ELSIE WALKER'S DEATH

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 169, 19 August 1929, Page 8

ELSIE WALKER'S DEATH

Special to Telegraph.

BAFFLIXG AUCKLAND MYSTERY. CORONER WANTS IXQUEST REOPEXED. COY1PLETE HISTORY' OF THE CASE.

AUCKLAND, This day. The Star representaiive who has iveen inaking further investigations eonceming tke baffling Elsie Walker mystery, called upon Ylr Hunt and asked the coroner what action, if any, lie intended io take as a result of recent developments. Mr Hunt said that he had sent a letter to Mr V. R. Mereditli, Crown Proseeutor at Auckland, who led the evidence at the inquest on behalf of tlie police. In this he suggested to the Crown Prosecutor that eitlier a prosecution for perjury should be instituted against oue of the witnesses at the inquest or that applicatiou should he tnade to the Supreme Couvt for authority to re-open the inquest so that evidence of Ylrs MaYgaret Thomason and her sister, Mrs Langdon, miglit be taken. The coroner's dramatic. action follows immediately upon the publication in the Star of letters exchanged between Ylrs Constance Ivy Bayly and Mrs Thomason and Mrs Harriet Richardson; her sister. to the Star. Tn one of the letters wliich Mrs Thomason sent to Mrs Bayly she stated, "YTy dear, it only needs that information to li ave gone to the coroner and probably there woukl have been a different aspect in the case." HISTORY OF THE CASE. Elsie Walker:, aged 17, disappeared frcm the home of her uncle and aunt, Mr and Mrs Frank Bayly, of Papamoa, Bay of Plenty, on October 1. Her body was found near the Knox Home at Tamaki on October 5. On the same night that the girl vanished the Bayly's motor car was taken. The coroner's inquirv, after a formal "opening, was adjourned, and it was not resumed until January 10. It was conducted by Mr_ F. K. Hunt, S.M.. extended over eight days, and created extraordinary public interest. "I WANT TO SATTSFY THE FATHER." During the course of the inquest Ylr Hunt said emphatically, ''Tliere is a pcor girl lying in her grave, and I am mquiring mto her death. I have her fath'er before me in the front seat. 1 want to satisfy the father and show kim. this country is doing all it can, and that the police have made all inquiries." Medical evidence was given by Dr. D. L\ . W. Murray, police surgeon, who has since resigned and is now abroad, and by Dr. Gilmore, pathologis't, Mr F. W. Armitage, bacterioligist at Auckland Hospital, described his examination of - .the dead girl's elothing. Detailed evidence of what occurred in the Bayly househould on October 1 was given by Frank Bayly, uncle of the dead cirl: William Alfred Bavlv and

Frank Trevor Bayly, her cousins; and Mrs Constance Ivy Bayly, her aunt. Mrs Dorothy Y." Teague, of Papamoa, Was the next witness. Charles de Renzy Walker, father of the girl, gave evidence, and he was followed by Mrs Cbristina Anderson, of Station road, Papatoetoe, who discovered the Bayly's blue car outside her gate at 8.50 "a.m. on Octoher 2. She said it was there a dav until the police removed it. Ccnstable Maloney was called to describe his examination of the car. DISCOVERY OF THE BODY. On the fourth and iiftK days the witnesses were Roger Butler, garage proprietor, of Papatoetoe; James M. Thompson, aged 11, who discovered the girl's dead body; Stephen Carter, uncle of the boy ; Deteetive Waterson and Constahle Bowman, who removed the body to the morgue; Josepb Butler, carrier, of Mount Albert; Davicl Baldwyn, of Panmure; Deteetive- Sergeaiit JCelly, who was in charge of the investigation ; Reginald C. McMasters, who made tests.with the Bayly's car; and William A. Dobbs, farm manager, Henderson. Dr. Murray and Dr. Gilmore were recalled to give their opinions again about the hruise found cn the girl's head. Constahle Jackson, of Te Puke, related interviews l^e had witli members of the Bayly family. Constahle Bowman _ (recalled), Detec- ■ t?ve~Sergeant Bickerdike and Detec-tive-Sergeant Kelly (recalled) gave evidence on the sixth day. They were followed by Rohert B. Lusk, solicitor, of Auckland, who said that on Sunday. October 7. he accompanied Mr Frank Bavlv to Henderson and there saw William Bayly and that Frank Bayly told his son that Elsie Walker was dead. The only witness on the seventh da.v Was Mrs Phyllis D. Bayly, wife of WiiLam Bayly. THE CORONER'S VERDICT. Counsel's addresses were given on Tuesday, January 22, and on the following Fridav the coroner delivered his yerdict, which was: — "That the deceased Elsie Walker died about the iirst day of October,

soinewnere oetween l'apamoa aud Auckland, and that the eause of her death -was concussion, following a hlow on the head, but whether that hlow was aecidental or homicidal there is no evidence for me to detevmine. "I very mueh regret that I find it my duty to draw attention to the way the police liandled this case in its early stages. The supevintendent of police for ihe Auckland district was present throughout the inquiry. He must have seen, as I did, the mistakes that were made and the inefficient way tlie inquiries were oarried out. I feel _ sure that he will see the necessity fbr holding an inquiry at once into the whole matter. "The public are entitled to better service from the police than they received in this case. It is possible that suspicion may rest against a' perfectly innocent man for the rest of his life. This might have been avoided had prompt and intelligent inquiries been made." POLICE OFFICERS EXOXERATED. Following the coroner's remarks concerning the conduct of the case by the police, the Minister of Justice, the Hon. T. M. Wilford, appointed Mr E. Page. S.M., of Wellington, to conduct a full inquiry. The inquiry was lield at the Ylagistrate's Court, Auckland, and after a prolonged hearing Mr Page completely exonerated the police officea-s concerned from any blame wliatever. Mr Wilford subsequently expressed great satisfaction with Mr Page's finding.