name of “Maxton” or “Baxton”—Podmore
said he was not exactly sure which. What
he was sure of was that the other man was
in the garage with Messiter when Pod-
more called, and that he was there after
Podmore left.

At this interview, Podmore went on to
say, Messiter gave him the name of “Cromer
@ Bartlett” as a possible customer. Podmore
then, according to his story, went away.
When he came back late that afternoon the
garage door was padlocked; several times on
subsequent days he found it still locked.
Whereupon, Podmore said, he decided to
find work elsewhere. He denied that the
entry in the receipt book which recorded a
commission for selling oil to “Cromer &
Bartlett” was written by him.

Scotland Yard found no one by the name
of “Maxton” or “Baxton” who in the least
bore out Podmore’s story.

The evidence Scotland Yard had gathered
against Podmore was presented to the cor-
oner and his jury. At the conclusion the
coroner pointed out to the jury that they
had only circumstantial evidence whereon

“to accuse Podmore of murder; that even
grave suspicion would not justify such accu-
sation. The jury must decide, the coroner
charged, whether the evidence against Pod-
more was such that he could be convicted
on the weight of it.

The coroner’s jury went out to deliber-
ate the verdict. Twenty minutes later they
came back to have the coroner clear up
some points of law and again retired. Fifty
minutes later they returned with their ver-
dict.

“The death of Vivian Messiter was due
to a fracture of the skull and the consequent
injury to the brain inflicted by blows of a
hammer. The murder was committed by a
person or persons unknown.”

ARRESTED FOR MURDER

Podmore walked out of the courtroom
with a smile on his lips. His Lily joined him
at the door for a brief greeting.

Then he was taken back to Wandsworth
Prison to finish his six-month term for theft.

At the expiration of his term, Podmore
prepared to leave prison. As he stepped
out of its gates he was arrested again by a

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OCTOBER, 1938

Scotland Yard murder of
Vivian Messiter.

This time he was tried by the Assize
Court in the Castle of Winchester. The
evidence that had been brought against
Podmore at the coroner’s hearing was
brought out again, but this time it was rein-
forced by much careful work by Scotland
Yard in the way of corroborating detail.

man for the

EviENCE ACCUMULATES

In addition there were three new wit-
nesses against Podmore, fellow inmates of
Wandsworth Prison. David Cummings tes-
tified that Podmore had talked to him freely
of the murder of Messiter and had made
little effort to hide his guilt. Joseph Deass,
a colored man from Ceylon, told of a con-
versation with Podmore in which the mur-
der was described in detail by Podmore.
William Street also testified, partly against
Podmore, partly for him.

During the trial, Podmore had not slept
or eaten. He was beginning to lose that
poise of his with which he had walked out
of the coroner’s courtroom.

Both sides had presented their case. The
jury went out. Podmore took hold of him-
self for the ordeal of waiting.

The jury returned. The court clerk asked:

“Gentlemen of the jury, are you agreed
upon your verdict?”

“We are,” replied the foreman.

Podmore stood up, gripped the bar before
him.

VERDICT PRONOUNCED

“How say you?” the clerk droned on. “Is
William Henry Podmore guilty or not
guilty?”

“Guilty!” the foreman replied.

A gasp of shocked tension sounded in the
courtroom, but it did not come from Pod-
more.

“William Henry Podmore, you' have been
convicted of the crime of wilful murder,”
the clerk of the assize went on. “Have you
anything to say why sentence of death
should not be passed upon you?”

Podmore replied in a voice harsh with
the overtones of supreme effort.

“T still repeat that I know nothing what-
ever about it.”

Everyone in the court room was directed
to stand while the judge’s clerk advanced

with a square of black cloth to be placed
on the wig of the Lord Chief Justice. Lord
Hewart was obviously affected and kept his
eyes on the papers in front of him as he said
in a low but penetrating tone:

“William Henry Podmore, the jury have
found you guilty of the crime of wilful
murder and there is only one sentence
known to the law for that. You are to be
hanged by the neck till you are dead, and
may the Lord have mercy on your soul!”

Podmore turned for a swift look to some
one in the gallery of the court. “Golden-
haired Lily” there had turned so white that
those near thought she was about to faint.
But Podmore could do nothing about it. He
took his place between two men and was
escorted to the death cell.

And in April he was hanged.

HIGHWAY DANGERS INCREASE
LAST YEAR there were 5,276 motor acci-
dents reported to B. C. Police headquarters
at Victoria, a 23 per cent increase over the
previous year. 2,724 persons were injured
(a 7 per cent increase over 1936) and 122
died as a result of such accidents (a 19 per
cent increase). Property damage amounted
to $493,483.94, a 31 per cent increase.

During this period the number of licenses
issued for motor vehicles increased by 9 per
cent.

One out of every twenty-one licensed
cars is involved annually in an accident!
One out of every forty-one of our B. C. cars
causes injury to someone during the year!

In the Motor Vehicles Branch at Police
Headquarters every accident is analysed,
recorded and tabulated. The mass informa-
tion thus obtained is rendered down to a
concrete precise statement as to the cause of
accidents—here it is:

The average accident occurs in daylight,
on a dry surface, on a straight road, weather
clear, car in sound condition and driver
normal—but probably going faster than his
mental processes reacted, to sudden or hid-
den danger.

Accidents happening during the hours of
darkness proved twice as fatal as those hap-
pening in daylight. Undoubted causes of
these accidents are limitation of vision, and
glaring lights.

Comp iments of

STRAITS LUMBER CO.

to B.C. POLICE on their 80th Anniversary

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An established landmark furthering B. C.'s interests

IB) (a

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Page Forty-Five