To Stand Trial

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 69, 18 October 1930, Page 5

To Stand Trial

WIFE MURDER CHARGE. TOWNSEND IN COURT. EVIDENCE OE ARREST. Alexander Townsond was committed for trial yesterday by Mr. 11. W. Tate, S.M., on a charge that on the morning of September * 15/ at Fltzroy, bo murdered his wife, Cora Alice Townseud. No verdict will bo returned in the inquest proceedings" until after the Supreme Court 'hearing. STORY OF THE ARREST.

Constable La Pouple, Waitara, said he notified of the murder at 6.30 a.m. on September 1(3. He 'phoned Mr. Huso at 7 o'clock. At 8 o'clock he received a message from Mr. Muse that the accused was at his house at Ouaero. Ju company with witness' sun ho hurried to Oiuuero, arriving there before i), o'clock. Immediately lafjter his arrival land while on the way up to the house, whjjch was from 50 to 100 yards off the main road, he heard a car tooting as it canio down the hill from Urenui. He saw that it was O'Donneii's car, which was pulled up opposite witness! car. He saw the accused in the front seat Witness went over and opened the door of the car on the same iside as the accused was sitting, He helped Townseud out on to the r,oad and told him lie was under arrest for the murder of his wife, and placed tha handcuffs on him,

POCKET KNIFE, GUN AND

CARTRIDGES.

Witness had been informed accused was armed with a gun. After putting the handcuffs on him, witness searched his pockets. Ho found a pocket knife (produced). The knife has • a hooked blade like a pruning knife, it was very sharp and looked aa if it had been recently sharpened on an oil stone. He found seven unexploded . shot-gun cartridges (produced) in his coat pocket, and two other live cartridges were handed to witness by Mr. (J'Donnell, the car driver. The gun produced, was the one banded to him by O'Doiuiell. Witness saw the gun in, the back of the car ■while bo was searching the accused. The gun was not loaded but it was assembled ready for use.

RESISTANCE BY ACCUSED m

Witness told the accused lie was going to bo t*aken to Waitara. He resisted violently and said he would kick the bus to pieces and lie would have to b& dragged there. Wlitness tried to humour him, but without success. "With the assistance of his son witness threw, accused on the road and lashed his legs with a ropu from his own car. The long end of the rope was passed through the chain of the handcuffs and his bauds were pulled down to his feet. Ho had then to bo forced into witness' car, and in that condition he was brought into the Waitara lockup. On the way in he asked if Ins wile was dead and when; told she was he replied: "It's ab- good job. X should have done it years . lg o". WhW'the knife was put on the table he said "That's what, I did it with; that's the knife. String me up six times over .1 do not want airy trial. I did it". Ho also said: "That's the knife and that's the gnu. 1 don't want to put the eounry to the expense of trying nie". Witness was informed by accused Jto bad walked from New Plymouth to Waitara that morning in the dark and rain.- He also said he was goto shoot Mr. and Mrs. Huso and Mr. Latham and be expected the police would have followed him out from New Plymouth and that if a car had stopped and the police had gob out ho would have shot the lot of them. He also said that ho was going to kill tdie Huses and Mr. Latham and then give himself up to the police. He said he intended to kill himself, but he thought he would kill the others first.

IN A VERY EXCITED STATE "Witness examined \acttusfcd\s jcfothes, but could not detect any blood stains on them. His clothes were not wet when witness got him. Ho was wearing the coat and trousr era produced. He appearodto be in m very excited condition, and witness thought he was Buffering from the effects of liquor. SMARTLY HANDCUFFED. To Mr. Moss: He made no attempt to escape or struggled before lie had been handcuffed.

To Inspector Fraser: Ho was handcuffed before he knew what had happened. They were on almost as Boon as he alighted from the car, and witness thought he was dumbfounded. CONSTABLE'S fcVIDENCE. Constable King said that at 2.55 a.m. on September 16 ho went to SackviUe Street. Witness was directed to the sit-ting-room, where he saw the body of Mrs. Townsend lying face downwards in a pool of blood on the «floor close to |bhe door through which he had entered. He made a hurried examination first of the b«ly. Tie was satisfied the woman was dead. He pulled back the collar and saw the neck was almost severed from the body. There was various patches and pools of blood on the furniture and floor. Witness telephoned for assistance and a doctor from Jones' house. Returning to Mrs. Viekers' house he again went to the sitting-room.- A' man's wet overcoat and nmbrella were found. Witness- produced the clothing worn by Mrs. Townsend. There were cuts through the collar, back and lapel of the coat and a cut on the left collar of the bod.

Shortly after 11 a.m.. the same day lie was in the watchhouse when. Town-send' was brought from Waitara. He was very talkative and as soon as he got inside he said: "I'm the man. I've done. I know what I've done. I've done it for a good purpose. I must say I was drunk lasu night".

Ineffective Meiiklejohni (then asked Constable Lapouple if Townsend had been charged. Townsend relied ."No", The* detective then charged him with murder and issued the usual warning. '"I know I am charged with murder",- replied Townsend. "I did it. ; I did it for my daughter's sake. Is- ishe dead " •*'Yes", replied the detective."ThaVa a good job", said Towiosend. "Don't have a court. Hang me right away., It ought to have been done years ago". DETECTIVE'S VIjSIT T,O HOUSE Detective Meiklejohu said he arrived aij the hou.se in Sackville Street with Inispctor Fraser and two constables. Referring to (the raincoat he said that in one of the pockets was a box of 11 cartridges, size V2, number 4 shot. Other things in the pocket were a box of matches and a double-bladed pen-knife, 'apparently used for cutting tobaccoWhen Townsend was brought to the New Plymouth watchhouse he was wearing a slate-blue grey suit and felt hat priduced. He started talking a good deal. "I am the man", ho said. "I've done it. I know I've done it for a. good purpose". Witness asked Constable Lapouple if Townsend had been charged. The constable s;iid ho had. The detective warned Townsend in the usual terms and asked him if he knew what lie was charged with.

"Yes, murder", lie replied. "I did it. is she dead ". "Yes", replied the detective. "Well, it's a— — good jab for the girl's sake", said the man. "Don't have a court. Hang mo right away". "That's the knife I used, that's the knife. There's no insane or anything about me. Should have been done years ago. That's the gun. It was never used, but if you had come along it Mould have been used. There is no insanity here—a clear mind".