THE BURWOOD MURDER

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 24

THE BURWOOD MURDER

DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT.

TAXI DRIVER ARRESTED.

CHRISTCHURCH. July 27.

After six weeks of investigating, the Christchurch detectives to-day arrested Charles William Boakes on a charge of having murdered Ellen Gwendoline Isohel Scarff at Burwood on June 15 last. The arrest was made by Detective-sergeants J. Bickerdike and B. Young. Boakds stepped briskly into the dock when his name was called at the Magistrate’s Court shortly after noon. Mr A. W. Brown appeared for the prosecution and Mr C. S. Thomas appeared for Boakes.

The charges read out were: — (1) That on or about June 15, 1927, at Burwood, near Christchurch, he murdered one Ellen Gwendoline Isobel Scarff. (2) That at Christchurch on or about May 16, 1927, he unlawfully supplied a noxious drug—to wit, ergot—to one Ellen Gwendoline Isobel Scarff, knowing that the drug was intended to be unlawfully used. Mr Brown asked for a remand until Thursday of next week. “I have no objection,” said Mr Thomas* The remand asked for was granted. Boakes stood in the dock for perhaps 60 seconds. He is tall and clean-shaven and fair in colouring. His fawn-coloured raincoat was buttoned up. In the charge sheet the age of Boakes was given as 37 year's, his country as New Zealand, his occupation as that of a taxi-driver, and his address as 22 Windsor terrace, Christchurch.

Boakes is the man who. within two or three days of the murder, was detained for some hours at the police station and questioned uv the detectives. He was at one time m the employ of Air Walter Scarff. father of the muiaered girl, and had known her since she was a child.

POLICE INVESTIGATIONS. THE COMMISSIONER IN CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, July 28. Five members of the detective force, under the control of Inspector Camcron, have been conducting the investigations in connection with the Burwood tragedy. Detective Sergeant James Bickcidike, whose transfer to Auckland was announced some days prior to the tragedy, is one, and the others are Detective Sergeant Young and Detectives Walsh (Wanganui), Jarrold (Wellington), and Laugeson (Christchurch). Police Commissioner MTlveney arrived in Christchurch this morning. He said that his visit was purely official, and he would not answer the question whether the reward in connection with the Burwood murder had been claimed.

It was -(ported from Christchurch m June 15 '-hat some time dining that day a woman, aged about 30 years, had been murdered in some broom in a paddock in Lake Terrace road. Burwood. About 1.30 o’clock a small boy. who was searching through the scrub for cows, found the body. He asserted that he saw a man running away from it. He communicated immediately with the Rev. C. A. Tobin, who went to the scene and found the body of the woman. The head was smasa.'d in, two deep wounds being inflicted one over each eye. The body was lying on its back, and was that of a short, fairly stout woman. The dark, short hair was matted with blood, and there was much blood on the ground round about, indicating that there might have been a struggle. The woman was dressed in a naw blue dre<\ with black stockings and black shoes. A greenish-coloured cardigan and a fawn overcoat, fastened with one large button, wis also worn. A black hat. of some plush material with a cerise flower in front, was under a bush about 4ft from the bodv. The woman was wearing brown kid gloves, which were stained with blood. All round the small open space in the broom in which the body was found were bloodstains. A light blue waterproof coat was smothered in blood. The woman's head had lain on it. Nearby were a short umbrella of stylish shape, a. brown-paper parcel, and a small attache case. In the attache case were a clean nightdress, a comb and brush, and other odds and ends of a woman’s toilet equipment. On the blue cape were found several pieces of bone, showing that the blows struck were delivered with considerable force. The brown-paper parcel contained two pairs of shoes and a black fur. Residents in the neighbourhood stated that on a number of evenings a man had been seen wandering about in the vicinity. The scene of the tragedy is only about 20ft from the roadway and about a quarter of a mile from the Burwood soldiers’ monument.

