MAN ITINERATED IN GAR,

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1930, Page 7

MAN ITINERATED IN GAR,

QUESTIONING OF DRIVER

COUNSEL MAKES SUGGESTION ‘SCHEME TO AVOID WOMEN’ BODY STILL UNIDENTIFIED By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. London, Nov. 27. That Arthur Alfred Rouse, owner of the car in which til© burned body of a man was found, might have desiied the body found in the blazing car to be mistaken for his, enabling him •to disappear and escape the liabilities arising from his relations with a number of women to whom lie was paying money on court orders, in addition to his wife, was the remarkable suggestion of counsel at the resumed hearing. The body is still unidentified.

Counsel pointed out that a wooden mallet found near the car, on which human hairs were found, belonged to Rouse.

Sir Bernard Spilsbury’s post-mortem and other findings were consistent with the victim being rendered unconscious, the body put in the car, soaked with petrol and set alight.

Rotise’s statement to the police related that he picked up an unknown man on the Great North Road, left him in the car temporarily, saw the fire break out, and ran away panic-stricken. He added: “I know several women, but it is an expensive game. My harem takes me to several places. My wife does not ask questions now.” Accused was remanded.

A message of November 10 stated :-?• So badly burned that at first even the sex was hardly distinguishable, the body of a man was found in the smouldering remains of a “baby” car near Hardingstone village. The' police arrested the owner of the car, Arthur Alfred Rouse, who protests his innocences

Sir Bernard Spilsbury, Home Office pathologist, lengthily examined the charred remains, and throughout England inquiries are proceeding in an endeavour to establish the identity of the dead man. The only clue so far is a piece of sqit cloth which escaped the fire.