MURDER CHARGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4435, 3 April 1930, Page 2

MURDER CHARGE.

POISONING ALLEGED.

SENS AT lONA L EVIDENCE,

MiUNN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

Auckland, April 1. Great interest has been aroused in the case in which Arthur Thomas Munn, aged 45, of North cote, is charged with murdering his wife, Lillie May .Munn, on 13 th February, at Northcotc. The Court was pack - ed to the doors.

The arrest of Munn on Saturday, Sth ‘March, when the accused was having lunch with his children, caused a sensation at Northcotc, for Munn had taken a keen and active interest, in public affairs, once being a member of the Norllu-ote Borough Council. The death of Mrs. Munn, who was 43 years of age, occurred at her home oil the morning of 11th February. Dr. Dadding* was called to attend her on 4th February, after she had suddenly been taken ill while preparing breakfast for the household, which included her husband and two daughters, aged eight and five years. Dr. Budding refused to give a certificate of death, and reported the matter to the police. A post-mortem examination on (he body of the deceased was carried out by Dr. Murray, assisted by Dr. Gilmour, pathologist at Auckland Hospital. The stomach aud ther organs were submitted to the Government Analyst for thorough

examination. Mr. F. K. Hunt is the Magistrate, while Air. Y. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, is appearing for the _ Crown, and Mr. E. P. Northeroft for the accused, Munn. At the further hearing Airs. Mary Brown stated in evidence that she used to visit Mrs. Munn, and often saw the accused and Ids wife together. Alunn was not kind to his wife. Witness had lunch with the deceased the day before the latter was taken ill. Mrs. Alunn was then in good health and spirits. The lirst that witness heard of her illness was on oth February, when .Munn told her his wife was very ill in bed. Witness added; “I told tlic accused it was through him being unkind to her and keeping her up when she should he in bed.” Witness said she would go and see Airs. Alunn, whereupon the accused said: "1 don’t want any damn wo•men down there.” Munn said he would look after his wife himself. When witness called at the house .Munn said his wife thought she had' kidney trouble, hut she really had blood pressure. Mrs. Alunn was in bed. She was very nervous, was twitching all over, and drawing her legs up. She said she had lost the use of her legs. Alunn said: “I think she had a stroke morning when 1 was breakfast.” •\N ASHES T, BITTEREST SALTS.”

The witness said she stayed with Airs. Alunn that evening- while Munn attended a meeting. The de-

ceased was very ill, aud was still twitching. Witness did not see her again until 7th February, when she seemed milch worse. Her eyes were half closed, as if she did not see properly. The deceased told witness she had been given some Epsom salts by her husband that morning. iShe said they were the nastiest, bitterest salts she had ever tasted. The deceased was of

a very kind disposition,-but always seemed despondent and afraid of something. Nine months ago, said witness, she saw three red weals on Airs. Ahum's neck. She once heard the deceased ask her husband for some new linoleum for the iloor, and Mimn replied: "You can damn well scrub the hoards when that’s

worn out.” Mrs. Lydiard said she tirst knew of Airs. Mturn’s illness when Miuiu asked her to stay with his wife while he went to town, saying she had had a stroke. On the morning Mrs. Alunn died witness, when going to his house, met Alunn going in his car to get a doctor. He said the doctor had called before and injected morphia, and added: “She is sleeping, but I don't like the look of her." Alunn asked witness to stand iu the doorway while he went for the doctor, blit she went right

.into the bedroom. Mrs. Munn was apparently dead. Detailed evidence was given on tlm handwriting by Joseph James .Murray. P. ami T. Departmental Accountant, who said that in his opinion the matrimonial advertisement, and documents signed “Arthur Thomas” and “Arthur Munn” were all signed by the same person. DOCTOR'S TESTIMONY. Dr. Reginald Cteorge Dndding, of Nortlicote, said he had known Mrs. Mumt for three or four years and bad attended her about It) months prior to the illness which led to her death. He was called to see Mrs, Alunn ou the morning of February I. The message left was to the effect that Airs. Munn had had a seizure, which it was thought, might la a stroke. Munn met him at the house and witness went straight to the room where Mrs. Alunn was lying in bed. Witness asked several questions regarding Airs. Aliinn's illness and Muiiu said she had been shaking all over and had had some sort of convulsive seizure. He was also told Mrs. Alunn had had some headaches and had been talking aspirins for it but there had been no sickness. In the description of a convulsive attack, was any reference made to holding on to a chair counsel.—None at all. Was any reference made to any previous similar attack? —I was told there had been none.

