ALLEGED CHILD MURDER

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 7

ALLEGED CHILD MURDER

CASE AGAINST LIVERMORE '■ i ~ * STORY OF DEAD GIRL’S MOTHER. BARTERED BODY FOUND IN '■ SCRUB. ■ACTIONS OF INVALID FARMHAND. ■ " '■ 1 1 i» By TelcEraJh.—Press Association. • i’; \ - Wellington, June 8. The •preliminary hearing of evidence in. the murder charge against Horace Frink Livermore in connection with the death of Vera Margaret Forster, aged 4Ji,years, at Upper Hutt on April 15 was proceeded with before Mr. E. Page, S.M., to-day. A. plan of the vicinity andi.photographs of the spot where the body was found were produced in court. In evidence the child's mother said Vera was four and a-half years’ old, At; the end of September Livermore fell off :3. horizontal bar and injured his back and;-.was unable to do any heavy work arbund the farm. Mrs. Forster knew that Livermore’s father had left him some.money, and it was arranged that Livermore should not do any work, but should stay on at Forster’s and pay 15s « for board. He got on fairly — well with the children, but said that Verh was a bit of a nuisance to him. ShSf was always following him about. About a week • before Vera’s death Livermore remarked at the tea table would be better off dead, and whe,h Mrs. Forster remonstrated with hi mi it would be-one fewer to "any way. On another occasion die remarked that ho would pay'.half'of Vera’s funeral expenses. Mrs. Forster did' take much notice of the reniarks?.aU the time, because he often usetl; to «mske remarks • -like - that. - He used to b ecoin e very depressed at times. ‘•BEHAVING STRANGELY.”

Mrs. Forster said that ode night, a man named. Hobbs;came to her house. In reply, to' his' question she said that Livermore -had not been working, had been behaving rather strangely of late and.had not been treating her too well. Next day Livermore told her that he had been-listening. She said she had not said anything bad. about him. He replied: - “No, I don’t say you did but it's nice to know what your landlady knows about you.” 17 . Mrs. Forster detailed the movements of Livermore, herself and Tier child on the day the child disappeared. The last she. saw. of the child was with Livermore at midday when she fed the fowls. Witness went on to speak of becoming' uneasy when she could not see the child. Several- times- Livermore was questioned and; once he replied that he not take her about in his pocket. At; her request he went to several houses looking for her. After- Livermore had) had dinner and Mrs. Forster had returned from another look outside accused asked if they‘were not to have a drink of tea. She said they would have it later and he asked if the finding of the child was of more consequence than his- tea. However, he went out,to find Mr. Forster, who returned while he was away. Later when Mrs. Forster said to Livermore that he had not been searching like the rest he replied that he had done as much as anyone and told lifer that the last he had seen of the girj was in the duck- pen. Mrs. Forster teamed about nine that night that the body had been found.

\ ' NOTICEABLY DEPRESSED.

Mrs. Forster eaid that in the preceding three weeks Livermore had been noticeably depressed. She assumed it tv as because of Iris back. Also he was worrying about getting a lease of the duck farm.' He was always worrying because, he could-not get a job. Mr. Forster also gave evidence. He said he had- not noticed anything peculiar about Livermore during the time he was at the house. He did not see much of Livermore. . - ,

Further evidence was given by Henry Johnson, Morris Hazelwood (motor driver), Lionel William Hobbs (gardener) and Stephen Thomas Bason (driver of a baker’s van).

Frank lan Jones,; sawmill hand, Upper ■■ Hutt, who took part in the search, eaid the body was found lying off the track and on a slight incline with the head facing downhill. There was a deep gash on the head, with blood on the side of the face and back ‘ of the neck.

James Wyeth, apprentice carpenter, who gave similar evidence, said he found a piece of water-piping near the body. Constable Stewart, Upper Hutt, said, that Wyeth told him' he had found the body and removed it to the top of the bank. Constable Joss said he took Livermore to his whare, where he told him he was suspected of murdering the girl Forster. Livermore said: “Me ? What would I murder her for? I thought she had fallen over a. bank.” The constable told him he would be detained until the arrival of Detective McLennan. Livermore asked .if he could change his clothes, saying he would look more respectable. His trousers were wet. The constable told him to leave his clothing as it was. ■ YOU FOOTPRINTS?” The constable asked Livermore to show him his boots. Livermore then inquired: “Have you got footprints?” He added: ‘Those are not the boots I had on today.” Constable Joss asked him why he had changed hie boots. He replied that they were wet. Livermore produced a pair of wet shoes. He was taken to the Upper Hutt police station. Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist at the public hospital, said that as a result of his examination he had formed the conclusion that death-was due to blows from a blunt instrument on the back of the head. A double scalp wound and multiple blood collections indicated that more than one blow wm struck. He did not think these injuries could have been caused by a fall. There was nothing in the condition or appearance of the genital organs to indicate that the child had been -indecently as•aulted.

Dr. M. B. M. Tweed said he agreed with the findings and conclusions of Dr. Lynch. The court adjourned until 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.