The youth Mumford stated that he was just riding into the scrub in Lake Terrace road in search of his cows when he saw a man, small in stature and wearing a dark suit and a dark felt hat, running through, the broom. At the same time he noticed a leg protruding through a gap in the scrub. The man was going in a north-easterly direction, which, if continued. would bring him to the Bottle Lake road. The boy immediately went to the spot, and gathering the position from a glance, rushed off to give- the alarm. He did not survey the location in minute detail, and thought that the body on the ground was that of a man. He did not see the face of the man who was running away. "I think I have seen the woman on a number of occasions,” added the boy. "She used to come down Bottle Lake road and meet a tramcar at about midday. On it would be a man in a tweed suit, with m hat and dark hair, brushed straight

back. He would join the woman, and the two would walk a little way and sit down to have lunch. The woman always carried an attache case similar to that found with the murdered woman’s body. The man would be about 25 years of age, and the man I saw running through the broom I judged to be also about that age. However, I have not seen the pair for nearly a month, and even when I used to see them it was not every day. They would come on a Monday, and then I would not see them again until the Wednesday.” It would appear that the woman was struck from the front with some heavy instrument. There were two deep incisions on her forehead, one over each eye, and her head had been further badly battered.

Dr Beveridge Davis, who examined the body before it was taken to the morgue, found that, in addition to the wounds in the forehead, there were wounds on the scalp itself. The wounds indicated that they had been inflicted by s ome heavy instrument, possibly iron. In the scrub four yards from the body, was found a tuft of human hair, brown in colour, and about 6in long. It was not the colour of the woman’s hair, and looked as if it had been tugged out in a struggle. The woman’s hands were clenched, and, although her gloves were soaked with blood, there was no blood on the hands themselves. A later message stated that the victim had been identified a s Gwendoline Scarff, of 11 Thorrington street. Cashmere, a single woman, aged 20. in service. She was not living at home. Her faher was Mr Walter Scarff, a member of the Heathcote County Council. From clues gathered, it was believed that the murder was premeditated, and was committed with some weapon, such as an axe. A free in the vicinity had been found cut freshly, and a piece of doth was tied on a wire fence nearby. Boys found a bloody shirt on the Bottle Lake road near the scene. A further message from Christchurch on June 17 stated: lhe taxi driver whom the police interviewed yesterday for eight hours on end told a reporter this morning that he had not seen Miss Scarff since Saturday at noon, and she then said she was going north. He had given the police h: s finger-prints when asked to do so.

The following is a diary-of the tragedy from the date that the murder was discovered until the arrest on Wednesday of Charles William Boakes :— M ednesday, June B.—Miss Scarff left her employment as a domestic servant at Cashmere. Ihursday, June 9.—Registered in the evening at the Hotel Federal under the name of ‘‘Miss Armstrong.” Friday, June 10.—Remained at the hotel during the morning. In the afternoon her mother called and endeavoured to persuade her to return home. Her mother had just left her when, in response to a telephone call which she asked to be sent, a taximan called, and was greeted by her with the words: “Oh. it’s you.” " She conversed with this man for about 20 minutes in her room. Saturday, June 11.—Telephoned to her mother and said : “We are going north,” but would not explain what was meant by “We.” In the afternoon she was seen in the street and spoken to by a taxidriver, to whom she told what she had already told her mother. Sunday, June 12.—1 n the hotel most of the day. She went out after lunch, but soon returned, and remained in the hotel. Monday. June 13.—At the hotel. She was expected to leave on this day, having advised the management that she'would do so, but she altered this arrangement and advised them that she would leave on the following day. She spent most of the day in her room. Tuesday, June 14.—At the hotel till after 10 a.m. At 10.30 a.m. a taxi driver called, and at her instructions took her - bags to the tramway shelter parcels office, she accompanying him. At 2.30 p.m. she was seen bv the taxi driver talking in the street near her hotel to a man. At about 5.45 she left the Federal Hotel, walking. She had settled her account, after having had to obtain money from some other person to do so. Wednesday, June 15.—Body found shortly after 1 p.m. in the scrub at Burwood. Her wristlet watch, smashed on her arm. had stopped at 12.30 o’clock. Thursday, June 16.—A blood-stained spanner was found in the lupins near the spot where the minder occurred. Friday, June 17.—Two suitcases belonging to the murdered o-ii'l were located at the tramway parcels office in Cathedral square. A dilapidated overcoat was found by Eric Mugford in the lupins near the scene of the tragedy. The inquest lon the murdered girl was opened and, after evidence of identification had been given, was adjourned. Saturday, June 25.—A blood-stained military overcoat was found in a patch of scrub about a mile from the scene of the tragedy and on the road leading to the city. Wednesday. July 27.—Charles William Boakes arrested on a charge of murder and remanded.