Sheeting Home Crime In Goldfields Murder.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17890, 5 July 1926, Page 1

Sheeting Home Crime

POLICE PRODUCE CLOTHES SAID TO HAVE BEEN WORN BY ACCUSED MEN. By Telegraph.—Fress Assn.—Copyright.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn. (Received July 5, 11 a.m.) PERTH, July 5. At the inquest on the murdered police officers, Inspector Walsh and Detective-Sergeant Pitman, the manager of the Perth Tailoring Company, which has a branch at Kalgoorlie, gave evidence that the pair of grey trousers produced in court correspond with material sent to Kalgoorlie. The trousers were made in the Perth Company’s workshops on an order sent from Kalgoorlie in the name of P. Trefeene. No other similar trousers of that material had been made by the company. Witness also identified a suit found at the gold treatment plant, near Celebration City, as having been ordered in the name of Pitman. Trefeene, in a statement to the police, said that he had never been in possession of a grey suit similar to the trousers shown him.

KALGOORLIE, June 25. Much Reticence. The inquest into the death of Inspector Walsh and Detective-Sergeant Pitman, of the gold-stealing branch of the West Australian C. 1.8., whose bodies were found dismembered in a disused mine shaft five miles from Kalgoorlie last month, probably will not be resumed for several days. The police authorities display much reticence concerning details of the case. ’Of the three men arrested in connection with the case, John Philip Treft'ene and William Coulter still are in Fremantle Gaol, while Evan Clarke is in Kaigoorlie Gaol. It is reported that Clarke has given way under physical and mental strain, requiring medical attendance- . Detectives are leaving nothing to chance, and are reconstructing the crime. Photographs have been- secured of the scene of the murder, near Celebration City, and of the Belle of. Kaigoorlie shaft, .on Miller's .lease,, five miles from Kaigoorlie, where the bodies were buried. ‘ A police official from Perth, an expert draughtsman, has arrived /on • the scene to plans and measurements. It is stated on good authority that a material witness was taken out in a closed motor-car to the scene of the murder, where many aspects of the tragedy were disclosed. NEW THEORY. Tt may be revealed that the detectives were. shot. Pitman bteing the first victim, and Walsh, who ran away, the

second. Colour is given to this theory by the fact that a black-tracker picked up four empty revolver cartridge shells in the neighbourhood. Some incline to the opinion that there were |two perpetrators of the deed, that a third man made his appearance with provisions in a motorcar some time after the deed was done, and that the vehicle afterwards was utilised to cart the dismembered trunks and limbs to the Belle of Kalgoorlic shaft. Others believe also that an attempt was made to destroy the bodies at the incinerator near the borders of Boulder, but time did not suffice to complete the job. SCRAPS OF PAPER. Certain scraps of paper were found in the bush near the treatment plant. These may have an important bearing in establishing the identity of the murderers.' A few days ago detectives executed a search warrant at the. residence of a mine official. A visitor to the house laughed. ; The detectives .asked ’ him what he was laughing about. His re : ply was:‘“lt is a silly idea to think you will get gold here.” 1 The detectives said: “We are not after gold. We are after papers, and. anyway, you needn’t ' laugh, because we’ve a search warrant for your place also.” Unofficially statements have been made that the detectives have located a gold parcel believed to have been under treatment when Walsh and Pitman visited the spot a few hours after they were seen alive on their bicycles riding along Celebration road on April 2S.