Charge of Murder

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18407, 14 August 1931, Page 8

Charge of Murder

SENSATION LN WELLINGTON GEORGE COATS ON TRIAL. YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Thursday. The case against George Errol Coats for the alleged murder of Phillis Avis Symons was continued to-day. Mr Page. S.M., was on the bench. Mr Macassey appeared for Hie Crown, and Messrs C. A. 1.. Treadwell and 11. J. V. James for accused. Leonard Oswald Gyde, truck driver, was examined in regard to having seen accused at Hataitai on certain dates and the conversations that took place. The next witness was James Vivian Morris, another relief worker, who is being questioned with regard to certain shovels he noticed on June 2G. Charles 1. Kidson, engineer in charge of Hip Hataitai relief works, described the plans for filling a hollow to make a new recreation ground. The deepest point would be at the junction between the two tips, about 40ft below the higher level. This was very near Hie position where the girl's body was found lai er. Alan Campbell Melville, taxi-driver, said he had known Coats for more than 18 months. Ho know he was keeping company with a girl named Phillis and had often driven I hem in his car. Accused told him the girl had run away from home. “ Giving Her a Crack.” Questioned further Melville said that accused had once said something about " giving her a crack.'’ Melville remembered Glover coming to him with a letter he had found on Tuesday. the last day in June. On the following Saturday night, July 4, witness told the father of the girl about it. Witness knew that as a result of the letter a complaint was made to the police.

Cross-examined by Mr Treadwell, witness said he was in the cab office when Glover showed him the letter and he was with Glover when he showed it to Symons. They gave it to Symons the next, morning, Sunday. Symons read parts of it out. " He was pretty cut up.” said witness.

TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. LANDLADY’S EVIDENCE. DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GIRL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Friday. Tho murder charge against George Errol Coats was continued to-day. Isabella McKenna, of Adelaide Road, said she knew Coats. He called to see her on June 29 to engage a room. She “greed, the rent lo be 7s fid a week. Coats stayed till July 6. No girl, lo her knowledge, came to see him during that time, and be did not mention the name of any girl. He had no dog and mentioned nothing about a dog. Olive Irene Claire Smith, widow. Adelaide Road, said on or about April 2 she let a room to Mr and Mrs Coats at 18s fid a week, plus 2s Cd for gas. She recognised accused as ttie man. and recognised the woman in the photograph produced as Mrs Coats. Witness suspected Mrs Coats was pregnant, a tew weeks after her arrival. Mrs Coats had very little clothing, and they appeared very hard-up financially, Mrs Coats was very shy amt quiet. They frequently had two visitors a lame man she now knew as de Maine, amt the other as Glover A woman whom she understood was Coats’ sister, was there several times during a short period. About .lune 24 slie asked Coals it' he could let tier have the rent that week; he was two weeks behind. Coats said if things did not get better with him he would have to send his wife home and take a cheaper room, iin the night of June 2G she heard footsteps of, she thought, two people coming downstairs. She look them to be Mr and Mrs Coats. After half-past ten or later someone returned. She was in bed and could not say Just what time it was. Disappearance of the Girl. On the afternoon of June 27. said witness, she again mentioned the rent to accused, asking him it he could let her have the rent. He said that he had not the money then, but was expecting to receive some and that lie had sent his wife home the previous night. That was the first knowledge slie had that Mrs Coats had left her place. Mrs Coats did not say goodbye, and never mentioned to witness that she was leaving. rm June 29 Coats said that he was leaving, lie : said he had sent his wife home, though : he did not. like doing it. as he and Hie I girl's mother were not on good terms. I He said he was going lo a place in I Brougham Street, and that his wifi could return after lea and clear up. He took away his suitcase. That was i the last, witness saw nf him. Mrs , Coats did not. come hack to clean nut i the room ami witness never saw her i again. Witness cleaned out tho room, i There was a lot of burnt paper In I’m--fireplace, a bottle on the duchess table labelled " Poison." and broken string.*, of beads > which Mrs Coats usod to wear on the floor by Hie fireplace Witness identified certain property she I handed to the police—a pair of' pink I slippers and two pairs of bools with clay on them. She did not search under the mattress and did not notice the letter subsequently found bv Glover. Did Not Have a Dog. While accused was at her house continued witness, he did not have a I dog. From April 23 to May 3 xvi!- ' ness conducted a small green-groc*’i - v in a shop in front of the house. She : used to get Teeling. one of the hoar tI ers. to buy vegetables, she bought six 1 sacks of vegetables, and as (he sa'ks I wore emili.ffi the? were put. in Hie Ico a Ihouse. Ihe sacks were number"! j and marked when she received them. ! and the numbers ami marks were I shown on the invoices produced Wil I ness identified t]\ ( > O f the sacks pro (lured. (»n July IS >he was presold ! when the police checked the sacks I will) Hie invoices, and five correspond Ird with lhe invoices. A missinu sack, i according lo lhe invoices, was marked 1 " I <’> ’ in numerals. The sack pi n i duroj was similar to lhe one which had been missinu. To Mr Treadwell witness said Mr and Mi’s Heals gave lhe impression of ' (Continued in next column.)

