THE TIMARU MURDER

Southland Times, Issue 18984, 19 November 1920, Page 5

THE TIMARU MURDER

MATTHEWS BEFORE THE COURT. THE PRELIMINARY HEARING. SOME NEW EVIDENCE. (Per United Press Association.) TIMARU, November IS. Reginald Matthews, charged with the murder of Clarence Edward Wagstaff at Timaru on October 27, appeared at the Magistrate’s Court this morning before Mr Mosley, S.M. Mr A. T. Donnelly (acting Crown Prosecutor of Christchurch) conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr C. S. Thomas, of Christchurch, was counsel for accused. Accused entered the dock without displaying any emotion, and wearing several days’ growth of whiskers. He appeared to take a keen interest in the proceedings. Mr Donnlly made a full opening statement. He said that although the Magistrate had presided at the inquest, additional and important evidence would now be submitted. He would outline the case under several heads;—(l) The movements of accused from October 5 to about 8 p.m. on October 27, within three hours of the murder. (2) The movements of the person who committed the murder. (3) The movements of accused after that time until his arrest. (4) Certain documentary and other evidence tending to connect accused with the crime. Under the first head came the statements of the Phillipson family. He stayed one night at Phillipson’s and left a dress basket and a box there on going to Timaru next day, October 20, taking with him a leather suit case from Timaru. He posted to a Mrs Davey in Dunedin a box of chocolates, and got back a receipt in the name of Irving. It would be proved that some time before he had asked Mrs Davey to address letters to him in that name. This was a factor of some importance in the case. Two young women would be called to testify that they were rudely accosted by a man in the street not far from the scene of the murder, and they both identified the prisoner as the man. Evidence would be called to show that the accused was found in an untenanted house belonging to Mr Robert Parr, and was permitted to stay there on the plea that he could. not get lodgings, and Mr and Mrs Parr would identify the accused. Subsequent to his arrest some vases and signed postcards stolen from the house were found in. accused’s belongings. Coming to the actual crime, Mr Donnelly said that three shots were fired, and three empty cartridge cases were found in Wags lairs garden, one of them on the night of the murder, one next morning, and the third on November 3; and also three Post Office counterfoil receipts for parcels sent from Wellington to Taihape, addressed “Mrs C. Hall, Taihape.” On the back of each was impressed with a rubber stamp, “Young Brown, champion lightweight boxer of California, 1917-18, bom. Invercargill.” The stamp had been handmade and set up by hand. In a search of Parr’s house, in the room accused had occupied, four pieces of paper were found, apparently tom from a writing block, and on each of them was the same stamped impression. Accused returned to Christchurch on October 28 and went to the Phillipsons, where the murder was mentioned. He said that “they would have to prove it on the man.” When he left the Phillipsons he said he was going to Wellington. He was arrested at Lyttelton after wounding Constable Templeton with an automatic pistoL Five cartridges were taken out of the pistol, and these were of the same kind as the empty cases found in the garden. When arrested accused had in his possession some papers marked with the rubber stamp previously mentioned, and in his suit case was found the rubber stamp with which the impressions had been made. The suit case was identified as the prisoner’s by Mrs Phillipson, who recognised some of the clothing in it. The accused’s dress basket was taken on the steamer to Wellington, and in it were found the three vases and signed postcards which had been stolen from Parr’s house. In it were also writing which would be proved to be in accused’s handwriting, and his photograph, and on the back of this in his handwriting were the same words as those of the rubber stamp. After his arrest a number of people identified the accused as a man whom they had seen in the locality of the murder, and within a few hours of the commission of the crime.

Stanley B. Clifford, licensed surveyor, produced a plan scene of the murder. J. E. Pigott produced a photograph of the scene, but counsel for accused objected since the photograph was a reconstruction of the crime showing a man crouching beside a wall. He agreed to have another photograph taken. Two young ladies gave evidence of being accosted by accused near the scene of the murder on October 23 and 27 respectively. They identified the man as accused. Robert Parr and Mrs Parr gave evidence concerning the trespass by accused in their unoccupied house. He did not stay there all night. He was cooking something and was told to get out when he had done, and he left half an hour later carrying a brown paper parcel. Constable Smith, who had been given duty in plain clothes in Wai-iti road because of complaints of women being molested, testified that accused came along the street and witness, after some conversation in which accused said his name was Irving, challenged him to go to a house where girls who had complained lived, and accused then bolted. Witness gave chase but lost him. H. Scott, the' owner of the house referred to, gave corroborative evidence about accused bolting. Clifford Wilson Knapp, deceased’s companion, gave evidence as at the inquest about, seeing a crouching man moving about the house about 11 p.m., of the two young men endeavouring to capture him, and of the man turning at a corner of the house and firing a shot at them. Then he moved on a few paces, turned and fired two more shots. After the third shot deceased staggered and fell. The man jumped over a fence and witness followed through the gate and went after him some distance. He then returned on bearing deceased’s cries. Deceased’s parents and sisters were then attending to him. A doctor arrived and then Constable Palmer, who found a slip of paper about where the second and third shots were fired. It was a counterfoil of a parcel post receipt. He did not identify the accused at the gaol on November 3. Henry' Wagstaff, father of deceased, said that his son was 19 years of age. At about 11 p.m. on October 27 he heard a noise as of persons running round the house. He went out and found his son lying on the path.

To Mr Thomas: He saw a man leap over the fence. He saw him crossing; the lawn to the fence, and saw a revolver in his band. The man appeared to fire three times, but witness heard no report, and he thought the revolver was unloaded. The man seemed to take deliberate aim.

Dr Gibson gave evidence of the treatment and subsequent death of deceased at 12.15 am. At the post mortem examination next day he found a bullet wound beside the breast bone. The bullet had passed through the gullet. Deceased died of hemorrhage. The bullet was extracted and handed to the police. A statement made by the dying man befor his removal to the hospital was put in by Constable Palmer. It was as follows: "Clifford woke me up and said someone was trying to get into the house. Then we chased him and he shot me.” Witness said he searched about and found a folded parcel post counterfoil above mentioned about ten feet from where the boy was lying. Knapp was present and said there was no one of that name in the house. About 4.15 am. next day he picked up a cartridge case near the same spot. He saw another that was found next day. Detective Abbott gave details of the various other discoveries in Timaru, concerning the stamped paper and comparisons of impressions on several papers found, and concerning the contents of accused’s dress basket as mentioned by the Crown Prosecutor. The Court adjourned till 10 am.