SOLDIER ON TRIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24969, 16 July 1942, Page 5

SOLDIER ON TRIAL

MELBOURNE MURDERS FURTHER EVIDENCE HEAR!) SYDNEY. July 15. When the court martial on the United States soldier. Edward J- Leonski, charged with the murder of three women in Melbourne, was resumed today an Australian private who had been on guard duty near an American camp close to the city, said that on May 18 he saw an American soldier at about 9 p.m. come from beneath a fence near some army trucks. Witness shone his torch on the man's face and recognised him as an American. He was covered with mud. The advocate (’pointing towards Leonski): Is that the man?

Witness; Yes. Witness said the mud covering the man was yellow. He asked the Airrerican where he was going. He replied by asking where he could catch a tram, and said he had fallen over in a pool of mud going across the park. Witness also said he recognised the man later at a line-up. Defence counsel: Did this man appear to have been drinking? Witness: Yes.

Evidence was next given by an American soldier who occupied the same tent as Leonski. Witness said he had been in camp with Leonski for about five weeks. When he went into the tent between 9 and 9.15 p.m. on Mav 18. Leonski was in bed asleep, apparently drunk. Witness smelt whisky. He did not notice Leonski's clothes. An American officer said that on the morning of May 20. before Leonski’s arrest, he saw khaki pants and a field jacket hanging on a line outside Leonski’s tent. Both were very wet through, having been recently washed. There were stains of yellowy clay on the tent. The camp area had been wet for some time, but the mud was black.

Charles Anthony Taylor, police analyst, said he took samples of the yellow clay near where the body of Miss Hosking was found. He went to an American camp near the city and examined various articles in a tent. On the tent was a patch of yellowclay. This clay was similar to that near the scene of the murder. It was not similar to mud from other areas of the camp. This concluded the evidence in the case of Miss Hosking. The case of Mrs Thompson was then proceeded with. Constable Leslie Thompson, of Bendigo. said deceased was his wife. She had been living in Melbourne since November, employed as a stenographer. He visited Melbourne on duty on May 8 and saw his wife at 5.40 at the railway station that evening when he returned by train to Bendigo. A nightwatehman gave evidence of finding Mrs Thompson’s body early on the morning of May 9 on the steps of the apartment house in Spring street where she resided. Before finding the body he found a woman’s handbag in the lane nearby. There was no money in the bag. Medical evidence was given that death was due to pressure on each side of the neck, considerable force having been used, probably by hands. Senior Detective Boyd said some clothing was recovered near the body. The hearing will be continued tomorrow.