MELBOURNE MURDERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24970, 17 July 1942, Page 3

MELBOURNE MURDERS

TRIAL OF AMERICAN SOLDIER BARMEN GIVE EVIDENCE MELBOURNE, July 15.'' Evidence that a woman was seen, drinking with an American soldier in a city hotel until after midnight on the night Mrs Pauline Thompson was murdered was given by three witnesses at the court martial hearing to-day of the charges against a United States soldier, Edward J. Leonski, of the murder of three women. One woman witness said she had known Mrs Thompson for 20 years, and she had spoken to her in an hotel that night. None of the three witnesses was able to identify Leonski as the soldier Mrs Thompson was with that night. The barman of the hotel said they had eight or ten drinks. The woman paid for one round and the soldier for the others. Witness said he had been taken to the American camp and shown several soldiers, but he had been unable to identify any as the one in the hotel that night. Further evidence in the Thompson case was reserved. The case of the murder of Miss McLeod opened with evidence that the cause of death was suffocation. A barman employed in an hotel in Beaconsfield parade. Albert Park, said that at about daylight on May 3 he saw an American soldier stooping in a doorway near the hotel. The soldier then walked away. When witness looked in the doorway he saw the body of a woman with her clothes disarranged. The hearing will be continued tomorrow. ALLEGED ADMISSION THE VICTIMS CHOKED MELBOURNE, (Rec. 1.30 a.m.) July 16. Evidence that Private Leonski had admitted to the murder of the three women was presented to the United States court martial to-day. Witnesses said Leonski had said he had choked Miss Hocking because she had a fascinating and a lovely voice. He wanted that voice. He choked Mrs Thompson in Spring street because she was singing to him and he wanted to keep hearing her sing. It was alleged that Leonski said he had met Mrs McLeod in a doorway in Albert Park, that he had placed his arm around her neck, and then choked her. A private of the United States Army said Leonski had asked him whether he had heard of a werewolf. Witness alleged that Leonski had said that he was like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; he had two personalities. The judge-advocate read a medical report which said that Leonski was not insane and never had been. The hearing was adjourned till tomorrow. ANOTHER^MURDER BODY IN HOSPITAL GROUNDS , MELBOURNE, July 16. The nude body of another mux-dered woman has been found in the hospital grounds here. Her throat was bruised, and it is believed that she was strangled. The woman was about 40 years of age. She has not been identified.

A later message says that the victim has been identified as Miss Mary Agnes Earlj aged 42, a frail, grey-haired invalid pensioner who had been attending hospital ns an out-patient.