DEAD BANK ROBBER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17640, 2 December 1931, Page 12

DEAD BANK ROBBER

AIR PISTOL AND KNIFE FRESH POLICE DISCOVERIES Two detective-sergeants an* st SI actively engaged in investigating tlie record of the Australian, Oswald Laurence Coulton, who was shot dead when attempting to roll the think of New Zealand, Roinueru, Auckland, last Tuesday. Although there is evidence that Coulton was criminally inclined, nothing which will t.coniteh link hint up with recent crimes in Auckland has been found.

Coulton’s activities in . crime are indicated by his mode of living, as he was frequently out at all hours ot the night. After he left his farm employment at Papakura, he had no regular work and was not employed on relief work. Conversations he had on the telephone from his apartment house are suggestive of secrecy and they certainlv divulged nothing to any person chancing to hear him speak. A further factor suggesting, that Coulton was a criminal is the finding of a heavy air-pistol and a knife among some belongings which he left at a house lie lived in lor a shoit time. The pistol and knife were not found in the room Coulton occupied at Park road, but in another house in Auckland where he had stayed and had left without paying his board, and where some of his possessions were held bv the landlady. She had never inspected the articles and was unaware -the revolver and knife were among them.

< < AUNTY ’ ’ QUESTIONED The identity of the woman whom Coulton called “aunty” has been established, and the police have interviewed her. She is a married woman with a family. Other women with whom he was friendly have been interviewed. One of them had been engaged to write stories for him. It is clear that not one of the women, hau a suspicion of the true nature of the man they were friendly with.

The cover of an aviation magazine which Coulton lent to a. friend, has Peon much scribbled on in Coulton s handwriting. A dozen or more times on the cover lie. has written his signature, and in addition there is the name MacKav. Peculiarly enough the name is that of the man whose signature Coulton forged in Australia and secured £2512 from a bank. It is a coincidence that Mackay is the name on the pharmacy in Wellesley street where Mr. A. ,T, Blomticld was murdered on October 30. NO DARK SUIT

There is one very important link missing if ..Coulton is to be connected with the murder of Mr. Blomficld. 'I he persons who tendered statements to the .police all say that the man they sail’ running away from the pharmacy had a dark blue suit, but no evidence that Coulton ever possessed one can be found, The clothes he had were a fawn suit and a grey. So far neither of the two men who were in the habit of ringing Coulton up and leaving messages for him has come to light. It. was one of the two who left the message that Coulton was to go to Christchurch and he left the house next day. Whether he ever visited Christchurch has not been learned, but inquiries are being made in that city, and it should not lie difficult to prove the truth or otherwise of Coulton’s statement.

The funeral of Coulton took place at the Papakura Cemetery. No instructions regarding the burial were received from Australia, and it was arranged by friends of the dead man in Papakura.