MANLY ON TRIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 August 1930, Page 9

MANLY ON TRIAL

ALLEGATION OF MURDER DEATH OF GLADYS CROMARTY family tells the story breaking of engagement By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Last Night. A true bill was recorded in the Supreme Court to-day against Herbert Frederick Manly, on a charge of murdering Gladys Barrington Cromarty, and the trial commenced. Air. R. Bain appeared for the Crown and Messrs -J. 1 readw*sl and B. C. Haggitt for the accused. Considerable time was taken up submitting plans of the Cromarty dwelling by Norman Annabell, a civil engineer. Dr. G. J. Adams gave evidence of seeing the body lying in a prone position on° the fluor. There was an incision acrosis the throat. On the day following the tragedy he made a post-mortem examination of the body; He was of the opinion that the wound in< the girl’s throat could not have been self-inflict-ed. It would have required a reasonable amount of force.

Dr. Lynch, pathologist, said he examined 'the shirt produced in court. There were bloodstains on the left cuff. These were tested and proved to be human blood, Splashes of blood on the trousers also proved to be human blood. He examined the knife (produced) which showed blood smears on the handle. Scrapings from the handle, proved to be human blood.

Medical evidence as to the cause of death wai? given along the lines of that given in the lower court by Dr. A. D. ■ Nelson. From the nature of the wound, he said, he would say that it was not self-inflicted. It would be practically impossible for it to be self-inflicted. Mrs. Elizabeth Cromarty, mother of the dead girl/ said Manly had taken a pair of trousers to a dealer and wlmn he brought them home on Friday he had complained about a spot on them and seemed to think that they had not been cleaned properly. Afterwards he went upstairs and put them on. Witness identified the trousers produced in court as the ones she referred to.

“FOR THE LAST TIME.”

On the Thursday night (May 8) Mrs. Cromarty heard Manly say regarding a visit to the pictures, ‘lt will be for the last time.” Then she heard Gladys say, “What do you mean?” . Manly had replied, “It will be for the last time, girl.” The next morning Mrs. Cromarty went into her own bedroom and heard Stanley shouting to her to “come and see this,” “It was to isee Manly’s knives,” witness continues. ‘’He was bending over his suitease and had them loose in his hands.” The knives produced in court were, the ones she referred to.

Mrs. Cromarty proceeded to give in detail the evidence tendered in the lower court. Coming to the Friday afternoon, May' 9, she told of what she thought, was a "Tight step coming from the bathroom after Manly had gone upstairs, then heavy steps in witness’bedroom. After that came the sbund of what she thought to be two people

coming down the stairs. The kitchen door flew open and Gladys fell in. Witness saw Gladys was injured. She screamed and ran out ’the back door. She heard feet in the passage and the front door clicking shut. Under cross-examination Mrs. Cromarty said she first heard of the engagement between Manly and Gladys about the middle of March. Relationships between the two were then happy. Mr. Treadwell: Might I go further and say they were dearly attached to one another? Mrs. Cromarty: Yes. “And you approved of the friendship? —Yes. His Honour: How old was your daughter? —Within a week of being 22. MEMBER OF HOUSEHOLD. Mr. Treadwell: Would I be exaggerating if I said Manly was accepted by you and the other members of the family as a member of the house?— Yes, it was his home. “And he had reached the stage where he was calling you Mum? —Yes. Mr. Treadwell cross-examined Mrs. Cromarty regarding the announcement of the engagement. She said Gladys told her about it first and she seemed delighted about it. .Before the ring had been purchased Manly had made witness a number of presents. Mr. Treadwell: Just as a man would make to the mother of the girl he was engaged to? —Yes. Mr. Treadwell: Was Manly prodigal with his money? Was he anxious to get rid of it to make presents? —Yes. I suppose he was. • “Was Manly at that time anxious to help your eons Stanley and Norman?

Didn't he .go out of his way to try to assist them and get them situations? He behaved, didn’t he, in just the way you would expect a man engaged to your daughter to behave? —Yes. Mrs. Cromarty said Manly was at her house once between the middle of March and the beginning of April. Her daughter was with him and their re; lationship was still happy. Both were rejoicing at the engagement. About the middle of April when Gladys came hack from Koatanui she was in excellent health and was happy. Mr. Treadwell: . And very anxious to go to Wellington to see Manly?— No, Mr. Treadwell. “Then will you tell us why she did go?”—Because she got a very upsetting letter from him. She said she would go and see what was wrong. “While they were in Wellington were you invited to go down there also?”— Yes.

“By whom?”—By Manly. “Did your daughter know of the invitation to you?”—I don’t know.

MESSAGE TO SISTER.

Dora Cromarty, sister of the dead girl, reiterated what she had told the lower court. Manly had telephoned her from Wellington and told her that his engagement to Gladys had been broken, off? °

His Honour: How did he seem to take it?—He seemed very broken-heart-ed about it.

A letter was handed to witness which was recognised by her as one written by Manly to witness and her mother. His Honour and Mr.'Treadwell conferred regarding the contents of this letter. Mr. Bain submitted a further letter written to Dora Cromarty from the gaol at Wellington and dated July 8, 14)30. To Mr. Treadwell witness said that Manly’s manner up till the time of the tragic happening was as it always had been. It was never any different in witness’ opinion until the afternoon of May I). It was only on rare occasions that witness saw Manly on account of her work. She had not seen him at her mother’s house before May 9 and was not in as favourable a position to express an opinion about Manly as was her mother. .

Mr. Treadwell: You had a telephone conversation with Manly; can you describe what you took out of the conservation? Was Manly broken-hearted? Witness: Yes.

Mr. Treadwell: Does that adequately express what you really thought of what Manly said? Witness: Yes; he was heart-broken.

Mr. Treadwell referred to the letter witness had received from Manly about the engagement. “When you got that letter and had that telephone conversation,” he asked, ‘‘did you do anything?” Witness: What do you mean? Mr. Treadwell: Did you see anyone about them; your mother? W’itness: No.

Mr. Treadwell: Your sistei ?—No. Mr. Treadwell: You kept that letter with you until this charge of murder and you never told anybody about it? Witness: Yes. Mr. Treadwell: Why? Witness: Because I didn’t want to worry my mother. At this stage the court was adjourned until to-morrow morning. The jury was retained and will not be freed until after the trial.