RUAWARO CASE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1934, Page 7

RUAWARO CASE

DOUBLE MURDER CHARGE ■u POLICE CONTINUE EVIDENCE SIXTH DAY OF THE HEARING SEARCHES BY DETECTIVES FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS By Telegraph— Association. Auckland, Last Night. ■Hie sixth day of the hearing of evidence in the double murder charge against William Alfred Bayly, aged 28, farmer, began this morning, when the usual crowd formed a queue outside the Police Court before the sitting began. The police allegations against Bayly are that at Ruawaro, on or about October 15, he murdered Christobel Lakey, and Samuel Pender Lakey. Mr. Wyvern Wilson is on the bench; the Crown case is conducted by Mr. V. R. Meredith, with whom is Mr. F. McCarthy; and Bayly is represented by Mr. E. H. Northcroft, with whom is Mr. H. B. Lusk. Detective Findlay continued his evidence tiiis morning and recounted the dog incident. Between six and seven o’clock on the evening of the dog incident Wright rode up on Lakey’s private road and delivered a message to the chief detective. When he galloped downhill shortly afterwards Detective Findlay saw him gallop up the paddock towards his own house. Soon afterwards the detective saw Constable Ross leaving Wright’s house, where he was billeted. It was then quite daylight., On November 16 three detectives went to Bayly’s cowshed and took scrapings from the door of the separator room and from the cowshed. Detective Findlay saw a faintly brownish stain bn a piece of concrete. It looked as though a furnace had been there. He gave evidence formally concerning the exhibits he had handled. QUESTIONS ABOUT SLEDGE. Chief-Detective Sweeney, who went to Ruawaro on October 18 and took charge of the 18 men there, was the next witness. He corroborated the earlier evidence regarding interviews with Bayly and the first search of the house. The chief-detective said that on October 19 he asked Bayly if anybody had been on his farm with a sledge. Bayly replied “No.” Asked if any neighbours had sledges he replied that he thought they all had. On examining Bayly’s sledge they saw a brown mark extending along the bottom of three boards at the rear. Bayly said he had no visitors on Sunday and saw no strangers. His wife was home all day. During the search of the house they took possession of two pairs of denim trousers, one with stains on them. They were in the washhouse. He noticed that Bayly’s sheath knife had a rougher edge than when he first saw it. Chief Detective Sweeney gave further corroborative evidence regarding the digging of Bayly’s garden and the finding of a number of things, including three trouser studs, two braces buckles and some bone. They were about a spade’s depth in the ground mixed with and under some grass. The discoveries were all made in an area of about six square feet. Detective John Walsh, Wanganui, said he arrived at Ruawaro on November 9 and remained till December 16. He described the search of Bayly’s house on November 29. While in the bedroom Bayly started to speak about the Lakeys and asked if the detective had been told the Lakeys were popular in the district. The detective replied that the Lakeys were popular with the neighbours. RELATIONS BETWEEN LAKEYS. Bayly said that in August, 1930, there had been a quarrel between the Lakeys, and Mrs. Lakey stayed away from the farm about six months. Before leaving she had called Lakey a . He described Mrs. Lakey as vindictive, and said someone at Huntly had told him this. Bayly. also referred to a dispute between him and Lakey over sheep, and said that Lakey threatened to go to Huntly to see the police. Bayly said he told Lakey to go ahead and Lakey went to Huntly, but was not game to go on with it. Bayly said he had never been friendly with the Lakeys and spoke of other causes of ill-feeling. He also said that for some months past Lakey had been on bad terms with the neighbours. He described Lakey as treacherous. Detective Walsh said that Bayly said he had left a quantity of pea-rifle ammunition in a storeroom and it had been stolen. He last saw it on the Saturday. In further reference to the Lakeys, he said they frequently quarrelled, but he had never known them to come to blows. He had heard Mrs. Lakey say nasty things about everyone living around. She used vile language, and he had forbiddenher to come to his house for that reason. Mr. Northcroft raised objection to the admission as evidence of a letter dated January 9, 1933, and signed by Mrs. Lakey. The detective said he told Bayly of the letter. Bayly said he had heard of .it, and it was one she had not been game to post. Bayly read the letter and said it referred to trouble over a bull. ADMISSION OF A LETTER. Mr. Meredith did not press for the admission of the letter, but reserved the right to put it in later. The letter was not read. Detective Walsh said that Bayly informed him the trouble was due to Lakey’s dog chasing his bull. Bayly also said his father had told him to keep away from the Lakeys. Continuing his evidence in the afternoon Detective Walsh said that later he asked Bayly if he had any suggestion to make as to where Lakey might be found. Bayly answered: “It is problematical after six weeks. Do you think he is dead?” The detective answered, “yes.” Bayly said nothing more. Mr. Meredith: What was Bayly like that day? The detective: He was quite collected and showed no signs of nervousness or embarrassment. Detective White, Hamilton, who was at Ruawaro from November 8 until December 12, was the next witness. He corroborated the details of the search of Bayly’s house as given by Detective Walsh. Mr. Meredith: How old are Bayly’s boys? Detective White: The eldest is about five and the youngest about three. CONVERSATIONS WITH BAYLY. The detective described conversations with Bayly during the search and said Bayly stated he had never been on friendly terms with the Lakeys. “During these conversations,” stated the detective, “Bayly said the Lakeys had not been on speaking terms with their neighbours for the last six months. Bayly said Mrs. Lakey had a row with Mrs. Stevens and had called her by an objectionable name. He said Mrs. Lakey had a dispute with Mrs. Sanson and as a re»ult Lakey went and removed some im-

plements Sanson had borrowed from him.” Mr. Meredith: Did Bayly say whether he had been at Lakey’s house? Detective White: He said he had been in the house frequently. Detective White gave the same account as Detective Walsh of the continuation of the conversation and said Bayly had stated Mrs. Lakey was in the habit of using filthy language. While Bayly and the detective were standing together Bayly said: “Do you think he is alive?” The detective said, “no.” No name was mentioned. The detectives were with Bayly from 10 o’clock until 2.15 on this occasion. “His demeanour was quite natural and he joked with us several times,” said Detective White. Constable Periman Watts, Hamilton, said he was on Bayly’s farm with the other constables on December 4. He described the searching of a patch of dug ground in Bayly’s garden and the finding of charcoal at about a spade’s depth. They found what appeared to be burnt bone, charcoal, wood ash and some burnt rag. Two teeth were found. Boot nails and eyelets that appeared to have been through fire were later found. The case was adjourned till to-mor-rov). ■.