MURDER OF MR. BLOMFIELD

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1931, Page 7

MURDER OF MR. BLOMFIELD

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT

>ISH AND CHIP SHOP CUSTOMER.

'IDENTIFICATION as 0. L. COULTON.

•j development in the investigation of the murder of Mr. A. J. Blomfield, the ehemist who was brutally attacked in his shop in Wellesley Street, Auckland, en October 30, has strengthened the suspicions of the police that the assailant was Oswald Laurence Coulton, the Remuera bank robber. Coulton has now been definitely identified, states the New Zealand Herald, as the man who entered a fish shop in Queen Street just prior to the murder and bought a parcel ot ftih and chips, which was subsequently found in Mr. Blomfield’s shop. i From the early stages of the investigation the police attached great importance to the.evidence of the proprietress of the fish .shop and of a customer m the pharmacy who saw a man, believed to be the murderer, come from the room where the murder was committed. It wai found that the. woman possessed * clearer memory of the man and the investigating detectives tended to rely more upon her testimony than on that ef the customer. The woman was positive that the parcel of fish and chips found in the pharmacy was ■ purchased from her shop, a fact which linked her customer with the murderer. KO HESITATION in decision. On Friday the woman was shown a photograph of- Coulton secured from Australia. She stated definitely that he was identical with the man who was in her shop.- This was the third occasion on which the woman had been \called upon by the. police for identification purposes. Immediately after the shooting of Coulton by Mr. Youhgs at the, Remuera branch of the Bank of New Zealand, the woman and the pharmacy customer saw his body at the mortuary. At that firn* neither would positively identify; tiie body. The woman also had the opportunity of seeing a photograph of Coulton in a football group, which was taken at Papakura. On that occasion she gave ‘‘half-identification,” but expressed doubt. There was no hesitation m her identification when she . was shown the latest photograph secured by . the police. NEW HOPE OF DETECTIVES.

The apparent inconsistency in the woman’s attitude can be explained. It is a recognised.fact that the appearance of an individual changes after death •nd experienced police officers state that it require® conieone who knows the ceased person well/ to establish identity at the mortuary./ The /photograph of Coulton in the football' team was not a very clear one,- although, he was actually picked out byAho woman, However, he was smiling in the photograph, AO that his appearance was changed somewhat.. ■ '' ‘ . - The woman’s identification has given new hope to the detectives, whose investigation has been a long and wearisome . business, Although they have suspected ' Coulton’s connection with the murder, they now find themselves in possession of something which lifts the case above the circumstantial basis. The police are now particularly anxious to trace Coulton’s movements during the week immediately after the Bjomfield murder. A VISIT TO DEVONPORT. The day of the murder, was a Friday •nd on the Sunday afterwards, November 1, Coulton left.the house in Park Road where he was staying to go, as he saidj to Christchurch. He returned to the house on the following Saturday c and the police have* definite proof that he spent at least some of the week at Devonport. ' It is known that Coulton obtained a shave in a barber’s shop at' Devonport on Monday, November 2, and that he obtained money through the post at the Devonport post office on the following ; Friday’. /: . ' Thorough inquiries by the police have failed to reveal where Coulton stayed ■when at Devonport. The information is most important for the purpose of the investigation and any advice, which would be treated as confidential, would be welcomed by the police.