ANZAC PARADE ASSAULT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 242, 12 October 1937, Page 6

ANZAC PARADE ASSAULT

SEARCH FOR A CAR MRS. THOMPSON IMPROVING Police officials conducting the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the assault of Mrs. Una Thompson, which occurred on Anzac Parade, Wanganui East, round about midnight, or very early on Sunday, October 3, are anxious to communicate with the driver of a car which was parked near Nixon’s Creek bridge on Arizac Parade, at 12.25 a.m. on the Sunday. It is possible that the driver can give valuable information as to people in the locality at the time. Nixon’s Creek is some two blocks away from where Mrs. Thompson was found, and the vehicle was parked in such a way that it blocked the footpath close to the bridge. A passerby had to go round the rear of it to cross the bridge.

. Mrs. Thompson’s condition underwent a change for the worse on Sunday, but improved a great deal yesterday. She now has more than a good chance of recovery, although the blows on her head have inflicted frightful injuries. The skull has been fractured in several places, revealing a brutal and callous mind behind the weapon.

Further interviews were made by the police yesterday. There are now six detectives, in addition to Inspector J. D. Cumings, of Palmerston North, engaged on the investigation — Detective-Sergeant J. Walsh (Auckland, and formerly of Wanganui), De-tective-Sergeant E. C. Jarrold (New Plymouth, and formerly of Wellington), Detective-Sergeant J. K. Robertson (Wanganui), Detective J. Murray (Wanganui), Detectives C. N. Bayliss (Wanganui) and E. H. Compton (Palmerston. North). In addition several of the uniform branch, in plain clothes, are operating in close conjunction with the detective force. No inquiry has been carried out in Wanganui with greater intensity since the murder of Mrs. Oates, at Aramoho, in October, 1923, 14 years ago. On that occasion a strong force of police was located in the city and every item of information sifted thoroughly. It has been definitely established that Mrs. Thompson was assaulted round about midnight. She left Harrison Street, not far from Dublin Street, shortly after 11.30 p.m. and. it would take her roughly 10 to 12 minutes to walk the distance to where she was found. She would be in the vicinity of the spot round about 10 to 12, perhaps five to 12. She was seen lying on the footpath by a young Wanganui East resident who was escorting his sister home from a dance studio. They left the studio at five minutes to 12 and the walking distance to the scene is 22 minutes. That would bring them to the spot round about 12.15 a.m. They walked on the road and not on the footpoth, and saw what they thought was a drunk man lying near the gorse hedge. The girl was nervous and forbade her brother to investigate. Some 10 to 15 minutes later the motorists who reported the discovery to the police were on the scene. Their report was recorded in the police station between 12.30 and 12 40 am. Assuming that she was walking quickly, Mrs. Thompson was attacked round about midnight, certainly some time before 12.17 a.m. and not earlier than 11.48 p.m. Police work in this case has been thoroughly done, some hundreds o£ interviews and reports being taken. One interview has led to another and the police are now in a position to more or less reconstruct the crime and narrow the time of its commission down within a matter of minutes.