BURWOOD MURDER

Southland Times, Issue 20207, 18 June 1927, Page 8

BURWOOD MURDER

INQUEST OPENED no SUITCASES FOUND NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, June 17. Tn connection with the Burwood murder ft has been established that Miss Scarff stayed at the Hotel Federal from June 9 to June 14. Mr T. W. Lewis, the proprietor, was approached, but he stated that he was unable to give any information at the moment. From other sources it was learned that Miss Sc-arff had registered under an assumed name at the hotel. She left on Tuesday evening, having previously communicated with a taxi-driver with whom she was acquainted. She informed certain female members of the staff that she was going to Wellington. Nothing more was seen of her until the discovery of the body on Wednesday afternoon. From inquiries made to-day it is learned that the girl stayed at the Federal Hotel under the name of Miss Armstrong and was recognised by a waitress. She made a certain disclosure and said she intended leaving for T he north with a man on Tuesday night. On Monday last the girl’s mother called at the hotel and urged her to return home. The girl refused. SUIT CASES DISCOVERED. TAXI-DRIVER INTERVIEWED. Christchurch, June 17. Two suitcases belonging to Gwen Scarff were found this morning at the Parcels Office in the tramways shelter in Cathedral Square, and the detectives took possession. It is said that the contents of the suitcases give no information of value. She ordinarily carried a handbag and purse in which she kept correspondence and snapshots, but both the handbag and the purse are missing. The police have investigated the story of a man in pajama trousers seen at North Brighton on the day of the murder. They are satisfied he had nothing to do with it. There have been no developments to-day. The 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 had then said she was going north. He had given the police his finger prints when asked to do so. A friend of Miss Scarff says that she was an unusual type of girl, and had been very strictly brought up. Miss Scarff joined the Girls’ Club started in Svdenham by the Y.W.C.A. in 1923. She was a member for some time. For some time she was a nursegirl. INQUEST OPENED. An inquest on the murdered woman opened to-day, but only evidence of identification was taken and the inquest was adjourned.