TELEPHONE MYSTERY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20540, 15 February 1935, Page 1

TELEPHONE MYSTERY.

Who Knew of Tragedy at Perth? PERTH, February 4. Identification of the mystery man who telephoned the police at 10.55 p.m. on the night of the traged}” that something was amiss at the rear of Caris Brothers, and brought the police to the scene of the crime has now developed into one of the major issues of the investigation into the killing of Edgar Whitfield and the £4500 diamond theft at Perth. Over the telephone the man said he was passing the lane at the rear of Caris Brothers when he heard the sound of smashing glass. lie was ringing, he said, from the G.P.0., Forrest Place. He gave a name, but no address. He has not been seen or heard of since. He dialled the police station number and gave the simple message that led to the quick discovery of the murder and robbery. Police are anxious to get into touch with him so he can tell them why he rang: how he alone in a busy thoroughfare came to hear a crash 50 yards away; why he did not wait a few minutes to observe the result of the call; and why he did not present himself to the police so soon as he came aware of the sensational climax to his telephone call. Police contend that the average man hearing the crash of glass would not consider it important enough to ring the police unless guided by other facts which had special significance. This man gave no address. He put the call through at 10.55. Police were on the spot at 11 o’clock. The mysterytelephone man had disappeared. Naturally he would ring as soon as he heard the crash. Allowing him time to get to the telephone, that would fix Whitfield’s death at ten minutes to eleven. The theft took place after the murder — say, at nine or ten minutes to eleven. Time Factor. But experts say- the theft could not have been carried out under forty- minutes, though the thief and the jewels were gone at 11 o’clock. when the police arrived. Therefore, it is obvious the telephone call was delayed some time and the police are anxious to know why. The strong suspicion is that an unknown telephone man was well inform ed on the terrible sequence of events in the shop between 10 and 11 o’clock. The firm of Caris Brothers, one of the oldest jewellery houses in Western Australia, was purchased by- Mr George Ledger about seven years ago. A y r ear later he was joined by- Mr Wm. Hall, who was appointed manager. Last year they' vacated their premises in Barrack Street, to move to a more central position. Hay Street. Mr Ledger was formerly a jeweller in Benalla and Mr Hall carried on a similar business in Wangaratta. In partnership they- took over a jeweller’s shop in Block Lane, Melbourne, and on disposing of it, Mr Ledger bought Caris Brothers, while Mr Hall went overseas.