BLOOD-STAINED MATCH CLUE LAID MURDER BARE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18208, 15 July 1927, Page 10

BLOOD-STAINED MATCH CLUE LAID MURDER BARE.

EODY IN TRUNK CASE CLEARED UP BY TINY DUMB WITNESS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. ar.J N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON. July 13. John Robinson was found guilty of the murder of Minnie Bonati, and was sentenced to death. Robinson heard the verdict and the sentence without flinching. The jury consisted of ten men and two women. The defence emphasised the absence «oi a motive, urging that it could not have been blackmail, as Robinson could easily have changed his job and disappeared. Mr Justice Swift warned the jury not to be influenced by the gruesome, sickening details. The “Daily Express'* points out that * blood-stained match led to the conviction of Robinson. The police had nothing against him on. May 23, when he made a statement at Scotland Yard, which seemed satisfactory. At this date the police had reports regarding thirty black trunks from 150 different people. Detectives, however, had just a germ of doubt. They searched Robinson’s office, and discovered a blood-stained anatch in a waste-paper basket. Robinson was again summoned to Scotland Yard. He drove down, and volunteered a confession, enabling the detectives to trace the details of the murder.

On May 10, a trunk that had been deposited at the Charing Cross railway station was opened, and found to contain the dismembered body of a woman. Scotland Yard identified the victim as Minnie Bonati, and traced •her movements to the office of John Robinson. Robinson, in a statement made to the police said that the woman came to his office. She said she was hard up, and asked for £l. Robinson refused, and she became abusive. He thought she was going to attack him, and he struck her. She fell striking her head. He left her lying, and went home. Returning on the following day, he was surprised that she was still lying rhere. Not knowing what to do, he decided to cut the body up. Faced with the difficulty of disposing of the body, he went to Brixton and bought a trunk, and packed in the remains, lie then took a taxi to Charing Cross, and deposited the trunk.