WELLINGTON MURDER.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18478, 5 November 1931, Page 8

WELLINGTON MURDER.

DEATH OF PHILLIS SYMONS ! TRIAL OF COATS. YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. LETTER FOUND UNDER MATTRESS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Evidence was conlinued to-day in the trial of George Coats for the alleged murder of Phillis Symons. j Alan Campbell Melville, taxi driver, gave evidence of his acquaintance with Coats and the girl Symons. Coats told him of the girl’s condition. Melville recalled John D. Glover bringing him a letter from the girl to her parents. It was found under the mattress after her disappearance. Answering counsel for accused: Melville said it looked as if Glover knew all about , the letter. Witness said he thought Glover would hand the letter to the girl’s parents. When he saw the father some days later he told him about it.

Mrs Isabella McKenna, of Adelaide Road, said she let a room to Coats on Monday, June 29. He stayed until July 6. No girls came to see him. Mrs Olive Irene Smith, who let rooms in another house in Adelaide Road, said she let a room to Coats and Phillis Symons in April. Some time later Coats said, when the gas bill was mentioned, that he would have io send his wife home if prospects did not improve. On Friday evening, June 26, Mrs Smith said, she heard Coats and Phillis go out. After ten o’clock she heard footsteps returning. The following day, when she spoke to Coats about the rent, he said he had sent his wife home. The girl was on good terms with her. She had never mentioned her intention of returning home. On the Monday Coats said he was leaving for a place in Brougham Street, His wife would be back later to clear up. Mrs Smith said she was surprised to find the door locked. Do Maine came with the key in the evening. A pair of slippers, a string of beads and two pairs of boots found in the room she later handed to the police. A Missing Sack. • When she kept a small greengrocery, said (Mrs Smith, she had got six sacks of vegetables, all marked. On July .18. the police . checked the invoices-with five’sacks. The missing sack was numbered 16, similar to the one shown her by the police. • Answering counsel for accused Mrs Smith- said Coats and Phillis always seemed-affectionate. Both behaved quite well. She never , saw any sign of quarrels. Maurice Eric Teeling, Mrs Smith s son-in-law, said he heard Mr and Mrs Coats going out on June 26. He identified the sack produced as one containing vegetables he had bought for Mrs Smith. Lancelot Lee, a fellow worker of Coats at Hataitai, described the burial of a dog by a young man who brought it along. Lee sakl he visited Coats’ room on June 25, when de Maine, Glover, Coats and Phillis were there. On June 27, Lee said, Coats told him Phillis had gone back to her brother’s. Noel Evan Burbery said he recalled having buried a dog at the Hataitai works.

James Edward Taylor, carrier, said he had called openly for Coats’ luggage. Anybody could have opened the box.

TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. THE GIRL’S INJURIES. PROBABLY BURIED ALIVE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The trial of George Coats for the alleged murder of Phillis Alva Symons was continued this morning. Dr. P. Lynch, pathologist at Wellington Hospital, described the position of the body of Phillis .Symons- when he was called to the spot where it was found. In company with Dr. Hector he made a post-mortem examination. The girl had been pregnant. Describing the head Injuries witness said that although they were deep-seated there was no fracture of the underlying bone. There were no marks of throttling on the neck. He summarised his findings as follows: Deceased was struck a violent blow on the right temple, also a blow or series of blows on the hack of the head and neck. The injuries were caused at about the same time. Either would have" caused unconsciousness, and either would have caused death. The immediate cause of death was asphyxia, due to the stomach contents being vomited into the windpipe. He thought a scarf found round the girl’s head had been placed in position to lessen the sound of stertorous breathing or other noise, lie was of opinion that the scarf was deliberately placed, and he did not think that a conscious person would have permitted it to lie placed there. Girl Had Been Burled Alive. His findings, continued witness, suggested that the girl had been buried alive. The injuries, in his opinion could not have been self-inilicted, nor could they have been caused by falling down an embankment. If there had been a fall he would expect to see some abrasions on the face or knees. Cross-examined, Dr. Lynch said lie could not imagine that the multiple injury on the hack of the head could he caused in any other way than by a blow or blowjs. In his experience suicide by falling from a height was very uncommon. Witness was questioned at length regarding the possibility of the injuries being caused by the girl throwing herself over the bank, but he was of opinion that, taken in conjunction, the injuries were not consistent with suicide. (Proceeding.)