Woman Accused Of Attempting To Poison Husband

NZ Truth, Issue 1182, 26 July 1928, Page 7

Woman Accused Of Attempting To Poison Husband

GROUND GLASS AND RAT-POISON FOUND IN FOOD Detectives Arrest Marion Koerbin After Watching Her Prepare Husband's BreaMas^^ WIFE'S ALLEGATION OF MEANNESS AGAINST HER HUSBAND

Diniiiiniiimuiiiiiiiniiiiiiiitiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii WOMEN who had hurriedly gleaned their needs from grocer and butcher, insinuated themselves Into points of vantage, where they might more easily glimpse the thin, pale woman who was said to have engineered the death of her husband, toy mixing- rat poison and powdered glass with his food. , But they were disappointed. With head carefully lowered, Mrs. Koerbin mounted the steps leading to the dock, swiftly turned towards the bench, was seated, and not pnce did Bhe turn her head. For the most part, the food which Koerbin had taken to the analyst's was In an advanced state of putrescence by the time the case came before Magistrate Page, and as the boxes containing fish, chops and other edibles were produced as prima facie evidence, the aggregate stench was nauseating. The major part of the food was a month old, and those who suffered the misfortune of sitting within a few feet of the witnessstand experienced some very disturbing physical sensations. •" * • Herbert Koerbin, the husband, a fairly commonplace little man, with protuberant lips and determined chin, spoke through his teeth and sighed repeatedly whilst giving his evidence as the first— and principal-— witness for the Crown. At times, he grew very excited, particularly when under cross-examination by Counsel "Archie" Sievwright, who has conducted the affairs of Mrs. Koerbin for some considerable time, and who now holds the brief for her defence on the present charge' of attempting to murder her husband. In the.stress of procedure, Koerbin occasionally suffered the disadvantage 'of an impediment m his speech, but for the most part he remained quite col? lected m the narration of his evidence. His revelations to the court knit together and form a most remarkHusband's Income able storyi which, if true, discloses .some strange twists that may unexpectedly reveal themselves under the urge of circumstances. This fact is borne out by his testiknony, which," m essence and particular, Ib related here: He is now a man of Independent means and for some eighteen months bad not followed his calling as a chef. Throughout the sixteen years of his married life he has, he says, lived m an atmosphere *of unhapplness, and three times during that period he has been separated from his wife. Since the date of their last separation, m 1925, he and his wife entered into an agreement of mutual separation, the terms of which entitled her to a weekly allowance of £5 25., which had regularly been paid. For the sake of the two children, a boy of 13 and a girl : of 15, they were re-united m January, 1927. Since February of this year Koerbin had been paying her £ 5 10s. weekly, up to the date of her arrest on June 26. His wife was always discontented, he said, and she manifested her discontent by complaining that she did not get enough money from him. ' Not so long ago she had suggested he should give her £1000 and she would then leave the house; or, alternatively, he could transfer the title of the house In her name and leave. In cash and property, he considered himself to be worth approximately three or four, thousand, pounds, but his wife was under the -delusion that he was worth anything between £50,000 to £100,000. , Koerbin . declared that Lawyer Sievwright himself said he (Koerbin) was worth anything up to £100,000, whilst the evidenoe was being taken before the court during the application for maintenance brought by Mrs. Koerbin. "She told people -I" was rolling m wealth 'and that I had an Income of at least £100 a week/; asserted the husband. Up. till last December, they occiipied the same bedroom, but his wife suddenly discontinued to do so and went to Bhare the bedroom of their little girl. Although his . wife cboked the food, they did not always have their meals together, for often Mrs. Koerbin would take her food and consume lt m her bedroom, whilst the remairider of the family had their meals m the kitchen. "If the children were away, she would bause a lot of. unpleasantness, but when the boy and girl were there, she would not say anything at all," he said. Some time m December he began to feel ill and experienced spasms of vomiting, but he did not give serious consideration to his condition until two of three months ago, when he became so ill that he was obliged to stay In bed for nearly a week. His Illness was accompanied by severe pains m the stomach, violent headaches and a general feeling of depression, but despite his continued sickness he did not consult a doctor. Just before this last illness he weighed about 10 stone 51bs., a weight which he had averaged for a long time, but when he weighed himself shortly after the protracted bout of sickness he found his weight had decreased to h 9 stone 41bs. — almost a stone less. He weighed himself the day after he ! got up. r Three days afterwards the symp- , toms recurred, but beyond drinking salt and water the only consideras tion he gave to his condition was that his stomach was out of order. I One Friday morning m June he rose . early and went out on to the balcony to have a look at the boy's pigeons. On returning .he happened to look ' through the slide connecting the dining-room with the kitchen. The slide was raised about four Inches and he looked through into the kitchen to see whether the boy was there, but all Koerbin could see was hlB wife pouring porridge from a small .saucepan on to a plate. . ' She then placed the saucepan back ,©n the gas-cooker. From her attitude _she appeared to take something from

