1958-05-03 — Page 6

ZANIES

Larry.

Larry

RINO

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY

Sir

YES

1958,

Bernard Spilsbury admits

I WASHED THE WOUND

-So Donald Merrett went free

Tis not till late on the fifth day of the

I

tensest murder trial that Scotland has experienced for nearly 20 years that at long last counsel calls the magic name, and the five-star expert moves from the wings to the centre of the stage.

Attention focusaca upofi him absolutely. Everyone gazes fascinated at that handsome head, everyone listens fascinated to that level voice-as people are, and always will be, fascinated by those who manifest- ly wield the power of life and death.

who

A power, it should be stressed, in this particular instance unsought by its possessor. Sir Bernard Spitsburyin 1927 at the peak of his International fame-remuins the same modest medico-legal scientist Onco was a young resident assistant at St Mary's, Dul, as Home Office pathologist for 'n generation, re has acquired a dominion over the public zmind

beyond any of his distinguished predecessors, and could elle-If The chose-am impressive list of names which his Bindings and conclusions have engraved upon the gallowa

for

Usual role

Repeatedly, throughout the length and breadth of England, Splisbury has been a key figure in court batties for the Überation or the forfeiture of human life. This afternoon ko is again fulming this familiar role.

But with one vital and momentous differ- ente.

Here in Edinburgh-outsido the scope of his Government retainer for the first time in his life Spilsbury appears on behalf of not the Crown but the defence,

It is possible to feel some little regret in retrospect, that Donald Merrett shouki" have been the prisoner accorded this unprecedented and Incomparable advantage,

old

What can you deduce about this 18-year- lad--broad-shouldered, heavy-featurexi,

over six foot tall-simply by [studying him, as he sits there in

the dock?

EXPERT UNDER FIRE

by

Edgar Lustgarten

DONALD MERRETT AT THE TIME OF HIS TEĹAL Inescapable expone Loomed ahoad,

The Crown heavyweights have

The assembly

follow him ar

HIR BEDNARD SPILSBURY

already given theirs, They Have, dager students follow a popular

pointed out-es is apparent even lectures, to a layman-ibat in suicide' by shooting there must be near. discharge.

"It there was considerable

Key figure in cart ballies.

They have declared bleeding, would it be easy to have been pressed up against the,

that a near discharge producen miss any blackening there might skin." Blackening round the wound be?" (binckening which will survive even thorough cleansing), They have recalled that the house surgeon who first treated Mrs Merrett, though carefully looke Ing for it, Baw no blackening at all.

Therefore---they say it was not a close dlacharge; therofora it was not Mre Merroit's hand that fired the gun,.

It is this simple and cogent argument-inaotiably fatal, It ustained, to the defence-that Spilsbury now prepares himself to challange.

Blood factor

Aurandisshm

The Lord Advocate has at Jeart abtained on Ancillary benefit, But 8plisbury's fair. neka hers buttresses' him on the Issue' that is páramount. Blackening can be removed in "Vory easy. The blood would cleansing-Spilsbury has

Bald: certainly flow all over the part so, and the judge need hardly": of the car,"

have bothered to tell the fúég! that he imagines they will, bo` There you are, says Aitchison's disposed to attach the very expression as he resumes his greatest weight to Sir Bernard's sent. The Lord Advocate, Hsing, evidence." picks hie way with circum- sportion.

"The side of the head is not

one of the more normal points for suicide?"

"Yes," says Spilsbury, "or very proof,

Scots verdict

They do, and even though the "Not one of the more usust accused does not go in the bps,. Has he made experiment by

return a majority verdlet of NoE Aring at sk with, similar points," Spilsbury concedes, autol? Yes. And with similar hold the weapon against

"And a muicide would naturally Proven that verdict which The enables Scottish Jurles, in effect, cartridges? You. Did it cause

to say: We think he did (4, BOR: blackening round the aperturer head?"

the evidence falls short of legal, At rhort range, yes,

Others who also think he did close to it. But the head may

turned instinctively as the it may be forgiven for feeling that their ballef was belatedly der is pulled." Encouraged nevertheless, the confirmed by the Chesnicy, case Lord Advocate elaborates this In February 1952. You may

recall it a case of a swath«, was Little buckling desperado who murder-

theme.

So 110

had drawn forged duet during the fortnight that cheques on his mother's bane frs Morrett lingered (the The Lord Advocate, Willam That he is a public schoolboy? account.

During the cover forged cheques multiplied more Watson, for the Crown, looks Possibly,

from the deferential weeks before the shooting there rupidly than ever, and his palais satisfied. But su docs Craigie arrogance of his bearing. That

friends had no cause to com- Atchison, defence counsel, for he is a profligate? Possibly, from were no fewer than 23, which plain of his neglent); and still the sting is in the talf the coarse lines of his mouth, resulted in Donald_pocketing further by the dying woman's

"You know there "Did you afterwards wipe the That he is a dimomblor? Prob more than £200. By various assertion in Hospital frequently akin' Craigie Aftchison as destruction of tissue round the ed his wife and mother-in-law ably from the calculated and strategens with pass sheets and reiterated--that she had been self-conscious candour of his with cheque books he had, upŝill simply sitting writing when

then, kept Mrs Mejrott In the bong went off in her head. -dark. But it could not, go on j

for ever, and that morning un- But motive does not prove

cyes.

