GREY LYNN MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18351, 15 September 1921, Page 5

GREY LYNN MURDER

INQUEST CONTINUED. (Pub United Phebs association.) AUCKLAND, September 14. The inquest on Frank Jew was continued 10-day. Matthew Brodie gave evidence that he was in company with the. deceased and others about 7 o’clock on the Saturday night. Jew was pretty sober. Tom M'Mahon was under the influence of drink. Witness and Oqrden tried to get Jew and M'Mahon to go' home, but they would not. Jew was, sitting on the step in the doorway most of the time, leaning against the, wall. Jew said ho would go to Nowdick’s loft for a sleep. Cross-examined, witness said he thought ho heard Jew say he would like to go to sleep on a section by the church. He heard Tom M’Mahon refuse to go to the section with him. When this question was repeated, witness said he only thought he heard M'Mahon say so. Council for Tom • M'Mahon raised the question of the admissibility of statements made by the witness to the police. The Magistrate remarked that there had been extraordinary reluctance on the part of some of the witnesses to say what they did know, though they had not shown actual hostility. He saw no reasons why statements made two or three days after the tragedy should not be used to refresh their memories. Witness, replying to a question, said that on Sunday morning ho asked Tom M'Mahon how he had got home the previous night. M‘Mahon_ stated that Jew left him at. the tram terminus and took a car. Tie could not understand why Oqrden, who was present at that conversation, could have said that M'Mahon stated that Jew left him at Gregory’s shop, A large number of other witnesses were examined to-day regarding deceased’s movements prior to his death, together with those of his companions. At one stage the Coroner remarked that there had been an extraordinary reluctance on the part of some witnesses to sav what they did know. To some extent he was bound by the ordinary rules of evidence, but not to the extent that_ would apply in a criminal trial, and ho did not think he should object to the way in which the questions were pub by counsel for the police. Although the witnesses so far had not shown actual hostility, there had been a good deal of reluctance to tell what they knew, and he saw no reason whv stater monts taken two or three days after the event should not bo used to refresh their memory. Some of the witnesses were subjected to close cross-examination. The inquiry will be continued to-morrow.