PICTON MURDER CASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 12

PICTON MURDER CASE

DEATH OF OLD MAN

BODY FOUND IN COTTAGE

TRIAL OF EDWARD TARRANT

[BY TELEGRAPH —PREBS ASSOCIATION']

BLENHEIM, Tuesday

Great public interest was shown this morning in the trial in the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Blair, of Edward Tarrant, who is charged with the mtirder, at Picton, on November 3, 1931, of James Flood, an old man. The grand jury returned a true bill.

Large crowds of people assembled round the Courthouse at an early hour,' but many of them could not be admitted. Mr. 1\ S. K. Macassey, of Wellington, with him Mr. A. A. Macnab, of Blenheim, appeared for tho Crown, while the accused was represented by Mr. Evan Parry, of Wellington, with him Mr, A. E. L. Scantlebury, of Blenheim. The Crown is calling between 50 and 60 witnesses, and it is probable that it will be at least a week before the Crown case is finished and the defence opened. The victim of the tragedy, who was known to keep in a wallet in his sion a sum of about £IOOO, mainly in oldstyle £23 and £lO notes, lived alone in a two-roomed cottage in Canterbury Street, Picton. He was last seen alive on the evening of November 3. Forty-eighfc hours later soma neighbours made investigations which resulted in the discovery of his body, practically decapitated, - lying in the living room of the cottage. One door of the cottage had been locked after the tragedy, and a. curious discovery a few days later was that of the door key, which was found lying on the edge of the Picton Croquet Club's lawn. When the tragedy was discovered the old man's wallet, which he had carried in a specially buttoned inside coat pocket, was missing. The Crown Prosecutor in his address to the jury stressed a point which would bo brought out in evidence on which the Crown principally relied. He spoke for two hours. Three witnesses called were a surveyor, the police photographer and Constable Condon, officer in charge at Picton. Tho latter detailed the finding of tho body and conversations with accused. Witness produced Police Court records showing that accused had been sued repeatedly and was in a parlous financial position. The evjdence was on the lines of that given in the lower Court. The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow morning.