THE GREY LYNN TRAGEDY

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 5

THE GREY LYNN TRAGEDY

OEFN VERDICT RETURNED. AUCKL AND, September 19. ; The inquest on the murdered youth, Francis Jew, was continued this morning. , Thomas Edward M'Mahon stated in evidence that he was 22 years oi age. On Saturday, July 16, he met deceased at Car!a a Park, where they had some drink. He carried a bottle of champagne in his pocket, lie left the football ground alone, had a drink at the Albert Hotel on the way home, left there at 6 p.m., took the tram to Grey Lynn, and sat son a seat outside Shearer's shop. Jew and M‘Gregor came along there also and sat on the seat. M'Gregor left, and witness and Jew went down a right-of-wav. He could not remember asking Jew to go there and have a drink. Then they rode on the Grey Lynn car. He couldn’t say where they got off. They met some boys—Mat Brodie, Jack Gordon, and a boy named Don —who went back with witness and Jew. lie thought they went right on to the terminus, but he had a very hazy recollection of the incidents deposed to by ether witnesses. He remembered having a drink of champagne.. Continuing, witness said that he could not remember seeing Jew later, or hearing him say he wanted to go and sleep in a stable or go to a vacant se-ti-ni near the church. If Jc.v did, lie (witness) had too much liquor to remember. lie saw Lupton about half an hour after he left Jew, but his mind was a perfect blank. Next tiling lie remembered was coming bark from Point ( ievalier in Lupton’s ’Lius; but be remembered nothing about what occurred on the trip till he met some mates at Shearer’s*shop. He went home with Stan Rodgers, Fred Edmonds, and M 'Gregor about 11 p.m. His mother heard him come in. He iirst heard about the murder on Sunday. He might then have said he left Jew at the terminus the night before, but he didn’t remember. He had heard a man named Dunn say that he saw someone like him (M‘Mahon) near the vacant section, lie might have crossed over to the section, but lie was in such a condition that ho did not know what he did. The cross-examination of M'Mahon had not concluded when the inquiry was adjourned for the day. Wit ness was very closely questioned as to his movements on the night of the murder. In reply to a question M'Mahon said he must have been very drunk on Saturday j evening, as he did not remember any- : thing. Counsel for the Crown: The police 1 asked you, did they not, if you were drunk, and you said, “Deceased was not drunk, but he had taken some drink, which could not be noticed on hirn, and I was in a similar condition?” —Witness: Yes. If that was your state of sobriety you "could have remembered what happened that evening?—Witness: Yes. Then whit you told the police was untrue? —Witness: Yes. And you told the police times without remembering them? —Witness: Yes. And did you notice the times you gave filled in the whole evening?—Witness: No. Was that just a coincidence?—-Witness: Yes. The Coroner: Why do you say “yes.” You say the object in giving times was to clear yourself, and now you say it was a coincidence. Witness: I could not remember ; I was only guessing at it. W itness had been in the box for six hours when the proceedings terminated for the day. September 20. The inquest on the young man Jew was continued to-day. Thos. M'Mahon, further cross-examined as to his movements about 10 o’clock on the fata! Saturday night, could make no clear statement. “ I can’t remember seeing anyone,” he said. “It makes no difference to me.” His Worship: "It may make a lot of difference.” Asked if he was with Jew' about that time, he replied: "Not that I know of.” Witness was subjected to a searching cross-ex'.minstion. the following questions being put to him regarding the clothes he was wearing on the day of Jew’s death : The police got the clothes you were wearing on July 16?—Yes. An overcoat, hat, and suit of clothes?— Yes. They were afterwards shown you with part of both trouser pockets cut out?— Y-s. I think they told you the analyst’s report was that there were blood marks on the lining of the pockets, and that it was human blood? —Yes. They also showed you other stains on a part of the pockets not cut out?—Yes. I think they asked you to explain how the blood got on the pockets?—Yes. What did you say?—l told them it might have been caused by cuts on the backs of my hands. I had worn those clothes to work at times. Was that the suit you wore when you went out at night and on Saturdays?— Yes. Have you a working suit?—Yes. This was not your working suit? —No. Do you get your hands cut at work?— Yes. And you suggest that the blood on these pockets came from those cuts?—Yes, I can’t say it was there the blood came from, but it must have been. I had that suit four years. That is your explanation?—lt might also have been done on some other Saturday night when I was out before. How could you get blood on both hands on a Saturday night?—l couldn’t say. You wouldn’t expect it ?—No, I never knew when I might get it on. You never noticed ii. there before?—No, never at any time. You didn’t know it was there at all till the police to Id you? —That’s right. The inquest was adjourned till to-morrow. Towards the close of to-day’s proceedings an individual at the back of the court interrupted proceedings by snapping his fingers in approved schoolboy fashion, and, on attracting the coroner’s attention, he said he would like to make a statement, lie gave his name as Edward Portiere, and described himself as an artist and an authority on psycho-analysis. He said he had signed a statement and given information of what went on in the locality, and as it was a public inquiry be felt he should come forth. lie had been carrying on independent investigations. Mr V. R. Meredith (for the Crown) here said he bad a statement, signed by Portiere. It was a lengthy document, in which he referred to a series of dreams about incidents connected with the murder, and as

a result of which he made investigations, naming certain persons whom he claimed to have been seen in his dreams. Witness proceeded to speak from the box. but the coroner said he did not want to bear about psycho-ana 'ysis. He would be glad to listen if Portiere had any knowledge of the actual facts. After further discussion the coroner ordered witness to stand down. September 21. The inquest on Francis Jew was resurged this morning. Emma Millington, living two doors from the vacant section, gave evidence that she heard a noise of boys squabbling outside her gate about 11.30 on the night of Saturday, July 17. She heard some pass along the right-of-way adjoining. About 12 o’clock she heard some boys quarrelling outside her gate. She told Mr Portierre, who had been making an independent investigation, that she saw blood oit the telegraph poet opposite her house. Her husband put his hand on her gate on Monday morning and got. blood on if. Herbert .Millington deposed that on the Monday morning on going out of Iho gaio he put* his hand on the post and got some blood on it. He thought someone had expectorated with bleed in his mouth. Detective Sergeant Cummings stated that ou July 17 he arrived on the scene of the mm tier, being immediately followed by oth-u' numbers of the police staff. He saw the bodv on the section. After having described the attitude ot the body, witness said Ll:e pockets of the (io'hei s'n... I sign of lnterferen'c, cud his clmiueg was n. early adjusted. A •■•mg oilier things in the mst pocket was a moo ring. Vv ii j found rubs water in Em folds of .o o'er- : cent that was across the lower null of die ■ body. Among oilier details of the state of I dress given minutely by witness was that the tie of deceased was quite normally adjudg'd, and did not appear to have been disturbed. There were no indications of a struggle. To Mr Meredith : Everything peirf d :n his. opinion to the injuries having been inflicted at the spot where the body was found. The coroner commented oil the unsatisfactory nature of some of the evidence, which, unfortunately, did not lead to any very definite conclusion. His duty was to find when, where, and by what means deceased came by his death, and he recorded a formal verdict. He did not think the evidence justified him in saying more.