SUITCASE MURDER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23034, 11 May 1938, Page 17

SUITCASE MURDER

; ARREST IN AUCKLAND FOUND AT STATION VIGILANT DETECTIVES REMAND TO WELLINGTON A Dominion-wide search commenced by the police following the discovery of the body of Mr. Edwin Armstrong in *a suitcase tinder the wharf nt ricton on Saturday morning culminated in the arrest of a son of tho murdered man, Douglas Alexander .Armstrong, aged 21, an engineering apprentice attached to the railway workshops, at the Auckland railway station yesterday morning. Tho man was seen on the crowded platform following the arrival of the limited express from Wellington and was arrested bv Detective W. E. Turgis and ActingDetectives W. H. Cromwell and E. M. Grace

"A close surveillance of all passengers arriving from the south by road, rail, air and boat has been maintained by the police since the discovery of Mr. Armstrong's body. The detectives on duty at the railway station yesterday morning had a description of the man who was later arrested, but it was not known that he was a passenger by the north-bound express. Many Travellers by Train

The station was being watched as part of the routine precautions* and the success of the three officers in picking their man from the unusually large number of travellers who arrived by the train is regarded as an outstanding achievement.

No difficulty was experienced by the detectives ip making the arrest. The mail who was recognised as being the accused was quickly singled out, being then on the platform. He had no luggage and was wearing a dark blue suit, and the detectives considered that he answered the description that had been circulated to the police throughout New Zealand. He is a tall young man, about > oft. lOin. in height, and has lightcoloured hair. Charge of Harder Questions established the man's identity and proved that the detectives had selected the man for whom a watch was being kept. He was theji formally arrested on,a charge of murder and was taken to the detective office by motor-car. Accused remained in custody until the sitting of the Police Court in the afternoon.

Accused was taken to the Court in a police car, accompanied by three detectives. After waiting in the prisoners' room for another case to be heard he stepped into the dock shortly after 2.JJO p.m. He was dressed in a blue serge suit, without a collar and tie. Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., was on the Bench.

Accused was charged with murderinn his father at Wellington on May 6. Detective-Sergeant A. G. McHugh immediately applied for a remand for accused to appear at Wellington today. This was granted by the magistrate, who ordered accused to be remanded to appear :in the Magistrate's Court in Wellington at 10 a.m. to-day. Brie! Proceedings . The entire proceedings lasted little more than 80 seconds. Accused returned to the prisoners' room and he was accompanied back to th,e police station in the car by the detectives. An active watch for the man who was arrested yesterday had been maintained by the police. Unobtrusively, 'but none the less thoroughly, detectives specially assigned to the difficult dutv searched all likely places in Auckland on Monday. The Union Steam Ship Company's liner Awatea was subjected to a, close inspection on Monday night before she sailed for Sydney in case the wanted man might be on Hoard, and the police also kept a watch °n passengers arriving by air-liners. Hotels • and ' the railway station were not neglected, and no possible opportunity of locating the man, if ho was in Auckland, was overlooked*