MISSING GIRL.

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 18242, 16 July 1931, Page 3

MISSING GIRL.

ARREST OF SUSPECT. CHARGED WITH MURDER. CASE FROM WELLINGTON. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 16 A further step towards the solution of the fate of Phyllis Avxs Symons was taken to-day, when George Errol Coates, aged 29, a labourer, was charged before Mr E. W. Pa»e, S.M., wlitli her murder at Wellington on or about June 26. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr P. S. K. Maccasscy appeared for the Police, and Mr C. A. L. Treadwell, with Mr H. J. V. James, for the accused. After the charge had been read, Mr Maceassey applied for a remand until next Thursday. Mr Treadwell said he had no objection. . He understood that this was the first of several remands which would be asked for, and he could not object to, them so long as there was no undue delay, and he had no reason to anticipate this. The clerk then proceeded to charge Coates with an alleged attempt to procure abortion, when Mr Treadwell objected, saying that in view of the charge of murder there could be no possibility of the police going on with these charges, and the reading of them could only have a bad effect on Coates at his trial on the major offence. Mr Maceassey: I was proposing to ask your Worship to allow us to withdraw these charges. We are satisfied on the evidence tlnvt the girl's death was not caused by any act of abortion, and the proper charge is that of murder. Mr Page granted the remand on the murder charge, and allowed the other charges to be withdrawn. That some such development as has taken place has been daily expected by many people, and a crowd daily has been hanging around the precincts of the Court. When it became "known the charge would be preferred to-day a crowd numbering several hundreds assembled, and the public gallery was packed at 9.45. A fair crowd was unable to get in and was turned away.