DEAD TURK IN FIELD.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 277, 21 November 1931, Page 19 (Supplement)

DEAD TURK IN FIELD.

AMERICAN ACCUSED. COURT STORY OF CIRCUS HANDS. BOOSTING WORLD’S OLDEST MAN. A woman’s bathing cap, gloves and towels and an empty pistol case were mentioned in an amazing murder charge at Carrickfergus, near Belfast, Ireland. Edward Cullens, an American, who was arrested ,at Hyde Park Corner, London, was accused of killing Ahmed Musa, a Turk. Musa’s body was found in a field outside Carrickfergus. He had been shot through the head with an automatic pistol and the body was nude save for a woman’s bathing cap, which covered the wounds on the head. Mr. H. M. Mussen, prosecuting, said that Cullens arrived in England froan America as one of a party of four, the other three being Turks, of which trio Zaro Agha, said to ‘be the oldest man in the world,, was the principal. Musa and Assim Ridvan were the others. Thev entered into an agreement in New York forming a syndicate to exploit Agha as the oldest man on earth. Each was to take a percentage of the profits. Joined a Circus. They joined a large travelling circus, Agha and Ridvan as salaried artists. Cullens and Musa lived with the others at the circus and “boosted” and advertised Agha, whose photographs they sold. Musa also acted as Agha’s personal attendant. Cullens was not making much headway, and when the circus was at Wavertree, Liverpool, he suggested that he and Musa should tour the country to see if they could better themselves. Cullens borrowed a large saloon car from Ridvan, and he and Musa left Wavertree without disclosing their destination. They crossed with the car to Belfast in the Liverpool steamer, Cullens booking in the name of Bernard Berman. Musa had borrowed £3O from Ridvan, and it could be assumed that Cullens had little money. “Picked Up Two Girls.”

They picked up two girls named McGoldrick and Murphy, with whom they went in the car to Bangor. Calling at a Belfast garage to change a tyre, Cullens put his ’hand in a pocket of the car in search of something, pulled out two towels, a pair of gloves, and a woman’s bathing cap. Cullens, Musa and the girl McGoldrick drove to Derry next day, and Cullens frequently told her that Musa

had plenty, of money, but was niggardly with it. Two days later, after the man had left another Belfast garage, a waterproof belonging to the owner of the garage was missing. That evening Cullens and Musa were seen going in the direction of Carrickfergus. Next morning a bloodstained coat and vest and the garage owner’s waterproof were found in a Belfast gateway. The coat and vest resembled Musa’s.

A shoe, identified as the property of Musa, was later found near a garage. The coat, vest and shoe appeared as if they had been cut. Found in a Field. On the following morning Musa’s body wa*j discovered in a field. He had been shot through the head ‘by a .25 automatic pistol. On his head was a woman’s bathing cap. Next night Cullens returned with tlie car to England by way of Liverpool and rejoined the eircus. In reply to questions, he said that Musa told him he was going to London with a girl. He later said to the manager of the circus that he had had a letter from Musa, who was having a good time in London. When asked for 'his address, he said that Mu6a had not given it. Meanwhile the Belfast detective department had intercepted Cullens in London when he was returning .from Brighton to the circus at Leeds. The police found in Cullen’s suitcase at Leeds a case for a .25 automatic pistol, and, said Mr. Mussen, more significant stii-1, in the .pocket of the car were I'ouud two towels and gloves, which the girls had seen ih the Belfast garage. The bathing cap was missing. The bathing cap found on the head of the murdered man was identified by the girl McGoldrick as exactly similar to one she had seen in the car. “At first,” said Mr. Mussen, “the detective department found the problem most difficult to soive, but the evidence has now been pieced together, and the Crown suggest that everything points to Cullen having committed the crime.” Mr. Mussen produced the agreement, dratted in New York, referring to the exploiting of Zaro Agha as the world’s oldest man.