Stillwater Witness in Enfield Murder Case

Grey River Argus, 20 April 1948, Page 3

Stillwater Witness in Enfield Murder Case

DUNEDIN, April 19.

She had no; recollection-of the alleged sale of one ounce of-strychnine to Phvllis Freeman at Oamaru on’ August 27, 1942, other than the record contained,, in the sale of poisons book held by the United Friendly Societies’ Dispensary at Oamaru, said Mrs Carlisle Croft, aged. 33, wife of Thomas Patrick Croft, of Stillwater, in the Dunedin City Police Court. .Mrs Croft was a new witness called -by the Crown in the case against Phyllis Freeman, who is alleged to have murdered Joyce Maysie Morrison at Enfield on October 3, 1942. Freeman will appear in the Supreme

Court on April 27 to be retried on the capital charge. Mr J. D. Wills, S.M., presided, and the evidence was led by the Crown Prosecutor, Mr F. B. Adams, with Mr W. H. Carson. The accused was represented by Mr J. E. Farrell of Oamaru. , Witness, who was formerly Miss Carlisle McLeod, of Oamaru, said that during the course of her duties at the dis’nensary. she made many sales of strychnine. She was working at the dispensary for about eight years, between 1934 and 1942. all sales of poison being made with the permission of the manager, Cyril John Byrne. Every sale had to be signed both by the customer and herself, and the purpose for which the poison was required also had to be entered. , The entry 'in the Poisons Book on August 27, 1942, recorded that on that day she sold loz of strychnine to P Freeman, of Enfield, for poisoning rabbits. “I cannot remember handing over the poison in this case,” said Mrs Croft. She could not remember whether P Freeman was a man or a woman, could not identify the accused in the dock, and had never known anyone by the name of Morrison living at Enfield. Although she had little re'ihembrance of the sale,, it was not the practice in the dispensarj r _ to make entry in the sale of poisons book without handing over the poison.