WOMAN’S DEATH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1939, Page 3

WOMAN’S DEATH

HEARING OF MURDER CHARGE EVIDENCE BY NEIGHBOURS. BLOOD SPOTS ON ROADWAY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 6. The hearing of a charge of murder against Arthur John Patience was continued in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court today. The public gallery was again filled with spectators. F. T. J. Grigg, Government analyst at Christchurch, said he had examined the contents of the stomach of a woman found at Taratuhi Beach and he found no trace of poison. Elizabeth Amelia McKay, a married woman, residing at Taratuhi Camp, said that on October 3 Mrs Patience came to her house in the morning and again in the afternoon. Next day Mrs Patience again visited witness and she appeared to be rather worried. She had not seen Mrs Patience alive since that day. When Mrs Patience did not call on October 5 witness was worried, and early on October 6 she called at the hut occupied by Mr and Mrs Patience. The door was locked, which was rather unusual. A letter arrived for Mrs Patience, and witness readdressed it to Mrs George, Riccarton, and posted it. On the Tuesday, after his wife had disappeared, Patience called foi’ the mail. She told him about the letter for Mrs Patience and what she had done, explaining that this was the only way she had of letting Mrs Patience’s people know that Mrs Patience was not in the camp. “Patience was annoyed and said my husband should not have allowed me to-do it,” said witness. “I told him that I would do the same thing again in similai* circumstances.” Patience told her later that he had not informed the police of his wife’s disappearance, but that he was going into Kaikoura the next day and he might see a constable there. On July 21 of this year she identified the body of a woman as the body of Mrs Patience. DOOR LOCKED. Alice May Vellenworth, Taratuhi, said that she formerly lived at the Claverley Camp. On the morning of October 5 she did not see either Patience or his wife. Witness went round to see if she could rouse Mrs Patience, as she wanted fo use her washhouse. She knocked, and when there was no answer she tried to open the door, which was locked. Later in the morning she returned, and as she thought Mrs Patience might be ill she looked in the windows. There was no one in the rooms and a double bed had not been made. After Mrs Patience disappeared she saw Patience about the camp, but did not speak to him. On October 16, she asked Patience where his wife was and he said she was down town on holiday. Patience lit a fire in the front of his house at dusk a day or two before the sale. She did not know what he was burning. Mrs Daphne Gladys Spencer, Christchurch, who lived at Claverley camp, said that on October 4, the day Mrs Patience disappeared, witness saw her several times. She seemed no different from usual that day. Witness saw her last about 6.45 o’clock that evening. Mr Patience had gone home about 5 o’clock. Witness went over to see Mrs Patience about 7.15 a.m. next day, and the door was locked. She saw Patience going to work when she went across. She saw him again when he came home from work that evening. She asked where “mother” had gone, and he said she had gone to town the evening before. The next time she saw him, on October 6, he said he would not know till the Sunday when Mrs Patience was coming back. WIDOW’S EVIDENCE. Mrs Clarice Rita Chapman, widow, Christchurch, said that her husband was killed in an accident on the Public Works at • Conway in July, 1938, she said that she and her husband were not too friendly at times. Just before her husband’s death, she was friendly with accused. She had relations with him in November, 1937, and the relationship continued till quite recently, two months ago. Patience, when he came to town, used to stay at the house at which she lived. In October of last year he moved to Rosy Morn Camp. She had been to that camp occasionally after her husband’s death. She discussed the future with Patience. She told him he should ask to get a separation from Mrs Patience if he intended to go on the way they were. She discussed the matter with Patience several times. As far as she knew, Mrs Patience did not know of the relationship between Patience and herself. He came on October 7 to the place at which she lived in Christchurch. She asked him where Mrs Patience was and whether she was at Mrs George’s. He said she was not but had left. She asked him what he was going to do about Mrs Patience’s disappearance. He suggested the police, and she, not knowing what to do, suggested a lawyer. He told her that on October 4, between 6.30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Mrs Patience went out and that she had taken £4B with her. She saw him on October 20, when he came to her place. She asked him if he had heard where Mrs Patience had gone, and kept on asking him to do something about it. She had made arrangements to take ■ a holiday in October. She and Patience went to Blenheim.

They intended to go to Tophouse. They arrived at Blenheim and booked in at a hotel under the name of Mr and Mrs Patterson. At tea time Patience was interrupted and told he was wanted. They finished their tea and she went up to her room and he went round to the police station. She herself made a statement to the police that evening- Twice before she and accused had booked in as Mr and Mrs Patterson at the Federal Hotel, Christchurch. Evidence as to hotel bookings in Christchurch under the name of Mr and Mrs A. Patterson was given, and also as to accused and a woman asking for accommodation at a Blenheim Hotel. Albert Edward Fletcher, who knew Patience at Claverley, said that toward the latter end of the time there seemed to be a difference between Patience and his wife. Mrs Chapman appeared to be the cause of it. NUMBER OF BLOOD SPOTS. David William McKay, a single man, who used to work at Claverley camp and had worked with Patience for the last 18 months, told of one day after Mrs Patience’s disappearance, when he and Patience were going from the camp to Suicide Point, where work was being done on the road from Claverley gate to 'Happy Valley gate. Between a quarter and half a mile towards Suicide Point he noticed blood spots. He passed a remark to Patience about them, and accused said it might have been a dog. There were quite a numbei* of blood spots, just before going down to Happy. Valley gate. Next day when Patience went off work at the end of his shift at 11.30 a.m., he went toward his home. McKay said that at that time he went to Happy Valley creek to get watei* in a billy. He glanced back at Patience, who was going back to the camp, and at the spot where he had passed the remark about the blood spots the day before he saw Patience kick something with his boots. It was the exact place at which he had seen the blood spots. Hugh John Clark, who was at Claverley camp till October of last year, said that one morning going to work he saw bloodstains on the road between Claverley camp and Happy Valley. He was with Patience and David McKay, when he saw them. They extended a fair way along the road. Someone said it must have been a dog or a sheep. William McQueen, Public Works labourer at Happy Valley, near Claverley, described events and discussions after the disappearance of Mrs Patience. He said that’on July 20 of this year he went to the beach in the afternoon, and there saw a woman’s body unclothed. It was the body of Mrs Patience. He could recognise it. During the three years he had been there the sea had not washed away the land at Suicide Point till the day before the body was found. At this stage the Court adjourned.