MURDER CHARGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27541, 8 November 1950, Page 8

MURDER CHARGE

Wellington Station Tragedy PA WELLINGTON, Nov. 7. Eleven Crown witnesses were heard in the Supreme Court at Wellington today on the second day of the trial of Leo Sylvester Hannan, a labourer, aged 50, on a charge of murdering Frederick Andrew Stade at Wellington on August 10. Stade’s body was found at the Railway Station soon after 1.18 a.m. on August 10. The last two Crown witnesses will be heard tomorrow. Hannan’s counsel, Mr G. I. Joseph, is expected to call evidence for the defence. Today, Elizabeth Forbes, the proprietress of a bed and breakfast house at 1 Vivian street, told Mr Joseph under cross-examination that a man ngmed Price brought “Bluey” Hannan to the house on July 30, though Hannan was not living at the house at the time of the murder. The witness, who was called by the Crown, said Price paid Hannan’s board after Hannan came to the house on July 30. Hannan left the following Saturday, August 5, at her request. He was in a different room from Price. Witness said Price worked at the gasworks, and was aged 50 to 55 or more. Witness told Mr Joseph that Price did his washing from 2 to 4 in the morning on August 10. She told him he had no business in the washhouse at that time. Mr Joseph: Did he tell you why he did it at that rather strange early hour?—He was a bit peculiar. Did you tell the police about this washing of clothes about an hour after a murder?—Yes. She did not Remember if there were trousers in the washing. There were light and dark shirts. Price limped, witness said, when questioned further. He had a sore leg and was off work at the time. He had used crutches, but did not have them then. He had a stick. Re-examined by Mr W. H. Cunningham, the Crown Prosecutor, witness Jsaid she knew nothing about the washing of clothes till 6 o’clock next morning. She was told about it by another boarder. Mr Cunningham: Had Price made any preparation for washing?—He had it soaking in two tubs the day before. Price was on crutches when he left the house, and she saw him on crutches in the street after that. Details of conversation with Hannan arid evidence as to where Stade and Hannan were standing when the 1.15 a.m. train to Johnsonville pulled out on August 10 were given by the guard of the train, Clement Walter Free Free said Hannan and Stade were the only people on the No. 2 platform when the train left at 1.18 a.m. To Mr G. I. Joseph, counsel for Hannan, Free , said that there could have been another person elsewhere on the station. Just before the train left he spoke to a. stranger on the platform and this man had told him he wanted to go to the lavatory and that the mam one was locked. Free said that at this stage he noticed the nightwatchman Standing, outside the grille gates of No. 2 platform, near the public lavatory. Later he had identified the he , had spoken to as Hannan. Was the man you were speaking to carrying anything, in his hands?—l did not see it. " Did. you,hear any sound or noise when he walked?—No. Did the man have a shuffling walk or limp?—l did not notice. There could have been someone else on the concourse or station?—Yes. Witness Identifies Iron Bar Alfred Alexander Beatty, a hospital cleaner, said that at 1.15 on the night of the alleged' murder he had seen near the station an elderly man carrymg an iron bar which, was making a clinking noise. He had' later seen the man come into the station and on to No. 2 platform, still carrying the iron bar. The Iron bar . produced in court was similar'to the one the man was carrying. Beatty said he had been unable to identify the .man at a parade later. The man walked In a shuffling manner. :.. John O’Connell; dfjver of the locomotive on thei, 1,15 :;a.m.V Johnsonville train, said that»aE>out; ; l..9 a.m. on the night of Stade’s .cfMtotStade ,had;-been talking to a maii;yai;*;the foreman’s office. There to be some altercation between'Stade and a man. The man had been' about sft lOin in height, 10 or 11 stone in weight and dressed in dark clothes and hat. Sergeant C. Scanlon said that at 4.30 a.m. he saw a man--on/the south side of Manners street. He raised no objection when asked to go in the police car. The man was the:accused. .• Detective Sergeant 8.. B. Bevege said he had questioned Hannan when the accused was brought into the Central Police Station., ; Hannan had said he had been walking about “all over the place ’’ since 7 o’clock the previous night. Witness’s attention had been drawn to the face of the accused, where he had observed what he was certain was blood. On the inside of the right trouser leg there was a small piece of fleshy matter. Witness had made a rough sketch of the accused’s face showing the approximate location of the blood spots. There were 18 there and four on the left hand also sketched. The accused had said that the blood spots on his hands were caused by his nose bleeding for four days, but the witness had examined his nose and found no signs of recent haemorrhage. The nose had not been examined by one of the doctors. In witness’s opinion, it was not necessary, as there was no blood in Hannan’s .nostrils. Police Inquiry Questioned Mr Joseph:'After’the accused had been charged did you make inquiries as to another suspect? Witness: There was no direct evidence of any further suspect. Any matter that came in for inquiry was checked. Were you in court when the police were asked to continrie their inquiries about another suspect?—Nothing has been found that would substantiate the accused’s request for further investigation. Have you been able to find where this turnkey came from?—We have made fairly wide inquiries, but we have not been able to ascertain where it came from. Mr Joseph: I put it to you that after you arrested Hannan all further inquiries ceased except for the weapon. —No. What other Inquiries were made? — All information that came into the detective office was investigated no matter what its nature. To Mr Joseph, Detective Sergeant Scott said that Dr Lynch had identified the piece of fleshy matter found on Hannan as a piece of human scalp. The accused was not limping when taken into custody. He had a sort of shuffling gait. Arthur William Baker, a detective described finding the metal bar produced in court in the harbour. Victor Coveny, a constable of the Wharf Police Station, said he saw the accused pass i the Wharf Police Station on the morning of August 10. He first saw him approaching form the north at 1.28 a.m. They exchanged a greeting . Later he identified Hannan at a parade. When sgen on the wharf the accused had nothing in his hands.