THE GLEBE TRAGEDY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12840, 8 December 1911, Page 7

THE GLEBE TRAGEDY.

{ EVIDENCE OF THE ARREST. ( .. 1 . STATEMENTS BY MOJK. i ■ I MELBOURNE, November 30. The hearing of the case against Moir was resumed in tho City Court at 3 this afternoon. Detective John Walker, of Sydney, produced the original warrant, and ask--led for a remand to Sydney. Detective Lonsdale said he saw the accused at 12 p.m. yesterday at Clarinda Street, Essendon. He asked him his name, and he said, "Alexander Carmichael." When asked what his occupation was he said he was a limelight operator. Accused said ho had been living at Essendon for about three weeks, and that he came from Ballarat, where ho had been living for about three years. He said he was employed at Ballarat by a Mr Simpson, a storekeeper, in High Street. On being told that there was no street of that name in Ballarat he said there was. near the railway station. He said his father was dead, and that his mother lived in Reservoir Street, Ballarat. Witness then searched him and found a wallet with tho initials C.N.M. on it. Witness asked him if ho had been at Sydney, and he said, "No; I have never been there.1' Witness and Detective Coonan then saw accused's wife. Witness asked Moir if he had any brothers and sisters, and he said. "Yes; six brothers and two sisters." Witness said, "What is their name?''and ho replied "Moir." "Then your name must be Moir?" said witness, and accused replied, "Yes.' Witness searched the house, and in a drawer found a number of dental instruments and other articles. He also found a. number of letters, which accused said were in his handwriting. Witness and

' Detective Coonan then took accused to tho police station, and when the warrant was read over to him he said, . "Yes." . | ! Witness, continuing, said that Moir was then asked the following questions, after being warned, and gave the replies i indicated: — How lone: have you known Trevascus? —"Since July, 1910." Where were you on October 28? —"1 decline to answer." ' Where were you on October 29 up to midnight?—"l decline +o answer." j Whero were you on Monday, October 30?—" I decline to say." | Did you call at Trevascus's on October 30?—" No." i "Did you write a letter to Trevascus .offering to sell him platinum pins and sign it Fisher?—" Yes, I wrote the let-, ter." j ; Witness said accused signed theso ! j questions. When he searched accused j he found a silver "watch, mounted shil- | lig, and a gilded chain. Moir also told Lonsdale that he last saw Trevascus on October 31 at 9 a.m. Detective Conan gave corroborative evidence, and Moir was remanded to Sydney. FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS LIKELY. • WORK OF THE FINGER-PRINT. 1 , DEPARTMENT. j Tho arrest of Campbell Nairn at Essendoirr Melbourne, on a charge of murdering Henry Trevascus caused a sensation in Sydney, and it is possible that further revelations may be of an equally sensational character. Insnector Childs and Senior-detective Walker, who left for Melbourne last night, reached thero early this morning- ; Tho police are extremely reticent regarding the tragedy and arrest. At i the Detective Office this morning no inI formation could bo gained. The detectives are still busy clearing up some of their old work. The. reproduction of the Emu Plains letter, which was first published in "The Sun," is the basis on which'the.discovery.-may rest,. Outside information) which the ,police decline |to discuss, shows that the, appearance !of the letter and the offer of a big reward for the identity of the writer set the minds of the public to, work. It transpired that a letter was on the correspondence file of a business man, whoso keen perception told him that it was very similar to the Emu Plains letter. It will be remembered that the date on the heading was "October. 28.10.11." This unusual way of "writing the date is, it is stated, in the letter that came into the possessipn of tho police. As soon as they received the missive they jumped to their clue, and followed it persistently. There were many setbacks and conferences, but in the end they were able to track tho suspected man. The finger-print system is now to play its part in clearing up the mystery. On the notice which was left on the door stating that Trevascus had gone to Goulburn, and would he back on Friday, there were finger-prints. When the murder was discovered, the police every cara of this slip of paper. The finger-prints wero carefully photographed, and then the slip was placed under.lock and key. Inspector Childs has taken over to Melbourne these fin-ger-prints, which will bo compared with thoso taken of the arrested man_by Inspector Potter, head of tho Victorian Finger-print Department. This afternoon, copies of the prisoner's prints will arrive hero ,and Superintendent Roche will compare them with thoso taken from the piece of paper. Tho Inspector subsequently identified tho prints as those of Moir.