CONSTABLE IN BOX

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21702, 18 January 1934, Page 11

CONSTABLE IN BOX

FIRST DAYS OF MYSTERY , \ FINDING OF MRS. LAKEY Constable David Robertson, of Huntly, said he was informed by telephone on the Monday, October 16, of the disappearance of Samuel Lakey, and, as a result, he telqphoned a number of settlers in the Ruawaro district. Mr. Meredith: Did you ring up Bayly?—l did. What did you say?—l asked him to notify me if he heard or saw anything of the missing people. What did he say?—He made no reply. Witness said he reached Mr. Lakey's house about 11 a.ifi. In the kitchen, it was found that the table was laid for a meal. Constable Elms and he saw two cups, which had been used, on the table. There were also plates, cutlery, bread and a breadboard. The poker was sticking in the bars in the front of the firebox of the kitchen range, on which there were pots containing cooked food. On the rack above the range was a dish containing a pudding. Witness also found an empty pea-rifle cartridge box in the house, which was later taken possession of by Detective Sneddon. Discovery of Mrs. Lakey The bed was made and did not appear to have been used. The bedroom was tidy, except that one drawer and a chest of drawers were open. Clothing was inside, arid there was no sign of confusion. Witness noticed two guns in the passage leading from the kitchen, one a double-barrelled breach loading gun, and the other a singlebarrelled gun of .410 calibre. With Constable Elms, witness went down to the cowshed and met Messrs. Sanson, Slater and Wright, who had just finished milking. The party returned to the house for a further search, witness being in the lead. He heard someone shout' out, and, as a result, he went to the duck pond. Mr. Meredith: When you went to, the duck pond what did you find? Witness: I found a heap of manure bags lying alongside the pond. They were laid crosswise over the body of Mrs. Lakey. There were 11 bags, and all of them were across the body. They were laid very particularly, flat across. The Magistrate: Was there any method? —Tliev appeared to have been laid longways across. And how many bags did it take to go across?— About four. The witness was asked to give a demonstration with 11 pieces of paper, which he pasted together on the table. Position of the Body Mr. Meredith: Which way was the body lying? - The witness again* demonstrated, and said the body was lying face downward. From the breast to the head was immersed in the water. The forehead was resting on her crossed wrists. Her arms were folded. The head was under water about to the ears. The bags covered the whole of the body, including the part in the water. Mr. Meredith: Having uncovered the body, what did you do? —We lifted the body out of the water and turned it on its back at the edge of the pond on the grass. How were the limbs?— They were fully extended. Rigor mortis had set How was her clothing?—lt was up about her waist. She had gumboots on. What clothing i had she on her?:— Light grey cotton bloomers, a purple cardigan, a grey woollen dress, and a bag apron. , ... Did you disarrange the clothing as you were turning her over?-r-No.

Was there any clothing below her waist? —Not in front. She did not have a hat on. Were the gumboots clean? —Yes. What do you mean by that? —They had been washed. To what degree had rigor mortis set in? —She was quite stiff. Her arms remained in the same position. Without you holding them ? —That ia so. The arms were several inches out from her forehead, and stayed in that position. Did you notice any injury?— There was a small abrasion on the chin of the size of a sixpence or less. On what part of the chin ? —The,point of the chin. Was there any blood coming from that abrasion?— No. There was slight discharge of blood from the nostril. Her face was a bluish colour. What did you do with the body—We carried it to the kitchen. Did it touch anything going in? — No, sir. Was the clothing on the body dry or wet? —The clothing was wet. How about the sacks? —They were wet also. It had rained that Sunday night. Witness said Dr. ~Macfarlane, of Huntly, was communicated with. The kitchen table was moved to one side to allow room to lay Mrs. Lakey on the floor. The disposition of the top of the table was not altered. Those present left the house in several directions. Conversation With Bayly Mr. Meredith: Did you see Bayly that day?— Yes, at one o'clock at the gate leading to Mr. Wright's house. Where did you first see him ?—On the public road at the top of the hill leading to Mr. Wright's house. ' How was he proceeding ?—He was riding a horse. He came toward me at full gallop. Ho stopped me as I came up in my car, leaned from his horse* and said, "Is anything being done about Lakey's stock?" I replied that I had already made arrangements, that we were looking for Lakey and, if he could help in that respect, we would be very much obliged. He made no answer, but rode away.

Witness said that during the doctor's examination he noticed that Mrs. Lakey had no teeth. The body was taken to the Huntly morgue at 5 p.m. During the afternoon, Detectives Snedden and Allsopp and two constables arrived from Auckland. Guns and Ammunition Mr. Meredith: Regarding the guns you saw, did you examine them for recent firing?—l did. They did not appear to have been fired recently, being dirty and full of cobwebs. I found in a tobacco tin in the kitchen. 39 .22 calibre cartridges, but I did not f see a .22 calibre weapon in the house. I found a five-chambered revolver in a chest of drawers in the bedroom. There were 25 .32 calibre cartridges, which were for a revolver, in the same drawer, and a box of 23 .32 calibre revolver cartridges under Mrs. Lakey's handbag on the chest of drawers. You have control of the arms register in Huntly?—l am an authorised officer under the Arms Act. On October 12, 1933, accused secured a permit to procure .22 calibre rifle and ammunition from the Farmers' Trading Company at Huntly. The quantity of ammunition is not stated.

Do you know whether Bayly on October 16 took part in any of the search parties? —Not as far as I know. Witness said ho received a glass jar from the doctor after the post-mortem examination, Constable Richardson taking possession of the jar for conveyanc© to the analyst at Auckland. Christopher Moore, steward, of Takapuna, said he was the owner of a Winchester .22 calibre, single shot rifle, which he had bought at Tisdall's, Ham- \ ilton. At the time he was working for Joe Gilmore, farmer, of Ruawaro. Witness left him four or five years ago, and left the rifle in charge of Mr. D. Gilmour. The rifle produced was the one. The certificate of registration was also produced and identified by witness.

This was the last witness for the day and the Court adjourned ' until 10 o'clock this morning.