CHILD MURDER CHARGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16987, 10 March 1923, Page 13

CHILD MURDER CHARGE.

STATEMENTS OBTAINED BY POLICE. ACCUSED’S EXPLANATION OF DISAPPEARANCE. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, March 0. At the continuation of the hearing oi the murder charge against Daniel Richard Cooper and his wife details were given this afternoon by Detective M’Lennan, of an interview with accused on December .'lO. “ T don’t know where the child is. 1 have nothing to do with it.” Cooper had replied, on being questioned with reference to Miss Lester's child. “ I don’t recollect ever being in Martin Street. 1 did not take her to Martin Street, and T did not arrange for her confinement.” The witness said that Cooper had asked for the reason of the inquiry and he informed him that the police were anxious to known where the child was. He also told Cooper that the body of a child had Jpeen found buried in the sand at I.vail Bay. but assured him that the child was not Miss Lester’s. Asked if lie had paid any money for the confinement of the girl. Cooper replied in the negative, asserting that Mrs King was always calling on him to borrow money and threaten ing him. Witness examined a receipt book Cooper had in his possession and drear his attention to an entry reading “ December 19. 1922. received from D. TL Cooper, sum of £8 in full settle ment of Lily Smith’s account.” “ I asked the accused who Lily Smith was.” continued l>eteetire M’Lennan. ‘‘and he said * Miss T.ester.’ T asked him why he had made the receipt out in that manner, hut lie refused to give an explanation. The accused then said ‘ have you got a charge to prefer against me. If not. I'll leave.’ T* asked him if ho had met Miss Lester arid another at Johnsonviilo on or about November 23. He replied ‘yes. r went

to the station on or about that dat ami met Miss Lester and another w. man carrying a baby. 1 took MiT/ester home to Newlnnds on mv mote bike. T left the ladv with the bah at the railway station. 1 had no ide who the woman with the babv was. an had never seen it before. T think tl woman must have returned to Wellin* ton. T have never seen her since.’ When invited to make a writ-te statement, the witness added. Coopt replied that he had nothing further 1 say on the matter. Cooper later tol him that he understood Mrs King < Martin Street had made all arrange meats in connection with the chile and that she knew where the child wa Proceeding to Newlands. Detective M Lennan added, he explained to Mi Cooper that he was making inquire into the whereabouts of a child belonj ing to Miss Lester. Tlie woman w* asked if she could furnish any inform , tion. She replied l< I have nothing 1 j Ray.” Asked whether she had m< Miss Lester and her baby at Johnstn ville station on November 23. she mac a similar reply. As the. result of search of the house that evening, wi ness discovered several articles of bat clothing. The following day the horn i was again visited, and the woman vrt told that if the child had been legal adopted it would be in her interest to say so. She hesitated at first, bi finally agreed to make a statement ai tell the truth as far as she knew aboi it. I am a married woman residing with my husband at Johnsonville ” tlu statement ran. “By arrangements with my husband, about three week; or a month ago. I met Miss Lester and her baby at the station, it was dark when the train arrived". There were Miss Lester and the- babv and anothei lady whom L don’t know. My husband was with me. My husband toon Miss Lester home on the back of hi* motor hike. The other lady handed me the baby at the. bridge. ‘ [ understood from my husband that a motor car would take the child awnv. A car arrived with a lady in it. and a mai driving: I walked over and handed tin baby to the lady in the ear. The Jad\ did not speak, and the car drove away It was dark. I cannot give am* descrip tion of the car or the lady. I dorri know where the baby has gone or \yhc has got it.” At 8 p.in. on the following day. tlu witness continued. Cooper asked perm is sion to make a .statement. He sun that after being in the cell all day In had had time to think things over Cooper then intimated that he wouli divulge the name of the man to whon he had handed Miss Lester's baby. 11. hinted that the man was an Italian am when asked if ho referred to Hug. Lnpi he would net say. hut adviser them to keep tin eye on him to soi rhat he did not leave town. CVopc remarked, that if only he might have ; few words with the person t«.» whom In bail banded the ehikl the whole matte would be cleared up, but the matte was.one that should bo cone about can tiouslv Ho also declared that if mil be might have his liberty for a fei minutes the* could be followed, lie sng gested. as closely a« they liked liv th police),, just to give him an pppm tunit of having a l'cw words with that pei -mi. everythin v. would be all right He then said that the man to whoi he had handed the child was Hug Lnpi. He had a statement., which wa taken down in wiit.ing bv Senior-Deter | tiro Lewis. Witness was «L ( > presen