Who told you?—Munn,

Witness examined deceaseds heart and nervous system and took her blood pressure. He found the blood pressure to be abnormally high, being 220 in.m. Witness assumed from that that Mrs. Munn was suffering from the effect of blood pressure and might have been on the verge of a stroke. He deemed it expedient to bleed her and he took half a pint of blood, which Munn tipped out. Witness prescribed a, sedative mixture and ordered one teaspoonful of Epsom salts to be given every morning. He also indicated diet.

Witness next saw Mrs. Munn on February 6. She seemed very comfortable and witness was not. very concerned about her condition, as he bad not expected much improvement in that time, assuming his original diagnosis was accurate. Munn called on witness on February 8 and said the mixture was finished. Ho added that his wife’s condition was much the same. Witness told Munn to repeat the medicine and said he would call at a later date. Witness called on the morning of February 10. Mrs. Munn appeared quite comfortable and was joking about having to stay in bed.

•After they had left the room, Mimn said his wife had been very nervy and that the noise of the children running about seemed to get on her nerves. Witness took Mrs. Munn's pressure again and it was still high. There was really no nursing treatment required, as witness saw the ease and Munn seemed’quite capable of looking after his wife.

At about 9.10 a.m. on February 11, Mrs. Gill, a neighbour of the Alunn’s, arrived at witness’s residence with a message from Munn, staling that Mrs. Munn hud had another bad turn. Mi’S. Munn was lying on a bed. Her clothing was itisarranged and wet and the bed was also wet. Apparently, the wetness had been caused by Munn hi applying cold water clothes to the heart. Mrs. Munn seemed hysterical and kept calling’ out that she did not want to be touched. After she had been shifted in bed, she began to shake. First of all, it was just a trembling over the whole body hut by holding her arms gently, he was able to restrain her movements. Then, he thought the patient was hysterical but shortly after, her condition changed and the body became arched. Mrs. Munn was conscious and moaning and her jaws were closed. Then she complained of thirst. During the attack, she resented very strongly being touched. Immediately witness perceived the nature of the attack, he administered a quarter of a grain of morphine hypodermically and the convulsion seemed to quieten down after about l our minutes.

Witness asked Munn if this convulsion was similar to the one his wife had had before, to which Munn said “Yes.” The convulsion, witness said, was not consistent with blood pressure. The symptoms were. usually associated with strychnine poisoning, if the attack came on suddenly. Witness then became highly suspicious but he did not mention his suspicion to Munn, or to the patient. Munn again called at about 11 a.m. that day. He said Mrs. Al uim’s breathing seemed to have stopped and he could not feel her pulse. Witness went immediately to the house aud found Mrs. Munn was dead. •Witness was very much more confirmed then in the diagnosis he had made on his earlier visit. WitliUSrf looked round to see if there was strychnine, or anything that might be strychnine, about the room. There was a little liuid in a cup about a quarter full, standing on the table. Witness pul some of the liuid into a container. He tasted the fluid in the cup by placing his little linger in the fluid and putting’ it to the tip of his tongue, it was bitter and it was then that witii os a took a sample of it. ANALYST'S REPORT.

