The Petone Murder

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 8693, 24 March 1897, Page 2

The Petone Murder

(Per Press Association) Wellington, March 23. In Bosher's case, the evidence' for the Crown has been concluded, and none was called for tho defence.

The Crown prosecutor, in his adi dress, said the prosecution did not rely on the knife as tho most irnport- . ant evidence. No one said tho murder . was committed with that knifo, but i they relied ou Bosher's attempting to ■ conceal it and the falsehoods he had told' about it. He reviewed the evidence, and detailed the accumulation of facts, which all. pointed to the prisoner as the guilty inau. Mr Wilford, counsel for Boslier, began his address to the jury this morni ing' by pointing out that stveral facts adduced by the Crown, which appeared i to convict the accused, were capable of explanation which should weigh with the jury, He declared that the acfcioiis ! of the . accused on the night of the murder were consistent with innocence, as he had purchased butter which was wanted by his wife, taken a book which ■ had been promised to-a lady and other minor matfors, which counsel considprd i would not have been done by a man , about to commit a diabolical murder. ■ A further proof in accused's favor was that the l ist credit entry., in the books of the murdered man was a purchase made by Bosher, and he challenged the jury to think that any man, who intended perpetrating a crime would alow such an entry, - Mr. Wilford argued thatra'fi would hive then been paid, so as to rerh )ve any knowledge of a visit to the store. Regarding the scratch on his hand«and to the torn pocket in his coat he thought tin jury would agree that Bosher's statements that the former had been done while getting through a wire, fence to feed a horse and the latter while getting into a cart were correct. As to the accused's statement that he went to to.vnon the morning after the murder to get Testaments which the Crown alleged were already in accused's possession, Air Wilfoi'fl said the evidence showed thatBoslier was to take three Testaments to , Taitii, As be ljad only two in his possession it was quite feasible' for Bosher to call on Jones for the other books. Again, he urged that as regards the foot print, on the back doorstep, a point in prisoner's favor was that on its discovery he said, "It must be mine, I was in there this morning.'' Counsel added that Mrs Atkinson, who was the first to discover the bodies when Bosher failed to make anybody hear, was not sure whether Bosher entered the house with her, but other evidence pointed to the. fact that he had been in, and on the question as to which boots he wore oil f the night of the murd r, and next morning there was a good deal of uncertainty As to the robbery lie said the house had been ransacked and lie asked, was it likely, if . as suggested by the Crown, that the prisoner's' motive was to. obtain money, that lie would, not'have known the habits of the deceased, especially as he was in the ha 1 it of visiting them and would have been aware where the money was kept. His theory was that the crime was the work of strangers, All Bosher's move' ments after the mure er, such as going about his work as usual, sleeping well, etc., were -consistent with the theory of innoci nee, and as to the knife, what was more likely thau that a ma'n, who know lie was suspected and had been wonied by the 'police, would, from fear, hide the weapon, though he had' not committed the crime. Regarding tlie oudcnce that Bosher was anxious that : his name should not appear in print, counsel explained it was possibly due.to the fact that he had contracted a bigamous irai'riage and that the announcement of his whereabouts would lead to unpleasant results. Mr Wilford then proceeded to analyse the evidence, Mr Wilford's address occupied '• three hours. The judge sums tip;this afternoon Later. Judge Edwards occupied four hours in summing up on the Petone murder case, and the jury retired at 6 p.m. They were still out,when the Telegraph Office closed.