1959-12-12 — Page 6

Who killed Sir Harry Oakes?

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1959.

PART FOUR

'Forgery' drama of a fingerprint that

FOR

could hang a man

OR hours people had waited through the hot morning for the doors of the yellow colonial building which housed the Supreme Court of the Bahamas to open. Many had brought their own chairs because spectators were not allowed to stand. The wealthier residents had sent their servants to hold seats for them.

Above the building the shimm moring colous of the Unioir Jack took on a special vividness against the blueness of the sky.

in

עוול:A

THE MOST FANTASTIC MURDER TRIAL OF THIS CENTURY.

L

Never was there a murder trial to match the drama of the Harry Oakes caso. A millionaire had been killed. His son-in-law was accused. The investigation was bungled... and now, over the most vital picco of all the evidence, comes the sinister quastion: Was it forged?

by GEOFFREY BOCCA

was

The police were reinforced within and outside the building, the smartce police force in the

Daly their murdered in his bedroom at his, ford

Whe small and bright tie, thoughtfully chewing Caribbean, gleaning

ile Tooked pale white sun Kelmets and newly home, Westbourne, on the out- benevolent in a full-boltamed on a match. laundered while jackets, with skirts of Nassau.

wig and scarlet, fur-trimmed and had lost weight, but dark blue red-striped trousers.

"Oyez! Oyez! God Save otherwise cheerful. He grinned Kown And the man charged with

and winked at his friends. and polished British

the crime was Sir Harry's the King!" the crier called.

had shaved off his beard. son-in-law. Alfred de

Str Oscar

sixty-three ་་5 had married and had been Chief Justler af Mariquy, who Nancy Oakes when he was 12 the Bahamas since 1939. and she was 18. doors were opered, about half

The all-male jury was worn They had of them natives.

The princils in the ease It was widely known there in. come to hear one of the most

and whis hina fluttered, swished, Irials ever to come had been fletion between sensational

his wife's parents over pered as they settled down, before any art in the world and

several issues.

Alfred de Marigny sat in the the Harry Oakes murder trial.

Everyone stood as the Chlef mahogany prisoner's cage, wear- Sir Harry Oakes, gold-mining

Justice entered. Sir Oscar Bed- ing a light blue suit and millionaire. band been

boots.

One hundred

people crowded

iz

and

when

five the

found

'Mistaken'

THE COURT AT THE MURDER SCENE: During the de Marigny trial the court visited Westbourne to see 'the room where Sir Harry Oakes was killed,Chiej Justi ce Sir Oscar Daly (right) and lawyers leave the house.

When

"He must have known t before we left Miami,"

To whom did Barker say crime..was the necused's.

would you say he knew that?" this7**

"I believe to Lady Oakes and the accused's wife.

"What funeral?"

was the date of the

"He claims he knew it on the

"I believe it was the fifteenth ninth of July when the accused

"Would you say that dis-

He gave out an

that

"theatrically" after the of Shakespeare and called the having murder "as black as hell and murder, as dark a9 night in its foul Superintendent' John Douglas, who had been in charge of de construction.

But it was with the appear Mariany while he was being are of Harold Christie that the questioned by police, asserted de Str trial proper began.

Marigny said, "That guy.

was arrested, Christic was the man whose Harry, should have been killed of July,"

He said that de vision had been anyhow.' planning and

for making

effect. the Marigny questioned him about covery of the fingerprint at the interview to the Press to responsible Bahamas the playground of the whether a man could be con- scene of the crime was a most willing to swear on your rich. He was a close friend of victed in a British court if the vital piece of evidence?"

had dined murder weapon He Harry Oakes. with Sir Harry on the night found. Adderley in his survey of the before Sir Harry was killed. case permitted himself a touch And he *

had stayed at West- bourne that night in the room next but one to the murdered mna. It was he who found Sir Harry's body.

Du Marigny

not pleaded guilty and Alfred Adderley, an eminent Negro barrister, opened the case for the Crown.

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Chrietie looked exhausted. Sometimes he clored his eyes as he gave his testimony.

He told in a quiet voice the story of the night of the He had gone to bed murder.

could not be

Improbable

"What did you say?"

"Yes I would say that." "When did you Arst hear that the fingerprint of the accused had been found at the ocene of the crime?"

was

at Bar

the

"The first time I heard this

Harbour on the funeral when Barker told Lady Oakes."

