BAYLY CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20363, 21 July 1934, Page 13

BAYLY CASE.

Solicitor Issues Reply To Minister. (Special to the ** Star.*’) AUCKLAND, July 21. In connection with the Hon J. G. Cobbe’s statement relative to the dramatic eleventh hour investigation made into the Bayly case, necessitating a midnight interview with Lord Bledisloe being sought by the Minister of Justice, Mr R. E. Fawcett, the solicitor, says the statement from Whakatane was not addressed to his firm, Dufaur, Lusk, Biss . and Fawcett, which had been acting in the interests of Bayly, but was addressed to Mr F.,H. Northcroft, senior counsel for the defence at the trial. The statement did not reach Auckland until Wednesday, and the police investigating were advised to that effect on Thursday.

“ I cannot understand Mr Cobbe talking about a delay of four days in advising the authorities, if the police who were lent the original statement had communicated the above facts to him,” added Mr Fawcett. “If Mr Cobbe had the facts from the police he would not have made the innuendo that the delay was deliberate.” Mr Fawcett said an urgent telegram was sent to the Minister on Thursday, and, to make sure that he received it, the Telegraph Office in Wellington was asked to advise the time it was delivered. Mr Cobbe was also requested to acknowledge its receipt in a reply-paid telegram. The Telegraph Office in Wellington duly advised that the telegram was delivered at 11 a.m. on Thursday, not 11.35 a.m. as indicated in Mr Uobbe's statement. Mr Cobbe’s reply telegram was timed 11.39 am. (The Minister’s statement appears on page 11.)