Evening star., 1953-08-29
Prospector 10 Face
Trial in Murder Of
Hunter, II, in Gaspe
By the Asseeiatsd Pres.

uUUIViV IIv m VoSPC
BY the Assoeiatsd Pres.
PERCE, Que, Aug. ga 39-
year-old prospector woodsman
today faced trial on a charge Of
numbering one of three Penn
Sylvania hunters whose BEAR
gnaWed remains we're found
last month in the Gaspe wilder
ness bush.
A provincial magistrates
court last night ordered Wilbert
Coffin, the last man known to
have seen the three Americans
alive, to stand trial in the death
of Richard Lindsey, II, of Hol-
lidaysburg. Pa.
Young LindSey's remains were
found in the bush IS miles west
of Gaspe with those of his
father. Eugene H. Lindsey, At.
and a friend, Fred CLAIR, 20,
"a 41nOb G4CC0O111s d.
The courts decision was an
nounced by Magistrate Joseph
Duguay after a 12-hour pre-
liminary hearing in which IT
witnesses testified.
Trial Slated for Fall.
The trial will be held during
the fall session of the Queens
Bench Criminal Assizes.
The magistrates hearing was
called after a coroner's inquest
in Gaspe Thursday held Coffin
criminally responsible for the
deaths of Mr.. Claar and the
younger Lindsey. An earlier in
quest ruled that the two youths
died of bullet wounds but the
cause of Mr.. Lindsey's death was
unknown.
Police said the three hunters.
who left on their shooting trip
June 5, had been murdered in
cold blood and robbed of $7OO
and equipment. Officers said
some of the stolen articles were
recovered in Montreal.
Coffin admitted having talked
to the three Americans June 10.
He was picked up last month and
held as material witness in the
investigation.
Mother Sole Witness.
A touch of drama hushed the
little courtroom here last night
when Collins mother. Mrs. AL
bert Coffin. was called to testify
as the only witness for the de-
Tense.
She said a pair of blue jeans,
identified earlier as young Glars.
instead were her sons. She
said she recognized the faded
trousers from some mending on
them.
Earlier, Mrs. Clarence CLAIR
had testified she recognized the
same jeans as her sons from
a gray patch she SeWed on last
spring.
I The disputed jeans had been
| found by police at the home Of
Mrs. Felix Stanley. Coff1n's SIS
ter. Investigating officers also
recovered grey-brown suitcase.
a shirt. some shorts and some
blue towels. All these items were
identified by Mrs. Claar as be-
longing to her family.
Souvenir From Hunters"
Earlier, Marion Petrie, 40, Of
Montreal. testified Coffin had
given her 5-year-old son a pair
of binoculars and knife "aS
souvenir from the American
hunters" when he visited her
home in Montreal June Is.
Questioned about the suitcase.
the witness first said Coffin told
her he bought it. She changed
her testimony. however, when
Crown Prosecutor Noel Dorion
declared she had testified at
Thursdays coroner's inquest
that Coffin had told her he
picked it up ION the road"
iii stick to the answer I gave
yesterday" she decla1 ed.
Capt. j. AliphonSe Matte Of
Quebec Provincial Police, told of
recovering some of the articles
listed as stolen from the three
hunters.
Pistol Found in Montreal.
He said a pistol involved in
the case had been recovered from
Roy Barker of Montreal, on in
formation from the Petrie wo-
man.
Young Claar's father, Clarence
CLAIR. identified two rifles. He
said one was the elder Lindsey's.
The other, he said. he had lent
to his son for the trip. He also
identified several articles Of
clothing as his sons.
Mrs. Eugene Lindsey told the
court her husband left on the
fatal trip with at least $3.50 and
probably more" She identified
various personal items as belong
ing to her son and her husband.