RELATIONS ADVISED

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20784, 19 April 1939, Page 8

RELATIONS ADVISED

TALBOT’S CABLEGRAMS

"GORDON BURNED TO DEATH" William Geo. Leland, inquiry officer employed by the Post and Telegraph Department at Auckland, said he had been authorised by the Minister to produce certain documents in connection with the case. He proposed to produce certain cablegrams. endorsed as from J. Talbot or J. A. Talbot, 14 Hardinge Street, Auckland. The originals were produced by witness. The first was lodged at Auckland at 5.40 p.m. on January 12 and was addressed to Dudley Westgarth. It read: "Gordon McKay burned to death to-day seaside cottage 1.30 this morning, practically no remains, leave informing family your judgment, lost everything, writing fully to family. Present address 14 Hardinge Street, Freeman’s Bay. Jim.” The second was lodged at Auckland at 11.8 a.m. on February 13 and was addressed to Mrs Gordon’McKay, reading as follows: "Advise wishes for remains. Cable particulars and death certificate. Jim.” The third was lodged at 6.37 p.m. on February 13 and was addressed to Mrs -T. Robertson. It read: "Gordon burht to death Sunday morning. Writing fully. Jim." Arrangement of Funeral The next cable produced was addressed to John McKay and was lodged on February 14 at 7.2 p.m., which stated: “All arranged funeral 10 a.m. to-morrow. Jim.” Another to John McKay was lodged at 9.20 a.m. on February IG, and was worded as follows: "Funeral yesterday, inquest temporarily held up. waiting family particulars. Posting certificates as soon as possible. Thanks for remittance.” On February 26 at 9.55 a.m. a sixth cable was lodged. It read: "Police investigating possibility of suicide or foul play. Companies employing two leading barristers here presumably for inquest." The next cable was lodged at 6.30 p.m. on February 22 and was also addressed to John McKay. The text was: "Arranging counsel to protect your interests. Please remit £20.” Another cable addressed to John McKay and lodged on March 1 at 1.29 p.m., read: "Have engaged Nicholson, Gibson. Rogerson and Nicholson. Was advised best Auckland. Letters received. "Posting Saturday.” The ninth and last cable submitted by the witness was lodged on March 3 at 10.20 a.m. and was again addressed to John McKay. It read: "Received the remittance. Thanks. Please do not remit unless I advise. May be home soon.”

POST=MORTEM ON SHINE

NO CLIP IN THE SKULL Dr. Stephen Empson Williams, of the Auckland Hospital staff, gave evidence of his post-mortem on Shine, carried out on February 8. Witnes's said he examined deceased’s stomach. No liquid was left in it after the examination. He also examined other vital organs. He had removed no cotton wool from deceased's mouth. Some time after the examination, said witness, he received a large cardboard box from Mr Trethewey containing exhibits exhumed from Waikumete cemetery. There was a smell from the remains and he applied rags soaked in formalin to them. He also destroyed the box which bad contained a skull, some charred fragments of bone and a few pieces of flesh.

Witness defailed some other boxes

confamimr exhibits received from police officials. The materials included ashes and fragments of bone and flesh from tlio scene of the fire and also other debris discovered during the sieving operations. All these exhibits, said wilness. lie subsequently handed to Dr. Gilmour.

To Mr Terry witness said no surgical clip was used by him at the conclusion of the post-mortem. There would he no such clip in the skull when he concluded his examination. Mr Terry: If the skull portion found at Piha contained a surgical clip it would not. be the skull of Patrick Shine? —That is not necessarily so. Witness made no detailed examination of the skull at the post-mortem but in his opinion there was no such clip in the skull.

“BURNED AFTER DEATH”

REMAINS FOUND IN FIRE PATHOLOGIST'S CONCLUSION To the magistrate Dr. Gilmour said the body was of a person not less than 40. Nothing was found to indicate the cause of death. v but the presence of a wad of cotton wool adhering to the pallet bone indicated that the body had been laid out after death preparatory to burial and that therefore the body must .have been burned after death. On March 23, said witness, he handed to Mr Griffin pieces of hone for examination.

To Mr Terry witness said the size of the piece of cotton wool adhering to the pallet bone was about an inch long, rather more than an inch across and half-an-inch deep. These measurements were only approximate. It was charred on the outside and only slightly burned where it was adhering to the bone.