"I said "Don't worry about afternoon of . Freddie."

Douglas went on to say that de Marigny had asked if a man could be convicted on circum-

antial evidence.

"I Yes, I think 90."" at ten o'clock. He had heard Douglas departed perspiring. nothing. Not even the storm He was a friend of de Marigny's buffeting the house had and had not enjoyed himself. awakened him.

Dr William Sayad, of Palm Adderley, knowing that Beach, testined of a quarrel Captain Harry Sears, of the between Oakes and de Marigny Bahamas Iolice Force, had been and said that de Marigny told lined up as a defence witness him (Sayad) he would "crack to testify about seeing Harold Sir Harry's head."

The testimony the

of Christie about town et midnight on the night of the murder, American detoclives, Edward anticipated it, and brought the Melchmi and Jumies Barker, matter up himself.

changed everything. The aumes- Adderley: What would you phere in

the court elected zay if Captain Sears said he saw

itself perceptibly 15 Melchen you that night?"

was called.

'Don't worry...

tvo

"How long had you been working on this Саб with Contain" Børker?""

"Since the eighth of July." "You accompanied him from Narsan to Miami after your investigations together?"!

"Yes,"

Astounded

that from

eath

And yet you are now

bin you travelled with

Lo Nassau

Miami and from Miami to Bar Harbour and yet all this time Barker never mentioned this important fact to you?"

"Yes."

Objection

Callender t down, and could not resist shooting

*

look of delight at the solemn face of Adderley. Sir Oscar Daly asked: "Cap- tain Melchen, do you not now consider it strange that Caplain Barker did not tell you about the fingerprint on your journey to Bar Harbour?"

*1 do "Yes," said Melchen. now,"

Next day Aclchen reversed He now sald he hed

Perhaps the detective did not immediately realise the signifi- cance of these questions, There were to be one or two more be- himself. fore the defence showed their hand.

"Did you and Barker travel to Bar Harbour together?"

"Yes,"

"Did you discuss the case?" "Yes," "Old

you discuss

Anger-

Then There was a pause, Melchen

been told about the agerprint soon after it was discovered, He said he had read over the testimony and that in his pre- sence "on the ninth of July, Barker and Pemberton [a local police officer went to the RAF. process a print laboratory to they said was of the accused."

Sir

Melchen, questioned first by the Crown, told of the evidence as he knew it, of the burns on de Marigny's arms, and de prints?" Christie showed a flash of Marigny's inability to produce

Oscar threw his pencil anger and gripped the rail of the shirt he had worn on the

impatiently. Callender the

witness-box: "I would vital night. Then it was the

sid, "No, we did down

also caught Melchen adanitting seriously turn of the defence. At once un

not discuss the fingerprints, the error in the time of his Ky he was very

Improbability In the mistaken and should be more acute

The packed court Resped in interrogation of de Marigny, careful of his observations."

surprise. Here was a detective and detective's story was exposed.

permitted himwit a little saying that his colleague, having sarcasm. What a coincidence?" After several hours he stopped

After Melchen had gone over discovered a crucial piece of he exclaimed. "What a mis- down,

watched sympathetically his way by everyone in details of his visit to Lady evidence, had falled to mention inke!"

Oakes at Bar Harbour, in New it to him, even though they had England, after Sir Harry's the been on the case together been few funeral, Ernest Callender, the a week, and had sat next to people

in that room who had Junior of the two defending bar ecct other on long journeys schedule for the ordeal be sus-

asked: "What did during the investigation, not been helped by Christie al risters,

pected was coming, and, know- Sir Oscar Daly looked up ng that a heavy meal can make some time or another, and they Barker say to Lady Oakes and the extent of his Mrs de Marly?"

the notes he was taking a man soporife in the box, had could guess

"Barker told them about and stared at Melchen In lunched on a glass of limeade. suffering.

or a fingerprint of astonishment. A long procession of witnesses Engerprints

He Callender, enjoying himself

looked handsome and came and went. Mrs Kelly, the accused having been found

Oakes's on the screen. [A screen was hugely, rubbed it In: "Barker distinguished with his greying of Sir Harry wie Nassau manager, thought that in Sir Harry's room on the night must have known that the anger hair, erect, correct, respectful."

(Continued on Faze 7) de Marigny seemed to be be of the murder.}

Ort court.

There

could have

from

print found at the scene of the

The next witness was Captain Barker. The big detective had put himself on a rigid training

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