SEARCH FOR LAKEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21807, 23 May 1934, Page 13

SEARCH FOR LAKEY

DETECTIVES DIG GARDEN BURNT ARTICLES FOUND BONE AND OTHER FRAGMENTS THE ARREST OF BAYLY It was now apparent, continued Mr. Meredith, that the remains of Lakey's body would be found in the vicinity of Bayly's house, and, on December 4, Detective AUsopp and other police officers commenced to dig Bayly's garden. They began in an area within a few feet of the back door, which had recently been dug. Immediately after they commenced digging they found burnt charcoal, the refuse of burnt wood, and what appeared to be small bones mixed with pieces of charcoal. The police gradually recovered a variety of materials, all apparently having been through fire. The finds included parts of underclothing, metal fittings from braces, burnt metal buttons, clothing buckles, charred leather with nails embedded and a large variety of burnt bone. Among these were several pieces of human ribs, two pieces of thigh bone, a piece of fibula and a part of backbone. There were also seven pieces" of human skull, which were particularly characteristic. Articles Found In Garden

The findings established that in Bayly's garden, right alongside his house, had been buried burnt bones which came from a human being, and were completely mixed up with pieces of charcoal and remains of burnt clothing, boots and metal fittings from clothing. From the appearance of the place where these exhibits were found it would seem that they had been scattered on the grass and then dug in. Bayly was arrested on the evening of December 4 in Auckland and charged with the murder of Mrs. Lakey. On being arrested, he made no reply. Further examination of Bayly's garden produced two false teeth from an upper plate, more pieces of burnt bone, the tube of a cherrywood pipe and various pieces of burnt rag, clothing and sack'ng. There were also pieces of charred leather with boot eyelets and heel nails, and a heel plate of a boot. On December 8 the sheep dip was emptied, and the results were startling. There was recovered a cigarette lighter, which would be proved to have been Lakey's property. There were also some shotgun cartridges with the tops cut off, several pieces of burnt bone, including fragments -of the skull vault, which could be fitted together to show a large area of the human skull. This was illustrated to the jury by the exhibit of a skull coloured in parts to show the pieces of bone referred to. A Tuft of Hair Continuing, Mr. Meredith said there was also a piece of heel bone characteristically human. Beside that, there were many more piepes of burnt bone definitely human. From the dip there was also recovered a tuft of human hair, ginger brown in colour, turning grey, and to the bottom of it was attached a dark mass, apparently burnt blood. Witnesses would say this hair was the same colour as Lakey's. It was observed that an upright supporting the roof in Bayly's cowshed had a piece shaved off it about two feet •from the floor. This shaving had been rubbed over with oil and grease. This support was taken out and compared with a piece of wood from Lakey's implement shed from which there had been a similar shaving. Other articles which could be shown to be the property of Lakey were found. These included portions of the back case of a watch, found under Bayly's carshed; the rim of the same watch was found at the bottom of a box containing rusty iron, and half the movement of the watch was found under the shed. "In the cowshed," continued Mr. Meredith, "were found lumps of concrete with marks of. burning on them, and it is suggested that these were used on which to rest the drum while burning Lakey's body." Search in Grass

TwO sheets of corrugated iron found in different places were taken possession of, and there was reason to suggest that these had been used in conjunction with the same fire and placed around the petrol drum when the fire was burning. The police went on to search the orchard on Bayly's property. Long grass was cut, and when the surface of the ground was minutely searched, further sinister exhibits were found. There were many pieces of burnt bone, more pieces of charred leather, charcoal mixed up with these, burnt boot nails and charred cotton material. A very characteristic human bone found was the petrous bone, showing part of the internal structure of the ear. In the orchard there were also found two more artificial teeth. Every exhibit found was consistent with being parts either of Samuel Lakey or of his clothing. On January 10, 1934, added Mr. Meredith, Bayly was charged with the murder of Samuel and he made no reply Expert evidence would show that the bones recovered had been but recently burnt. Burnt flesh was still adhering, to some of them. That they were human hones there could be no doubt. There were many large pieces of bone readily identifiable and easily to be placed in the human anatomy.

"Whose remains are these that have been found?" asked Mr. Meredith. "The evidence would indicate that no other inference could be drawn but that they are those of Samuel Lakev." There had been, lie stated, a complete search of the neighbourhood and inquiries made in every part of NewZealand without finding any trace of the continued existence of Lakej*. The remains found were the result of the burning of a corpse, and definite conclusions could be drawn by the pathologists as to age and sex. The person was an adult and had reached middle age, and the Wines were quite inconsistent with bwfing those of a female. The hair also was coarse and consistent with that from a male head, rather than 'a female, so that it was plain the bones came from an adult male of middle age, with red hair, who wore false teeth in his upper jaw. This exactly fitted the description of Lakey. "It can hardly be suggested that Samuel Lakey is not dead," said Mr. Meredith, "because if they are not the remains of Samuel Lakey, whose are they? Has a grave been raided or another corpse been found and burnt and deposited in this garden ? That is ridiculous. Further, there is a direct trail of blood from Lakey's house to Bayly's. The blood could not be Mrs. Lakey's, because thero was 110 open wound and 110 blood flowing from lier/"