory position. Signatures on Documents. Letters and signatures, said to have been written by Mrs. Dannefeard, were placed in front of her by tho Crown solicitor. when she stepped into the witnessbox. Producing a document, Mr. Meredith asked : Is that your signature? Mrs. Dannefeard; J. decline to answer. And why do you decline to answer ? Because whatever 1 may say may incriminate me. Is this letter in yrmr writing?—l decline to answer. Mrs. Dannefeard refused to say whether two other specimens of writing were hers, whereupon the Crown prosecutor handed tho fetters into tho Court for the coroner's perusal. Mr. Meredith: D.» you know Mis. Bauer?—l decline to answer. Did you have any cornmuriu ation at any time with Mrs. 3auer ?—May 1 consult my solicitor? The Coroner: No, I do not think I should allow that. Mr. Singer: Well, thni I fell her from here not to answer the question. It is Your Worship's dntv to warn the witnesses before they give evidence in a case of this kind. Ihe Coroner: You are appearing f->r her. watching her in:ores!s. \ os," replied Mr. .Singer. " Rut that floes not absolve Your Worship from the responsibility of warning the witness." Refusal to Sign Evidence. Turning to Mrs. Dannefeard, the coroner asked: Did your sister send any money up to you ? Mrs. Danneteard: I decline to answer. Requested to sign the typewritten shoots of her evidence. Mis. Dannefeard, Acting on counsel's advice, refused to do so. "If there is any iaw which can compel her to d'> so in this sort of case she will sign it," said Mr. Singer, when the coronor asked why witness should not put her name to tho sheets. That he had interviewed Mrs. Dannefeard at the Newton Police station on tho day Miss Clark died, was stated by Detective Allen, who produced the statement. " I saw her sign it," ho said, in reply to Mr Meredith, "and, therefore, I know it as her signature. I L ive seen the handwriting in one of the letters produced hi Cm; it. and I am sa'i-'-fied it is the same as on the statement. The letter was found in Miss Clark's room." Detective Allen said he knew Mrs. Bauer, whom he first saw while interviewing Mrs. Dannefeard. Mrs. Bauer came fo the door and asked how long Mrs. Dannefeard was going to be. Letter Read In Court. Both the statement and tho letter were handed to tho coroner, who read them. Dated October 24. and signed, " Doris," the letter read:—" My dear Fred .... I was out this morning and rang up Mrs. Bauer, and she cati arrange, for Saturday. She wil. meet you outside the post office at' 9.3 C. Her car number is 4518. and has one «»f those little policemen at tho back window. So I don t think you will miss her, . . ." Signed "Doris Dai neieard." the st.ife merit rend :~-'"fhi Labour Day, October 22, rny sister stayed at rny home. She fold me she had not been well for some time past, and asked me if I knew of some place where sic could have a rest. She then returned to Te Aroha, At this t;ine she did not tell rno the nature of her illness. On" day fluting last week, f fin not remember the exact day, 1 made arrangements with Nurse Colnett, bU, Williamson Avenue, for her to take niv Bi'ter there. "After making arrangements with Nurse Colnett I wrote to rny sister ask'ng her to come to Auckland. She arrived on Saturday morning last by the express. T met her at the station. We did not return to my home, but both went to 88, Williamson Avenue ... 1 have known Nurse ColneM lor about noie or 10 years. She is a friend ol mine. . On Monday, October 29, I visited her at 88, V illiamson Avenue. She seemed quite cheerful. This was the last occasion ori which I saw my sister alive." Question, of Telegrams. To prove that the writing in the letters arid the signature on the statement were made by the same person, < larence <'. Spedding, retired bank officer, was called. After examination of the writing ho said ho. was satisfied they were all written ty the same person. Examined by Mr. Meredith, Mrs. Bauer Admitted she drove a motor-car. the number of which was 4518. Do you know Mrs. Dannefeard''—l do know of her: but I decline to answer. How long have you known her?—l refuse to answer, Did you know M ; s> Clark? 1 decline to answer. Did you send ariv telegrams on the day of Miss Clark's death? —I decline to answer. She siinilaiiy refused to say if she was in Mrs. Cclnett's house on the day of the death, or if she met any trains on the, Saturday prior ;<j Miss Clark's death. Counsel and Coroner. "I was at the house of Mrs. Colnett about noon on the day of Miss Clark's death," said Sergeant Claasen. "when a woman I now know as Mrs, Bauer was at the house for about fifteen minutes. ISlio tnado the remark to Mrs. Colnett, 'I have sent them.' I saw Mrs. Bauer about 2.15 p.m. that day again. She was seated in the front seat of a fiveneater car in front of the Newton Police Btation, while Mrs. Dannefeard was inlide. They left tog<ther."

Apart i'rom stating he knew Miss Clark, Sowerby refused to say anything. Ifc was when he declined to say how long ho had known Miss Clark that the coroner said he would not be content, if ho could help it, to see the inquesl bluffed out by such witnesses. "You are aware, of course, that she is now dead," said Mr. Meredith.

Sowerby: I decline to answer. Tho Coroner (sharply): This is absurd. Yoti must answer that question. . . . Mr. Singer; I would ask Your Worship not to use that tone of voice. The police have been unable to get anything much from htm. They would have tried to threaten hiin if they had got him in one of their locked rooms at the police station. But they cannot do it in this Court. Mr. Meredith said Mr. Singer should not have said that of the police. Trained as a Nurse. Refusals to answer questions were also given by Colnett and his wife, who said they were afraid they might incriminate themselves. Mrs. Colnett said she had a training as a nurse, but was not registered. She trained in Sydney, but failed in her final examination. She had been in New Zealand about 25 years, and had been nursing in Auckland about 17 years. The nursing took place in patients' homes, but once a month she was allowed one patient in her own home. She declined to say she even knew Miss Clark. Chief-Petective Hammond said that armed with a search warrant he went to Colnett's house. Clothing had been stripped from tho bed Miss Clark had occupied. That afternoon he got in touch by telephone with the police at Morrinsvilie concerning Soweiby, and later received a message to the effect that Sowerby had got an urgent call to Auckland and" had left. I.ater, at the railway station, he saw Sowerby with Mrs. Dannefeard conversing with Mr. Singer's clerk. When he told Sowerby who he was, Sowerby went with him to the polico station, where he made a statement. Cross-examined by Mr. Singer, the chief detective said Mr. Singer called at his office about 11.40 o'clock that night. "At that very moment. Mr. Hammond, you had Sowerby locked away in your office, did you not ?" asked Mr. Singer. Mr. Hammond: Oh, well, I wouldn't say that. • . . " Under Lock and Key." Mr. Singer; But you know it is true. You had the man under lock and key. And I told him he could insist that you should either arrest him or let him go. and that if you did not do that ho could smash the door flown. I told him of the lights he cuiild exercise. Mr. Hammond: The door was unlocked by nio. Mr. Singer: Of course it was.

In his statement Sowerliv said he had known Miss Clark since 1919. 'Ho had seen her frequently during the past few months, and had tieen intimate with her. He last saw her alive on October 20 at Morrinsvillo. She told him she was in a certain condition, but he understood she was going back to To Aroha from Morrinsvillo. He did not know Nurse Colnett. Ho knew Miss Clark occasionally came to Auckland to see her sister, but she had never told him she was going to Auckland at any particular time. His wife was applying for a divorce, and it had been his intention to marry Miss Clark after the divorce had been granted. Never at ,'inv time had he given Miss Clark money, and he had no knowledge that she was going to Auckland for a particular purpose.