THE MOUAT MYSTERY.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2440, 13 May 1925, Page 3

THE MOUAT MYSTERY.

ACCUSED ON TRIAL. CASE LIKELY TO LAST A WEEK. Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday.In h's address to the Grand Jury in the charge of murder against Ercdcrick Peter Mount, Mr Justice Adams said the case for the Crown was that Mrs Mouat never left the house at any time after her return from Mrs Prosser’s at ten o’clock on Thursday, February 19, but that she was killed by the accused and that her body was destroyed by fire.

His Honour said it was not necessary for him to do more than indicate generally the nature of the evidence for the Crown. It was said by the Crown that the whole of Mrs Mount’s wardrobe had been found in the house, including a costume and -other articles which the accused described as being worn by her on the morning of Friday, February 20, also that her handbag, corsets, shoes and artificial tooth we're found in the house. The inference the jury was asked to draw was that she must have left without clothing. The conduct of Mouat was relied mi in a great many p irtieulars. Boar ng in mind the fact that Mouat saw his wife on the morning of Friday, 'February 20th, attention would be directed to various facts such as that at four o’clock on the same- day seven hours after she went away to meet Mrs Hardie and after she had told him that if she did not come back he was to take her bag to the station, he sold part of her jewellery to a pawnbroker in Christchurch ar/d he- d d not return horn- to sleep that night. He slept at the Rotherlield Hotel, and lie also slept there on the three- succeeding nights, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, being about the house in No. 10 Beckford Street, part of the- day time. By far the most important part of th case which the Crown alleged was the evidence to show that the- accused had fires burning on his section after the disappearance of his wife —that fires were burn.ng on I lie section 'outside also under the copper and in the fire place- of the dining room; that the the site of these- hres had been found a number of bones and pieces of bone, some -of which had been identified as human bones; that the bones were smaller than average szc- and that Mrs Mouat was a slight woman. His Honour said there were other circumstances in relation to this which he would not enter into, such as the use of Jcycs’ filial round the dining-room lire. Circumstances in the conduct of Mouat were also put forward as indicating

guilt. His conduct in making inquiry regarding h's "wife or pursuing no vigorous search, his action in absenting

himself from the. house on the evenings ami nights following her disappearance, and In's getting out of the way at a later stage—all these questions would have- to be inquired into with particularity.

From the whole <of the evidence his Honour concluded that the jury would have no doubt that the case ought to be sent on to the common jury and that the accused ought to be put on trial. The Grand Jury returned a true- bill.