He liieu left tlie residence and went to a chemist's dispensary at Northcote. Witness asked the chemist to show his poisons register, which was produced. There was an entry to the effect that Jiiitnn had purchased a dram of strychnine. MV. Meredith, iUrown Proseculor, produced the register, which showed the date as November 25. While at the chemist’s witness said he tested his specimen for strychnine. The lirst test did not give the reaction for strychnine and a different test also gave no reae..on. A test with the remainder of the solution was carried out but witness could not satisfy himself that Che insult gave a positive reaction ior strychnine, as he was ...n skilled in those matters. ■ Dr. Dudding said he then decided to gel sijecimens ior further analysis by a competent person. He went back to Muun’s residence, taking with him four bottles, which he produced from the chemist. Witness examined the body. He secured the samples he wanted and took lluid fro/n the cup which he bad tasted on the previous occasion. He also took some water and some colourless liquid out of a jug. Witness obtained the chemist’s * boy as messenger to deliver the samples to-, Mr. Parker, an analyst. The report from the analyst was received next day and as a result of that report, he referred the matter to the.police. Mr. Meredith: As a result of what you had seen in the end, what, in your opini.on was the cause of deadh ? —Strychnine poisoning. " One or several doses"? —Several doses; more than one. In reply to -Mr. Norther oft, Dr. HuddiM Wed the i«P»tUeat» in

the mixture be had prescribed for Mrs. Munn.

DETECTIVE ASKS QUESTION'S. Evidence was given by Detectives who arrested Munn and a lengthly statement made by Munn was read.

Get octive-Sergeant Doyle said that when taking the statement from Munn lie asked Munn if he had any poison in the house. “Oh, yes,” Munn replied, “I have some strychnine in the pantry that I keep for rats.”

“You surely don’t keep it in the pantry?” said the detective. “Oh, yes, I keep it covered,” replied Munn. The detective said that Munn then went to the pantry and lifted a honey cartoon off a shelf and said, “It’s under this.”

Aijter looking under the carton he said, “It’s gone!” And Munn then turned round and said, ‘Well look in the bedroom,’ and he walked straight through the house to the bedroom.” Witness said the room was searched. Oa moving some collars in a drawer he saw a bottle marked “Poison” resting on a suit of pyjamas. lie said to Munn: “Ts this the drawer you use?” Munn said: “Yes; but I do not wear pyjamas; I cannot stand them.”

On seeing the bottle Munn said, “That’s it.”

“How do you suggest this bottle got into the drawer?” witness asked Mtunu.

“I don’t know; I thought, it. was in the pantry,” he replied. “The last time T saw it was about a fortnight ago.” NO fingerprints. Witness said he examined the bottle. There were no fingerprints on it. The bottle contained a few white crystals. The det.eetive-Sergea.nt. said he then took Munn into the kitchen, where he continued to type out M nun's statement. MUNN’S arrest. Detailing the arrest of accused, witness said that with Detective Power he went to Munn’s house on Saturday, March 8, at 12.30 p.m. They were met at the back door by accused. Mrs. Stuck and accused s two children were in the kitchen. Witness said to accused: “We want to speak to you privately in the other room.” Accused replied: “You’re back | again!”' They went, into the sitting-room and witness said: “We have a very painful duty to perform. I have a warrant here to arrest you on a charge of murder of your wife.” Witness then read the warrant. Munn replied: “What does this mean?” * Witness said: “It means that you are under arrest.” Alnnn asked, “What is • the evidence like?” He was told that this could not he discussed with him. "THE D WOMAN.” "I told you I bought the poison; 1 gin the doctor and I did everything for the d woman. Can 1 get bail?” He was told that he could ment ion that matter to the Court. Accused then ’said: “I’m afraid this woman will not stay now; can 1 speak to her?”

lie was told that this was impossible. Munn was then arrested and removed from the house. Witness added that he and Detective Power made a. thorough examination of the fowlhouses at the back of accused’s house, but tailed to find any evidence of the presence of rats. After three witnesses had given evidence concerning property that Mrs. Munn, accused and his son Oliver were concerned with, and also about mortgages, the ease for i he prosecution ended. Munn reserved his defence, and 'was committed to the Supreme (“curt for trial. Mr. Hunt deferred his verdict concerning the death of Mrs. Alunn.