i when the statement which Cooper lia« made was read eve • with Cooper a nr Lupi face to face. Tumi said “ Yn. I must have dreamt the whole thing." He emphatically denied tin* truth o: any part o!%( oopei \> statement, am maintained that it was a concoction o lies Witness wa- a!-o present whei Mrs Cooper -as asked }»\ the Inspecto: of Police it she had any explanation t* offer in regard to i lie* chiicl. She re plied that she had nothin- to say. (>t JaT-.un’- 1 i iifnrma! ion- wore !ai« agninr-l h—tli accused o' unlawfully d<raining the chi! I • ! lingo Lupi air Lib Lester. When charged neifche had anythin— i- sw Witne-s *erve. both aoci’-0.l v.ith, r» writt-n domain for Hie child in question on Janunr' '23. hut it 'on not delivered up The bfdw*s ■ lothinr <p ir/lv'-erl) na- hand rd h him on Fehrua*-A 28 hv Com id-: Son- i-’rthii’c of' this description her h'-en fernd h- witn**?-- in arrusodri of fieo on T ’mh+c’ Ounv. and in hi lion : Jit N C V * "1 nd r - . ’ AAF.LLTNGTON. March 10. Detective Harold said that on Decern her 30 Cooper was brought to the De tective Office. Cooper asked him ii h knew Airs King, and lie replied in tli. negative*. ('coper siaie«l that she wa the cause of a great deal of troubl ii reporting this matter to the police Airs King, he said, had asked him f«> money, hut he had • riii-ed io give he any. and it was on account c.i th ; tha she line! gone to the police. He men tionrcl that he child had been ad-ptoi by some person whose •••<?. in c h- wa

j pledged not to disclose. Later Cooper i asked him t-9 take some correspondence which he savfi he did not want to get i into the hands of the detectives, who : could do nothing without it. He (wit- ; ness) handed the correspondence to the ] Inspector of Police and sent for Detee- • tive Lewis. Cooper said that the dei tcetives had practically accused him of doing away with the child. “My ; God.” he had added, “ if 1 thought ! that the child had met with foul play , ! would give the police every assistance to bring that person to justice. I am too fond of children to have any harm come to them.” He had arranged. he said, for other adoptions in the manner in which Miss Lester’s child had been adopted. AA’hon young j girls had come to him with their : troubles his advice had been to proj ceed with the confinement and leave j the child on the doorstep of the father. Some young girls would not do this, and lie had arranged for their confinement and the subsequent adoption. One of the conditions of adoption had been that the names of adopted parents were not to ho known. Later Cooper said that Mrs King would have to he very careful about what she said to the police, as she knew where Lily J Lester's child was. He requested witI ness to communicate with Mrs Tucker : and ask her to toll Mm King not to | s&v anything to the police. ! Inspector N. B. M’llveney said he ! told Cooper that if he had acted honestly towards the child he failed to see why he should be afraid to make an explanation. Cooper declined to reply, and when requested to give the name of the young lady who had gone to Mrs King’s house for the baby he stated that she was a stranger. Later he addc«i that Mrs King was the only person who could disclose the whereabouts of the child. The allegation was denied by Mrs King in Cooper’s presence. Airs , King said : “ T did not make any j arrangements with them. 1 do not ; Know anything about these people. T do not know where the child is.” Cooper, somewhat heatedly. replied “You’re a liar.” AA’hen. informed that some of the child’s clothing was got at his* house at Nowlands. Cooper said : “ AA'oll. let me think, I do believe some of it is there. I returned sonic to Airs ‘ King after the child was taken away.” 1 Detective Jarrokl gave evidence that Cooper hac'L said he handed the child over to a man who- was to gri e it to a I married couple. Senior Detective Lewis, who corrnb- ; orated the evidence of Inspector At’ll- ‘ veney as to the interview with the accused, and the evidence given by Des tc-tive Ai’Lennan concerning the interview on December 31. produced a st-ate- ’ ment signed by Cooper. 1 In the course of a lengthy statement. 1 Cooper declared that he had met Lupi ? coming from a motor-car in a right of - wav at Nowlands late at night. He had expected to meet him there, and i it- Had been arranged, that the ear r would not display lights. A few yards > from a monument lie had met his wife 1 carrying a baby, and on arrival at the f right of way he pointed the car out to her. Lupi took the baby from him. Both the lady arnf man who occupied the car were of dark complexion. He had never seen them before. Lupi was s standing beside a man at the wheel. 5 He could not say in which direction the car proceeded afterwards, but rep collected remarking to Aliss Lester at his home, when the sound of a passing i vehicle was heard that “it was not t- every child who got a motor-car ride oi' its birthday.’*

The witness added that Cooper then 1 admitted that the statement made on the Saturday about Mrs King was ini' correct. Lupi, brought face to face 2 with the accused, made a stout denial s of the allegation, declaring that “ The •' -whole thing was a dream from end to end.” He had. he said, been to Newt lands only once, and that was in the 1 daytime, t