PRICE SENT FOR TRIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1935, Page 7

PRICE SENT FOR TRIAL

ALLEGATION OF MURDER

CONCLUSION OF CROWN’S CASE.

DETECTIVES’ INVESTIGATIONS.

STATEMENTS FROM ACCUSED MAN.

By Telegraph—Press Association. 6 Napier, April 13. The preliminary hearing of the charge against Charles William Price, alias Edwards, of murdering Evelyn Mary Madden was concluded this morning, when Price was committed for -trial by-Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M. The body of Miss Madden was discovered on February 14 in a creek at a lonely spot near Argyll East, a country settlement a few miles outside. Waipawa, Central Hawke’s Bay. Price had been working as . a contracting teamster, arid was arrested some days after the discovery of’ the body when in the vicinity of the creek. • ... Over 40 witnesses "Were called for the Crown, which commenced its evidence on Thursday morning. The principal witness to-day was De-tective-Sergeant James Bickerdike, who produced a statement, made by Price shortly, before his arrest. Detective-Ser-geant Bickerdike gave evidence that he went to Argyll with Detective Farquharson on February 16 and saw Price with two constables near the spot where the body was found. When informed of the nature of the police investigations Price said: “I knew Eva Madden. I left her at the Hastings Hotel, on February 4.” Price returned with'the police to . Hastings and was interviewed by witness and Detective Coddington. He was told that the . police had been informed a woman was in the car in which he travelled to Taheke. “There was no woman in that car, and you can’t prove it,” Price replied. Witness said he only wanted to be clear oh that point and Price again declared that no woman was in the car. Articles of clothing belonging to .Miss Madden were shown to Price, who identified them as Miss Madden’s. “There is no doubt in my mind that they are her property,” he said, ‘‘as I, have seen her wearing them at Lowry’s.”

STATEMENT BY PRICE Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike read a ■statement made by Price at the Hastings police station just before being arrested. Price said he and Miss Madden quarrelled in the'Hastings Hotel oh the evening of February 5, when she accused him of being, drunk. The following morning Price approached Miss Madden and said: “Why don’t we be friendly?” She replied: “I am finished with you.” Price-, said, he left Miss Madden at the Hastings railway station. Shortly afterwards he was approached by a man seeking a loan, but Price said he was not “holding” and asked the.other if he knew where he could get Goodman, who owned a blue sedan car. He said he did not and Price asked him how much he would want to drive him to Taheke. The man replied £l, and the offer was accepted. The man, continued Price’s statement, was a stranger to him. He was not a taxi-driver. He thought he would know him if he saw him again. No woman accompanied them on the journey to Taheke, and if anyone said there was a woman in the car he would not be telling the truth... Price also denied that any -woman' or girl had been picked, up dunng-tHe' journey.- " " - ■ 'Cohfinumg, the witness" said he had asked Price what sort of a girl Miss Madden .wds. . Price replied .that she was at very .respectable girl. Witness also asked him if there had been intimacy between him and Miss Madden, and. he replied, “No,-it never entered my mind.” Following the arrest of Price on the charge of murder witness said.he went to. Marshall’s farm at Argyll, and took possession of, Price’s kitbag, in which he found a bunch of keys. Two of the keys fitted suit-cases in the possession of the police. On February 20 witness took possession at the Hastings railway . station of a cabin , trunk bearing the initials “E.M.” Two days later some of the contents were identified by Jamieson and Mrs. Lowry as the property of Miss Detective Coddington corroborated much of the evidence given by Detec-tive-Sergeant Bickerdike. Charles Augustus Copland, dress fabric specialist, stated that he had tested the material of Miss Maiden’s frock and the pieties of material found in her cabin trunk. They were identical. _ Price’was committed for trial.