BAYLY TRIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20330, 13 June 1934, Page 4

BAYLY TRIAL.

Cross-Examination of Analyst. BURNED MATERIAL EXAMINED. (Special to tne " Star.”) AUCKLAND, June 12. Cross-examination of the Government Analyst at Auckland (Mr K. M. Griffin) by counsel for the defence had just commenced when the Court adjourned to-day in the trial of William Alfred Bayly, who is charged with the murder of Samuel Lakey and Christobel Lakey. Concluding his evidence, Mr Griffin said that three types of burned material were found in another exhibit. These included a piece of cotton knitted underwear, a piece of cottonwear burned at the edges, and pieces of burnt cloth studs from denim trousers. A metal rivet used for fastening pockets, twjo brace fasteners, and several other articles which had been through fire and were later examined by witness were described in detail.

Further exhibits from Bayly’s sheep dip contained a piece of black rubber with a canvas insertion and a piece of burned leather with a nail showing in it. Parts of a watch had also been handed to witness and later he had been given two sheets of galvanised iron The sheets had been heated on the top by having a smoky flame played on them. On one side was soot and on the other the galvanising had been oxidised by heat. It did not show as clearly as it did last December. Quite strong heat would be necessary to give the oxidising effect, continued witness.

As bottle after bottle was handed to witness, he gave the results of hie analyses and chemical tests, identifying some exhibits as burned bone fragments. Burned leather and burned white rubber were also examined, the exhibits having come from various parts of Bayly’s property. Witness observed in exhibit a. piece of fat but he was not able to determine whether it was animal or vegetable The fat was in a piece of charred cotton cloth. These exhibits were label led as having conje from the sheep dip Metal on Tin Snips.

A pair of tin snips described as having come from Bayly’s car and woolshed had been examined by the analyst and on them he had discovered traces of two kinds of metal—white and yellow. The white was on the edge of the blade and the yellow was rubbed into the sides. There were not enough traces for analysis. However the metals of the watch parts produced corresponded to the metals on the snips. His Honor asked the foreman of the jury if he could see the metal on the tin snips, to which the foreman replied “It all depends how the light strikes it, sir ”

Labelled as having been found in Bayly’s orchsrd, a false tooth was coated with vulcanite, declared witness. A piece of woollen material, on the inside of which was some cotton material, had been cut and pulled Another piece of cotton material appeared to have been chewed These, all of which were unburned, came. according to label, from Bayly’s pig paddock. Burning of Bodies.

Mr Griffin, who was present at the two burning experiments conducted in Auckland with animal carcases, placed in a furnace consisting of a fortygallon drum, corroborated the evidence of Doctors Gilmour and Lynch and produced pieces of charred rubber .gum boots which he had taken from the ashes the morning following the fire. Witness found pieces of paper and twigs used in starting the fire. These were unburned because they were at the back of the fire. On some of the twigs was fat impregnation. These were not touched bv the fire owing to the insulation of the ashes on them. Witness produced the two sheets of galvanised iron which were placed around the benzine drum furnace used in the experiments The two drums used in the experiments were exact replicas of the drum found on Bayly’s .property, the sheets of iron being of different lengths, as were the two pieces found on Bayly’s property Witness showed the jury the smoke maiks on the top side of the sheets of iron with which he had experimented The Cross examination. At 4.30 p.m. Mr Leary began to cross-examine the Government Analyst. “ You did not express the opinion that a human body could be burned in a night as you said in evidence in the Police Court?” he asked. Witness: No. There were a number of things that you examined that you reported gave a negative result?—Yes. While you were talking I tipped out a glass jar containing charcoal and I found among it a number of nails. Can you tell us what they are?—l have a note that they are a number of nails. Mr Leary then extracted several l&in nails. “ I only opened that one at random," he remarked. “Is there anything like that in any other specimen?” “ In one jar there are some tacks with pieces of burned wood.” witness replied.