KALGOORLIE TRAGEDY

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 30

KALGOORLIE TRAGEDY

THE MURDERED DETECTIVES. PERTH, July 17 At the inquest in connection with the deaths of Inspector Walsh and Sergeant Pitman, Detective-Sergeant Manning gave evidence that Evan Clarke, one of those held on a charge of murder, made two statements, the second of which resulted in Coulter’s arrest. On the strength of the other statement he and other detectives found near the Boulder racecourse some earth which contained congealed blood, which Clarke said had been put there by Coulter after it had been removed from the bush in his (Clarke’s) car. Detective-Sergeant Manning said that about 50 paces from the gold-treating plant, where it is alleged the detectives were killed, a spot was found, from which some earth had been removed. The* inquest was adjourned. CLARKE CAREFULLY GUARDED. PERTH, July 1. Clarke is kept separate from the others who are charged with murder. At the inquest he attends the court under a strong police guard. This is alleged to be the outcome of threats arising out of statements which he is reported to have made to the police. Arising out of the murder of Inspector Wafsh and Sergeant Pitman, whose bodies were found foully mutilated in an abandoned shaft, the police last month arrested Evan Clarke, aged 32, hotel licensee of South Boulder, and Philip John Treffer, aged 51, barman, and charged them with murder. Later, William‘Coulter, a native of New Zealand, was also arrested. At the time they met a violent death the two detectives were engaged tracking goldstealers in the Kalgoorlie district.