AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1007, 23 December 1910, Page 5

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

ACCUSED WOMAN THE MAINSTAY OF Hflll FASTILY. mm! 16 excited much interest in Melbourne, and is a most unusual one* Ulive Moodie, aged 28 years, was arrested on November 29 011 the charge of having wiliully murdered her mother, Elizabeth alooihe, between November 12 and 22. After the death of her husband at Avcca five years ago, Mrs. Moodie, her tour daughters, and her sou went to live at Punt Road, Prahrau, where Mrs. Moodip kept a boardinghouse. Olive obtained employment at a whiteworker't siiop, and, being a businesslike and thrifty woman, m December last found herselt able purchase the ' business. The boardinghouso did not pay, and at Oiive's > suggestion was disposed of. Two of her 1 sisiers, Annie and Alma, joined her in the business, and from its proceeds the l whole family lived. The mother, thi fourth sister, and the boy went to stay m a boardmghouse near by, whilo, the tnrce. elder frirls lived on the premises connected with the shop. A MERRY PARTY, i family had not lived more tliaii about six weeks in this fashion, when the mother, Auuie, aud Alma were stricken witn illness, from which none recovered. Saturday, November 12, Olivo had the -nop closed at:noon, the usual hour, and 1 she and her two sisters went out to do j some shopping. They returned, and sat down to lunch m merry mood. Olive cut up somo cucumber, and set it before her > -sisters. They ate a good portion of it I -with some tinned tongue. Olive sent'a message to her mother and youngest > tliat_.sho would "shout" them to the Arcadians." All hour later Mrs. Moodie and Lily went to the Commercial itoau establishment, and were invited by Uiivs to have some lunch, which had not ueen cleared away. After a small meal the plans of the carried out. When ot the 1 theatre Mrs. Moodio and Lily, aged 14 i years, were seized with violent headaches, and on returning to her homo in s -f oi'tsr btreet tho mother became very ill, and began to vomit. The sisters Annie and. Alma also became ill •in the same way, and in the evening were verv bad. But on the following Monday they were so much improved that they-wcre able to do a httto work in tho shop. Mrs. „ Moodie, however, did not rally, and on November 15 it was thought ndvisablo to call ni Dr. Altmann to attend her. Nest uay. Alma and Annie became very ih again, and their medical attendant, Di. luefcer, was called in three■ times. t • OLIVE MUCH AFFECTED, o On the following day Annie grew worse, a and on Thursday evening suddenly collapsed and died. Dr. "Tucker had called in Dr. Altmann to see the case; but the woman was then dead. He saw tho other sister, Alma, and insisted that she should ffO to the Alfred Hospital, where she ■ would bo under constant observation, t Alma was removed to that institution: - Rut she died on tho following Saturday. 0 . V'y? "" Q d • been the solo nurse of her mother and sisters in their private dwe lings; and she also visited her sister i, m Alfred' Hospital. Those who saw her formed the opinion that she was much affected hy the serious illness of the members of her familj'. Inquiries wefe conductedby Mr. Phipps, J P., into tho causes, of tho death of the two young women, and in .each case a verdict Was returned that death was due to gastritis. Certificate:, for burial, were given, and both bodits were buried in. Spnngvale Cemetery. On Monday, November 21, Mrs. Moodie was declared to be out of danger by Dr. s Altmann. 'At i o'clock tho next aftera noon he was called in and found his patient in a very bad state. She sank rapidly, and died at half-past seven tho ' same evening: 1 ■ The circumstances oE the sudden at.tack sesmed so extraordinary that Dr 3 Altmann ca led in Dr. Wilkinson in coi> ■ sulfation. A post-mortem and subsequent analytical examination showed that arsenio had been swallowed. Tho Dolicp were communicated with, and it was tl certained that the accused woman had : purchased arsenic. a