ATTEMPTED MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1928, Page 2

ATTEMPTED MURDER

ALLEGED POISONING

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AVELLINGTON, July 18.

The case in which Marion Koerbin, 43 years of ago, is charged with having attempted to murder her husband, Herbert Koerbin, on June 26th, commenced to-day. Koerbin said that he was a chef, practically of independent means, and for the last eighteen months he had not followed his occupation. He married the accused in 1912, and there were two children, a girl of fifteen, and a hoy of thirteen. • Their married life had never been happy, and he had been living apart from his wife on three occasions. The last time they were separated was in January, 192" and they had lived together from about eighteen months ago. He was paying her £5 10s per week until she was arrested on the present charge. 'She always appeared to bo discontented, and was continually complaining that lie did not give her sufficient money. Several times she said that if he would give her £IOOO, she would leave tho house in her name, and he could leave himself.

AYitness said that he was worth between tliree and four thousand pounds. The accused often told people that he had an income of at least £-100 per week, and that ho was rolling in wealth. His life, he stated, was insured for one thousand pounds, and his wife was aware of that. About December he became ill, and he vomited. but lie never attached any importance to it. Two or tliree months ago he became ill again, and he was confined to bed for, a week. He was ill on several other occasions. Witness got up early one morning, and, on looking through the slide into the kitchen, he saw' the accused poor out some porridge for tlie lx>y. She then took the saucepan back to the stove, and she appeared to add something to it from her pocket. She then added more salt to the porridge which she stirred and left for witness. He became suspicious. He said nothing to his wife, but he did not eat the porridge. lie poured out a cup _ 'of porridge, and bo put the rest of it into a newspaper. He took both to the Police Station, and., by advice, ho gave the porridge to an analyst. By smearing the plate, ho gave his wife the impression that ho had eaten the porridge. He watched the accused on subsequent mornings, and slie went through the same operation. AYitness went on to speak of his subsequently finding a bottle of thick white liquid in a suitcase, and also a paper bag containing the same white flour. He took samples and gave both to the analyst. On a later occasion, that of the alleged attempted poisoning, he .heard his wife say to the little girl. “That ought to do for the swine!” Oil the morning of the 26tli June, he admitted Detectives Sergants Holmes and Thompson to the house, and all three watched her prepare the porridge. The scrapings of the pots in the morning were given to oats, four of which witness said, had died during the past seven or eight months. Each time that a cat was found dead, witness sympathised with the children, and the accused would say that it should be that swine of afather who should he dead not the cats. .

After the luncheon adjournment Koerbin, the witness, was cross-exam-ined by Air SievwiTglit. Ho said lie had been unable to find any cheque butts for March last. He denied that due of tho cheques had lieen made out in his own favour of £SOOO. Air Sievwright: I put it to you that the butts showed an entry of £SOOO. Witness: Not on your life! I never had £SOOO cash in my life- That is a sample of what I had to contend with from Airs Koerbin.

Counsel: AVe know what Mrs Koerbin has had to contend with from you.” “Through you.” “Very well, and his Worship, t-00, no doubt, who considered you on a previous occasion a liar.” “Oh, no!”

Witness admitted that in July, 1986, lie was not too well, and that lie received medical attention. That was for nerves more than anything else. He denied that he had tried to strangle his wife, hut he admitted having caught her by the wrist, to stop her screaming out. Counsel: Did you give her a , black eye ? Witness: I did once.

Witness said bis'wife once made a. certain statement in the presence of a girl, and witness threatened to,knock her flat if she repeated it. He admitted hading broken the lock of the door of his wife’s bedroom, and he said that he had done this to get her to stop screaming. For Mrs Koerhin Air A. G. Sievwriglit appeared, and Chief Detective Ward prosecuted. In the course of his evidence, ilio husband. Herbert Koerhin .stated that lately he and Ills wife had occupied separate rooms of the house, and while lie had his meals in the-kitchen, she took hers to her room. The food in the house was cooked by liis wife. Last December, Mr Koerhin said he became ill with vomiting and pains in his head and - stomach, and was confined to bed for a week, losing a stone in weight. He did not call a doctor. In June last when in the dining room he saw through the slide, which was up, his wife preparing the porridge. After he saw her pour out porridge on to a plate for her son, she then put the saucepan back on the gas stove, and from her attitude lie judged she was pouring something into the pot. Following this, she added more salt and stirred it up, and she then left it for Koerhin to pom* out what porridge he needed. His suspicions were aroused and he took samples of the porridge, and also other foods cooked for him. such as tripe, chops, potatoes, fish, arid stewed steak to analysts. They reported that the foods conained barium carbonatea a poison, a minimum dose to kill a human being being 60 grains. It was commonly used as a rat poison. Ground glass was also found as a result of the analysts’ tests. Within the last few months, four cats had died on tho premises or in the yard, and Koerhin and his children thought they had been poisoned hv neighbours. The cats had been given the dregs of the porridge pot, and before dying had been sick, and vomited—the symptoms, as the analysts explained of borium carbonate poison. Koerbin searched his wife’s room and found a bottle of powder in a suitcase. A sample tested by analysts showed it to be borium carbonate. Powdered glass was also found. Koerbin invited the detectives in one morning. They, through the dining room slide, saw the accused pour something into Koerbin’s porridge. Questioned afterwards by detectives (who also gave evidence), the accused said she did not know any reason why the food should have made her husband ill. When the bottle was found on her, she became agitated, and offered to tell all about it, blit she was advised by the detectives that she need not do so, unless she wished to. The ense was adjourned to to-mor-row.