TRACKING THE BURWOOD SLAYER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 11

TRACKING THE BURWOOD SLAYER

SEARCH FOE. CLUES: UNKNOWN MARRIED MAN Facts count in murder cases, but the facts known to the police authorities have not yet led to an arrest in connection with the murder of Ellen Gwen doline Scarff, at Bimvood last Wednesday. The girl was obviously mentally distressed the day before she was found dead. She had a bur-don of worry, details of which she made known to a friend of her family not far from her father's homo, early on the Tuesday evening. To this friend she explained her position and told of her relationship with a married man. She said what she had. done with her savings, which did not amount to any great sum. It is plain from the story told with her own lips that she was facing a crisis in her life, and that the future gave her concern. There is reason to believe that Miss Scarff intended to visit her home that evening and confide in her mother, but she evidently changed her mind and went to Christchurch, which she left at 9 p.m. • It was next day that the tragedy other death was made known. Did she sleep anywhere on the Tuesday night, or was she murdered at half an hour after midnight? Her broken wrist-watch had stopped at 12.30. . One of her relatives holds strongly to the opinion that she was murdered on the Tuesday night, though the appearance of the body, and circumstances generally discount the .suggestion of much time having elapsed between the commission and discovery of the crime. Trunks found at the left luggage office contained among other things a bank book belonging to the dead girl. This showed that up to within a few days of her death she had £l7 on deposit, but the amount was withdrawn in sums of £l4 and £3. That money is accounted for bv her remarks to her friend. It apparently did not go in payment of an account " The married man who know the girl' had told her that his own family life was " a hell," and lie had mentioned a divorce.