being a happily married couple. He was always very affectionate to her. On Hie last day witness saw Coals, his manner was normal and friendly, the manner he had always adopted towards witness. She never on any occasion heard them quarrelling during their stay in her house. When slie received the sacks of vegetables she entered details in a hook which was in possession of the police. The book was produced. Witness said that while in Hie greengrocery business she purchased only six sacks of vegetables. The rest, of the supplies came in boxes or small bags. Goats once brought in a sack of wood, but it was of a different type from those in court. Witness did not see Glover at any lime after Coals left. Glover would probably go up to Coats' room if he did not know that Coats had left. If she had been in the room underneath That of Coals she might not have heard him. If she had heard anyone moving about she would have gone up to sec who was there. Glover did not come to you and tell you he had found a letter? —No.

Movements of Boarders. To Mr Macassey witness said all the I boarders entered the house by the back door, and she would not take any notice of visitors, who used to go upstairs without seeing her. Glover could quite easily have gone upstairs without her seeing him. Maurice Eric Teeling, single, a relief worker, gave evidence as to buying for Hip previous witness at th? market. When he bought vegetables at auction he give the initials T. and S. to lhe auctioneer. Witness saw some of the sacks marked by lhe storeman and identified Hie invoices produced as ones relating lo his purchase. Witness s lid as lhe sacks be came empty he pul them in the coalhouse. These six sacks were Hie only ones'about Hie premises. According • • tlm invoices the sack of parsnips he bought hail the idenlifieatioiT number of til When Hie police inspected the sacks al Adelaide Road there were only live there: the missing sack corresponded Will! the one shown on the invoices. X sack shown lo him was similar lo the missing one. ( i) >oze, singl ?, storeman at Messrs D. Bowie amt Co.'s premises, and Hilaries Henry Buchanan, carrier, gave evidence in regard to the marking and delivery of sacks. Lancelot Lee. married, said he had worked with Coats on lhe Hataitai relief works during lhe latter part of Xpril. They were working together on the lower tip. and became quite friendly. Coats mentioned that his wife was dead and he had six children in a home. He also said that he had a girl and she was in a certain condition. About April 27 he was working with accused on lhe tip when a young man carrying a sack camp along. The man said* lhe sack contained a dead dog. He said his father was a chemist. ami that Hip dog had been run over by a ear. and that he often got a job jo poison dogs by his falhet. Wit ness si'ral‘‘h pd .) hole ami buried the dog in lhe side nf the hank. \e cused was present. Wil !)•'*•■* gave rv idi'ii;’*' .ts lo visit ing several limns al. Coals' room. Gn lb,, niujil nt .him* 27 Co.it*. Inhl vvl nt ss Hi H Phillis had gmie bark In ’inr brnlhrr s place, and would hr .ill right 11)01’0. Burial of a Dog. Xopl lAnn Burberg. shop as-ii-Uanl, said his lather .was i I’hrn.isL Hr gave evidenr.' as lo taking a dog in.ii hid been run over In Hie tip for ouii.il.-