ELSIE WALKER CASE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20869, 8 November 1929, Page 6

ELSIE WALKER CASE.

- / NO RESUMPTION OF INQUEST,

MINISTER ADHERES TO DECISION (From Our Paruamentart Reporter.) WELLINGTON, November 7. From a pile of files 18 inches high and weighing 50 pounds the Minister of Jus tice (Mr T. M. Wilford) has analysed the facts in connection with the Elsie Walker case, and according to a statement made to the House of Representatives to-day he intends to adhere to his former decision * not to reopen the inquest. Legislation will, however, be promoted next session to enable the Minister, without application to the Supreme Court or the Attorney-general, to order the reopening of inquests in certain cases.

Mr Wilford, in the course of a comprehensive statement, pointed out that so far as consequences wore concerned the finding of a coroner in New Zealand was no more than a formal report to the Jus tice Department as to the cause of death of a person. The verdict did not in any way commit the police to take or prevent them from taking action in any court at any time in accordance with the evidence at their command. They acted inde pendently , and without fear, favour, malice, or ill-will. Mr Wilford said it was considered unnecessary to reopen the Elsie Walker inquest for the following reasons:—(l) No good purpose could be served, as no fresh evidence bearing on the cause of death had been discovered; ■ (2) the additional information ascertained since the close of the inquest was contradictory and of little, if any, evidential value; (3) the present law provides for adequate action by the police should fresh evidence bo forthcoming.

The Minister said the reopening of the inquest would be of no value so far as the evidence of Mesdatnes Thomason and Langdon was concerned. When first interviewed they made signed statements to the police which materially conflicted with subsequent statements eight months later. Mr Wilford quoted extracts from the statements to show that one or other of the declarations was false, and no cnhrt would believe them. Similarly, a Mrs Edwards bad made statements which were not only self-contradictory, but were contradicted by her employee. " Nine months after her first statement to the police this woman gives details which she either suppressed at the time of making her first statement, or has since invented, but which in any case have no evidential value,” said :he Minister. “ She now speaks of having a feeling that something is going to happen—that is probably called second sight; that she unconsciously connected W. Bayly with the Elsie Walker mystery ;■ that she felt that he knew a great deal about it: and that she felt so worried about the t\ho!o Qffnirs that when she saw some letters in his box she fearl two of them, which she burnt.

4 The police have investigated more alleged evidence than has ever been published in the newspapers,” added the Minister. 44 They have visited and examined numbers of witnesses whose statements I have waded through, and I say absolutely that there has not been the slightest justification shown for reopening the inquest, nor has any evidence been discovered which will throw any light on the cause of death of Elsie Walker.

Believing this and having had many opportunities of analysing and dissecting the evidence,” concluded the Minister, “ I refuse absolutely to assist in what must only be a farce and cannot help in the slightest degree to elucidate the cause of her death.”

THE COMMITTEE’S REPORT.

Reporting to the House of Representatives to-day on three Auckland petitions signed by 15,868 people in all praying that legislation should be enacted to authorise the reopening of the inquest proceedings and the inquiry into the death of Elsie Walker, the Public Pcti tioim Committee recommended that the petition should be referred to the Govern ment for favourable consideration, and that the Government should bring down amending legislation as soon as possible.