GISBORNE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1924, Page 5

GISBORNE

MORE DETAILS OF ARREST. BOTH CRIMES ADMITTED. READINESS TO SURRENDER, TRACKED BY THE POLICE, 'By Telegraph—Press Association. Giaborne, Jan. 31. The man arrested on the charge of murdering and outraging Gwendoline Murray. 'Robert Herbert Scott, ia a man for whom the police had been searching since Tuesday. He called on Sunday morning at a Makaraka resident’! house and gruffly demanded food, and his movements since then had been erratic. He stated on Sunday that he had < come from the Hicks Bay freezing works and was making for the Waipaoa works, but he appears to have hung about in the vicinity of the cemetery till the night of the crime. Subsequently he took to the hilh. The police arrested yesterday a Maori of similar description on a charge of vagrancy, but satisfied themselves that he was not the man wanted. Scott told the police that he decided to surrender because he knew he was being hunted and could not possibly get away, and he felt exhausted. The accused man is of slim build, but wiry, sft 7in in height. He gave big age as 33 yeart. “THREW IN THE TOWEL.” Inspector Hutton states that when Scott was apprehended at Matawai he was in a bad way, being completely exhausted from constant travelling and little food, and apparently was under * great mental strain. He said he was beside himself, being tired out. He had been hunted from pillar to post and threw in the towel. He intimated that he wished to give himself up to the dice and made an admission, both witu respect to the outra~e and to the murder. A statement to this effect was taken in writing and ~ is in the possession of the inspector. / The accused is understood to be a Canterbury man. His parents are both dead. He had been at Hicks Bay working, but things were elack there and he endeavoured to get work on the Port Elliot, but was unsuccessful and came down the coast looking for work. He reached Gisborne on Sunday. He had little or no money. A singular coincidence in connection with the police investigation is that there were two men roving the country, both of unkempt appearance and erratic movements, and botii wearing white shoes, who crossed each other’s tracks. The police arrested one of them on a charge of vagrancy, but soon satisfied themselves that he was not the man who was wanted. CHARGED AND REMANDED. It is reported from Matawai that Scott appeared in the township between 4 and 5 o’clock yesterday and naked his way to the nearest police station. At ▼ 5.45 o’clock he arrived at a nettler’e station lj miles on the Motu side of Matawai and asked what he should do to get in touch with the police station. He refused to leave and said he wished to give himself up. The settler communicated with Matawai and information was sent to the police. Scott was charged in the Magistrate’* Court this morning with the murder o( Gwendoline Kathleen Murray. Inspector Hutton applied for a remand till February 8 in order that furthei inquiries could be made. The accused was accordingly remanded.