But can you deduce that he is capable of cold-bloodedly mur- dering his mother, who had de voted her whole life to her only child; who had brought him up and educated him out of her own rosources (his father having deserted them both many years __before); ond whose sole object was to secure him, a hoppy futuro? Can you deduce that?

Son's pistol

For if the case presented by the prosecution is well founded, you are indeed looking directly on the face of matricide....

Whatever the subsequent

obscurities and contentions, this Initial fact at least is clear,and undisputed: Mrs Merrett was Jatally shot one morning, after breakfast, while alone with Donald in the sitting-room 01 their Edinburgh flat-shot witis a pistol Donald had purchased a few weeks before ("to use on holiday abroad," he had declared to get his iconce).

The daily maid, making the klichen Bro, heard a crack, a #cream, a thud. She stood still far several seconds, paralysed by shock. Then Donald ("very much upset") came to her in the kitchen. "My mother has diot herself," he said.

On the sitting-room floor Mrs Merrett Iny, insensible, bleeding profusely from a wound in the right ear.

No accident

An acoidant, for practical pur- poses, could be excluded. It was elther a case of suicide, or else,

a case of murder....

No credible motiye furnished

a clue why Mrs Merrett, In the middle of writing a chatty letter to a woman. friend-the police found that letter, unfinished, on the tablo-should, suddenly and without the slightest warning, commit suicide in the presence of lier son, For. murder, how- everwand no one, of course, extept Donald could have mur dered her credible motive was not for to week...

Donald Merrott had been lead- By day his to a double life. supposed attendance at univer. alty classes, by night a locked bedroom door and a rope from Bedroom window, had Kenabled him to spend nearly all hty waking-hour, with tho, gay |«SEINTRA==-IIIIa, and fumale-or Edinburgh'a romal life. liis occupational outgoings pažn ments at the palals du danen, gifts to sweeten the hostesses,. -motor-cycles to impress £ÄMEEN BLOKÉ wameport them for atmodaði the wookly ten shillings be

· reveived her pockes, moting.

escapable exposure loomed murder. Nor does callousness, ahead. The current loot, more. And Mrs Merrett might—on the over, was exhausted. But there, evidence it is a big Might, but was still potential plunder in the big Mights count in court-have bank and Donald was sole bien mentally unhinged through beneficiary under his mother's the effects of her injury, and of will.

hospital drugs.

The suspicions aroused when bli this came to light were strongly relatoṛced by his con-

FERDINAND

wound?"

n their home In Ealing, and' "Yes," "Yes, with damp cottonwool."

afterwards ended his own life la "Doesn't that suggest that the a paric outside Cologne, Chesney, ure to bear?"

"Did you bring much pres- muzzle wasn't up against the he called hurself, but that was

*kin?"

a pseudonym adopted to cloak a "I'm sure of that," Spiisbury string of prison sentences served "As much." Spilsbury replies, knows tho art of giving under another names. as I'd use to remove coagulated generously. "In this enso it's Under his real name? Donald' blood around a wound,”

Impossible that the muzzle could Merrell.

ihat was the result?”

"To remove the blackering.... Suloidy or

for a little tracơ. tant murder? The except answer is going to depend upon could only be made oat with 44.

lens," the experts.

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

"THE GREAT

THE WATER FLIPPED

US-LIAT

A MOSQUÍ

WERE

JOHNNY HAZARD

IVERSARY SINGER)- POU'RE GOING TO HIPISTAK ATE INTERVEYS PRICE

·HILAM-ON BEHALF OF THE TV KETHORUS SPECIAL

|| EVENT İNİ ORJARTEMENTE.

I CAN PUSH A PENCIL- YOU. DOK'T HAVE TO OR KUN A TAPI KETORSZER? BELL ME ON THIS BUT WHO MAKES WITH THE TRIP, MR. AMORY! CAMERA YHİLE TM, HOLDING JUST ONE QUESTIONS. THIS QUIZ ?

NEXT WEEK

The fraud trial that hinged on a single question.

By MIK

Early bird" Your cargo

by

k

SWISSAIR

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

Sheaffer's

IROUND A PIECE OF TIMBER TO HANG ON TO LOOKED, BACK--THE HAND WAS GONE--

POOR MAN -DELIRIOUS

FROM EXPOSURE--

WE'VE GOT THE KENT MANNEANN VÁSTÍN HIS THE CUTEX OFFICIN

CONTINUED

NEW BALLPOINT-

· WITH EXCLUSIVE

STERING SILVER TIP

By Frank Robbina

""OKAY, "MISS KEYES? YOU CAN SEND HIM,

1. HOP

KUNTIONE/

AUSTIN!

THE CAR

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