VISCOE RETURNS HOME

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 70, 24 April 1929, Page 7

VISCOE RETURNS HOME

Special to Telegraph.

DA51AGES CLAI51ED FR051 5TICTORIAN TOLICE. ECHO OF A STRANGE CASE.

AUCKLAND, This day.

Tlie Now Zealander, 51r Joseph Yiscoe , who was wrongfully arrested in ilelbourne a.s the result of tho disappearance of Leslio 5Villiauis, who was thought to have been murdered, but who eventually returned to his liome in Sydney, arrived at Auckland frotn Sydney by tbe 51aunganui to-day. His i'are to tlio Doininion was paid by the Police Department of Vic-tona. 51r Yiscoe has elaimcd £GU0 compeusation l'or wrougful arrest. Mr \'iscoo was arrested at 5iurloa, 2(ii) niiles from Donnybrook wliere J.e liad been assaulted and lelt bleeding on tlio road. '"J. was 011 lny way from Sydney lo 5Ielbourno and at Seymour, 1 imssed 11 )y train," said 51r \ lscoe. "J haiied a niotor ear wliieh was passng aud askcd lor a lift, and 1 was driven to Donnybrook, wliicli is only about 26 niiles froni 51elbourne. The driver of the ear, who turned out to be 51r Leslio Y\ illiaui.s, said he could go 110 furtlier tliat night, because lie was too tired. Ile .sLopped his cur 011 the roadside and l'eli asleep at ihe wheel. I climbed in to the baek seat and also went to sleep. "It was a bcautiful moonlight night and it was about midniglit wlien Willianis stopped. I \Voke about six o'cloek in U10 morniiig lying on tbe roadside. "Blood was streailiing from mv ears, liose and liead. Niue pounds which I Jiad liad 011 me liad been stolen. Botli tlie ear and Mr Williams iiad vanislied." 5Ir Viscoe, who was described 111 tlie Australian papers as "a swagman," reported the mystery to tlie Coburg police, but 110 trace of the missing man was found at tliat time. Two days later tbe car was found three miles from Donnybrook with bloodstains insido and balf a bottle of wine. Clothes belonging to Mr YYilliains were also found later. and two enipty revolver cartridges were discoverod in Ihe car Police officials thought that the body of Mr Williams had been tbrown over Seymour Bridge, for bloodstains were found 011 ihe parapet. It transpired, however. tliat an Italian had met with an accident and that the bloodstains wero his. It was at Murtoa tliat 5Ir Viscoe was arrested, but after a fortnight be was remanded for a montli and bail was allowed on liis own bond of £56. _ All tliis time tbe police were making searching inquiries regarding the

wliereabonts of 5Ir WilJiams, and the rivers had been dragged. but still no trace was fouud of him. Over six weeks later 5Ir IVillianis turned up at his father's liome, in Sydney, and when iuterviewed bv tlie police lie said that lie remembered giving Viscoe a lift. Tbeve had been a fight. and after tliat liis memory was blauk. He did not remeinbor going to Alelbourne. Five days later. Mr Viscoe was releascd, and his solicitor claimed that he was entitled to conipensation on alleged illegal detention.