———

Shoal Harbour
Marine Service

J. EGELAND, JR., Manager

SHELTERED WHARFAGE AND MOORINGS
BOATS FOR SALE AND RENT

MARINE WAYS — BOAT REPAIRS

Opposite Rest Haven Hospital (near) Sidney, V.I., B.C.

f

PHONE SIDNEY 171

duplicate of the knot in the elastic of the
garment. It will also be recalled that Mrs.
Rogerson definitely identified the blouse in
which the other head had been wrapped.
Worthy of mention is another very strong
piece of evidence. It will be recalled that
various parts of the remains had been done
up in fragments of a bed sheet. It was
noted that all markings were missing, but
on very careful examination, a flaw was
observed. While one selvedge had 26
double threads or 13 pairs, the other
selvedge had three threads missing, only
having 23 heads. This was a flaw which
would apply only to one warp on the loom
and it was highly improbable that the error
would be present when another warp was
put on the loom. Mr. Fred W. Barwick,
director of the Testing House and Labor-
atory of the Manchester Chamber of Com-
merce gave this evidence. He had examined
the pieces minutely and discovered the flaw.
He had also examined a bed sheet which
had come from Mrs. Ruxton’s bed at No. 2
Dalton Square, and had found the identical
flaw in that sheet. In all other respects, the
fragments and sheet were identical.
Evidence was also brought to show the
dental condition of both Mary Rogerson
and Mrs. Ruxton, and expert dental evi-
dence showed which teeth had been ex-
tracted after death had occurred. The
numerous exhibits in the house, and par-
ticularly the blue suit and pieces of carpet

SALT SPRING LANDS, Ltd.

Real Estate, Financial and Insurance
Agents

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GANGES, B. C.

A. BITTANCOURT
SHELL SERVICE STATION

Dealer in

ALL SHELL PRODUCTS

Tobacco and Confectionery

Ganges Harbour, B. C.

Page Eighteen

were shown to have blood thereon, and
evidence of microscopic examination of
many small articles such as hairs was
brought before the Court.

The Defence merely consisted of a denial
of all guilt by the accused. During a long
examination in chief and subsequent cross-
examination by Crown Counsel, the accused
denied many of the statements imputed to
him by a large number of witnesses. He
held that his wife had come home on the
Saturday night and gone to bed. The
following morning, September 15th, she had
awakened him early and asked him to
go over to Mrs. Oxley’s to tell her not to
come that day, and at the same time sug-
gested that they should go out. When he
returned she asked him if he minded her
going to Edinburgh that day instead of the
following. He told her to please herself
and she then said that she would take Mary
with her. They both left while he was in
the bathroom, and Mrs. Ruxton had called
out “There is a cup of tea on the hall table
for you”. He had not seen Mrs. Ruxton or
Mary since then. During the long and
gruelling cross-examination he often gave
way to emotion.

Founpb GuILty

Although the Defence had retained ex-
perts on medical matters, and they had an
opportunity to examine the remains on a
number of occasions, not one of them was
called on behalf of the Defence to testify to
inaccuracies on the part of the Crown ex-
perts. This fact was commented upon by
the Court in charging the Jury. After long
addresses by both Crown Counsel and De-
fence Counsel, and a masterly charge by
the Judge, the Jury retired at 3.58 p.m. on
Friday, March 13th, 1936. They returned
at 5.02 p.m. with a verdict of “Guilty”, and
sentence of death was immediately pro-
nounced by the Court after the accused had
been given the usual opportunity to speak.

An appeal was entered and was heard
before the Lord Chief Justice (Lord
Hewart), Mr. Justice Du Parq and Mr.
Justice Goddard. After hearing counsel for
the appellant, the Court did not call upon
the Crown to respond. The final paragraph
of the judgment dismissing the appeal read:

“The Judge, in passing the sentence,
said that the appellant had been con-

PP <<< — =<

victed on evidence which could leave:

no doubt in the mind of anyone. That

statement was, in the opinion of the

Court, perfectly correct, and there was

really nothing in the appeal except that

it arose out of a prosecution for
murder.
“The appeal must be dismissed”.

Dr. Ruxton paid the supreme penalty fi
his crimes on May 12th, 1936 at Strang
ways Prison, Manchester.

As a concluding word and to give
glimpse into the relationship between Mr
Ruxton and her Eurasian husband, his ow
words, which were quoted several tim
during the trial:— :

“... I can say honestly we were the
kind of people who could not live with
each other and could not live without
each other”.

TEACHER: “You say your father an
mother are in the iron and steel business; d
they work in a munition factory?”

New Pupil: “No; father steals, an
mother takes in ironing.” A

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Flour and Feed

General Merchandise
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GANGES, B. C.

S. S. 1

J. CHANTELU, Proprietor

WOOD DEALERS
And General Hauling

Phone 10-Q

Ganges, B.C.

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