TRIAL OF MANLY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1930, Page 11

TRIAL OF MANLY

MANLY’S LETTERS READ HEARING OF MURDER CHARGE “A. BROKEN-HEARTED MAN” VICTIM’S BROTHER FAINTS CASE FOR CROWN REVIEWED Ry Teiegraph-—Press Association. Wanganui, Aug. 12. The trial of Herbert Frederick Manly for the alleged murder of Gladys Cromarty at Wanganui on May 9 was continued before the Chief Justice and a jury to-day. Stanley Goven Cromarty corroborated much of the evidence his sister Dora gave yesterday. On April 10 he received a telegram from Manly asking him to go to Wellington. He went and worked at the New Zealander Hotel. The next day Gladys left the hotel and returned to Wanganui. The same evening witness and Manly were paid off and both retur..ed to Wanganui, but intended going back to Wellington later. On their arrival witness and Manly stayed at the house of Mrs. Cromarty. He believed that on the Friday morning Manly asked him where the police station was. He called at his home in the' afternoon and found his sister dead. Cross-examined, Cromarty said he had not met Manly until three weeks after the engagement. A dramatic episode occurred when Cromarty fainted in the box after asking for a drink of water. . His mother, wild was in Court, began to w*eep and' had to leave the Court room. The crossexamination of Cromarty Was postponed and another witness was heard. George Orr, who was staying with the Cromartys, said he was in the house on the Thursday evening prior to the' departure of Gladys and Manly to the pictures. Orr had remarked that it was funny & man taking a girl to the pictures when his engagement had been broken.

MANLY RUNNING AWAY. Charlotto McGrath said .she was passing along Ridgway Street on Friday, May 9, and saw a man run down Wilson Street. On May 17 witness identified Manly as i the man she had seen running away. Mr. Treadwell (counsel for accused): After this tragic happening did not a great deal appear in the newspapers together with a photograph of accused?” Witness: “I do not think so.” ’ Counsel: "Did not accused’s photograph appear before you went round to the police station?” Witness: "I do not know; I was at the police station on the second day of the Wanganui races.” Counsel: “Unfortunately I do not know what day that was.” Witness: “It was May 17.” Counsel: “Before you went to the police station you had the ' benefit of seeing accused’s photograph in the newspapers?” Witness: “Yes.”

His Honour: “I hope the Press will carefully consider the propriety of publishing photographs of accused persons. Sometimes it may be an advantage to accused persons, but on the whole I myself think that it should not be done.” Noel McDonald said he met Manly on the Friday in question. They had a couple of drinks together and Manly stated that his engagement had been broken. '

Vera Campbell, Wellington, said she saw Manly and Gladys Cromarty in Wellington. She was speaking to them. Gladys Cromarty was wearing her ring on her, right hand. Witness knew of the engagement. Witness next met Manly' on May 3. She went to see Manly because Gladys Cromarty had not written. He told witness he was leaving and said that Gladys and he were finished. Manly said if he could not have Gladys nobody would.

FAMILY ENJOYED HIS COMPANY.

To Mr. Treadwell she said she thought the statement was silly. Stanley Cromarty returned to the witness box and continued his evidence. To Mr. Treadwell he said he did not come into contact with Manly till about three weeks after the engagement. He remembered when Manly stayed with his nfother prior to going to Wellington. During that time witness saw a good deal of Manly and thought he was “a nice chap.” The family enjoyed being in Manly’s company. Cromarty was out of work and Manly was anxious to get him a situation. Cromarty later went to Wellington and was met by his sister Gladys and Manly. He went to the New Zealander Hotel and started work the day after his arrival. His sister then returned to Wanganui. The proprietor of the hotel paid off both Manly and Cromarty. Mr. Treadwell: “Why did-that happen : ' Cromarty replied that Manly was not suitable. He appeared depressed. There was no objection to Manly taking his sister to the pictures on the night prior to the tragedy. On the morning - of the tragedy Manly, appeared to bo nervous and was shaking all over. Later the same morning both Cromarty and Manly had a game of billiards. Manly later asked witness where the police station was. All appeared to be happy at lunch time. On Friday night witness expected Manly to pay a social call at W anganui East. Detective Walsh gave evidence of going to the scene of the tragedy in response to a message. The body was lying in the kitchen as described by Di. Adams. Witness was unsuccessful in finding a weapon about the house. On returning to the police station at 6.20 the detective saw Manly there and he commenced his examination. The detective asked Manly to step on to a table and Manly replied: “I am not denying it.” Detective Wdlsh identified a letter which the Crown Prosecutor (Mr. R. Bain) remarked Manly had written .to his mother and father. The detective said he had received it from the inspector of police at Wanganui about a week a</o with a of papers relating to Manly’s antecedents. The inquiries had been made by the Surrey police. • Mr. Treadwell protested against the letter being put in and His Honour stated he would not let the contents of the letter go to the jury. Mr. Bain said his object in producing the letter was to establish the date

upon which it was posted from Wanganui, The letter was not admitted. Among the papers found on Manly at the police station was a pawn ticket having the name H. Manly, New Zealander Hotel, udoii it. The ticket showed that he had pawned a five-stone diamond ring with VV. Smart for £3. The ring, which was produced and which had been uplifted by the Wellington police, had been identified by Mrs. Cromarty. A letter was then read by Detective Walsh. He could not decipher the date. Mr. Treadwell said he had worked out that the letter had been written on Thursday, May 1. The letter implored Gladys to take the engagement ring back and stated that Manly’s love for her had preyed on his brain. It was signed: “Your broken-hearted lover Bert.” Mr. Bain said there vrere numbers of other letters but no good purpose could be served by putting them in. CROWN’S CASE REVIEWED. Addressing the jury Mr. Bain said the facts were neither long nor complicated. “This man is in a most unfortunate position,” he said. “He is in danger of losing his life and it has been the duty of the Crown to bring - not only the evidence against him but any evidence we could find in his favour. “You will have no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that this girl Gladys Barrington Cromarty was murdered. It is for you to ask yourselves whether. Manly did murder her, and the second question you: have to decide is whether he had any intention of killing her. ■ • “You will find no difficulty in determining that she', died through a cut throat, and you must ask yourselves whether Manly did it.” Mr. Bain briefly : reviewed the evidence by the Crown, which he said showed the conduct of Manly up to the date of the girl’s death and subsequent to it. : . • “These two people : met in January, 1930, and became engaged,” he said. “Then because of something which at the moment we do not know she broke the engagement and returned the ring, and you know what he did with that

nng ’ .... X “The letters he wrote are significant in themselves. You will have no difficulty in deciding that when tho engagement was broken he was a brokenhearted man. In one letter written to the sister Dora from the gaol in Wellington he. says:— ‘The only thing is I’ve not written homo since April. It’s been «-a .hard enough fight to write to you; what I really like to I can’t, but this I can say: What I. did was in love and jealousy and not in hate. When I was repeatedly told to forget her and not to worry I could not and I don’t believe ever I could have done.’

“This was a letter,” said Mr. Bain, “written to the sister of this girl on July 8 two months, after the commission of the offence, if he did commit it. I suggest to you that he did commit it and that he was sane because he says he did it in jealousy and not hate. There is no evidence of insanity in this case, no evidence of insobriety.” His Honour; “Of course, Mr. Bain, 1 will direct the jury that according to our law a man is sane until he is proved otherwise.”

The Court thenadjourned until 19 o’clock to-morrow morning, when Mr. Treadwell will address the jury. It is expected that his address will last two hours.