_- : — — — c her pocket and add something to the porridge remaining m the saucepan. She then added some more salt to thc porridge and thoroughly stirred it m. When he saw her add extra salt to the porridge he. became suspicious and suddenly recollected that the porridge had been very salty for almost a fortnight. His suspicions were deepened when he remembered that the food had already been, salted for the boy. Accordingly, Koerbin says, he took out a Bmall cupful and put the remainder into a newspaper. He smeared his plate with some of the porridge from the cup, so that his wife should think he had eaten the food, and then quickly made his way to the police station, where he was interviewed by Senior-sergeant Scott. As the result of his declarations he was advised to take the -porridge to Johnsonville and have it analysed by a man named A. G. Lawrence. The following morning he again Watched his wife serve the porridge. She would first of all place a quantity on the boy's plate and then take the saucepan over to the gas-cooker, Watched His Wife ■.. ~ : . adding something from the pocket of her apron, he declared. He kept the porridge she had put out for him and left it at the place of a. man whom Lawrence was due to see that day. There was no porridge for breakfast on the Sunday morning, but on the riiornihg following there, was. Mrs; Koerbin was again watched through the slide. '''*... The same process of adulteration was repeated, said Koerbin, and again he took some porridge to Lawrence for analysis. On the Tuesday morning, when Mrs. Koerbin was out of the house, he went Into her room to find out what it was she had been putting m his food. Rummaging around, he found a small bottle of thick, white liquid resting m one corner of a suitcase. ' He procured a small bottle, into which he\ poured some of the liquid from the other bottle. He also found a small paper bag containing some white powder, of which he also took a sample, and when he could find nothing else he journeyed out to Johnsonville and placed his samples into the hands of Lawrence. On Wednesday morning, said: Koerbin, his wife went through the same routine, but this time he was able to see what appeared to be the small bottle of white liquid m the hands, of his wife, as she extracted some of the contents and mixed lt with his breakfast food. When she had gone back to. her room he scooped the porridge into a jar and locked it up m a cupboard, to which he had the key. On Wednesday, June 20, Mrs. Koerbin left the house and her husband straightaway went into her room for Poisoned Tripe? the purpose of finding out whether the bottle he had seen m the hands of his wife was the same as the one he discovered m a corner of her suitcase, and whether any of its contents had been extracted. He said he saw only one half remaining of the quantity he had found m the bottle, on the day previous. He was then positive that this was the bottle she had used. Alongside this bottle m the suitcase was half an envelope, containing about half a teaspoonful of what appeared to him like crystals. He took a sample, of them and on the following day (Thursday) he conveyed what he had found to Lawrence, the analyst. The same evening, continued Koerbin, he watched hig wife cooking the _neal, AAamsAaammmnmmiimmuitnmmmmmaiKammAimmamaaamannaaamiim _____tuilinnmttiiini<lnilniinuHiiiiiu_HitiiiHniiititiniißiiiiuiiutiuiniuiMniliiitniiiiiniuniuiliniiiili

> .-•...■..,;..... C ■ l '. (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative.). . From the press of curious people ,who, with unfailing promptitude, attend the courts of justice, might be reflected the impression that they studiously diarise the dates on which criminals, proved or supposed, are due to stand their trial. When Marion Koerbin stepped into the dock of the Wellington Police Court last weekland the charge of attempting to murder her husband, Herbert Koerbin, had been read, the pronouncements of the court clerk were the fount of a whispered confusion from > the wedged-in throng which impatiently swayed behind the public rail.

_— -_ — — ; — — O- ; He saw her serve tripe for herself and the girl, and some stewed, beef for ] the boy. . ' i ; When she had taken sufficient tripe 1 from the saucepan he saw her tip some 1 of the liquid out of the bottle on to the bottom of his plate, and then cover it with a spoonful of tripe. Then, he declared, he saw her take the envelope from her pocket and ; tip the contents on to the tripe, completely emptying the envelope. She then placed some more tripe over the other and put his plate on the 1 kitchen, table, calling her daughter and instructing her to tell her father that his tea was ready. He did not eat the tripe, but, instead, took lt into the scullery, emptied It Into a glass jar and took it out to the analyst. The following morning Mrs. Koerbin rose too late to cook porridge and Koerbin says he- did not have an opportunity to observe whether his wife tampered with the lunch. But m the evening . he watched her cooking fish for their, evening meal. Although she made the batter m the usual way for herself and the ' children, when it came to making a ' • batter for his portion of fish she poured .some moire of the white . liquid Into it. .• He says he saw the whole operation whilst he watched her through the glass of . the scullery .window. ' Shortly afterwards he went round to the slide and heard her say to the little girl:- "That . ought* to 'do': the rotten swine." When she had .gone into her. room he examined the fish and saw that it was attractively brbwned, but despite . its nice, appearance he refrained from eating it, . after what;, he had seen through the scullery .window. Chops For Dinner He -wrapped it up and placed the parcel iri a small, flat box. He kept watch whilst breakfast was being prepared .pn. the.f olio .ying morn- . ing, and again Saw her' tampering with his pdrridgei by the addition of a further quantity, 0f... the. thick, white liquid,' after the boy's portion had been "taken from the pot; At mid-day 'he saw her serve the girl with stewed steak .and mashed potatoes. Having taken her own helping from the pots, he swears that she took a small bottle from her apron pocket, removed the cork, and mixed some more of the white liquid into the potatoes left for him. The pudding,, too, was similarly adulterated. When she had gone to her. room, he deliberately turned . the gas high under the pots containing the potatoes and milk pudding, so as to provide himself with the excuse that they were too burnt-. UP for him to eat. That same night she cooked chops for his dinner, but although he says he watched her through the scullery window, and also through the slide, he could not see' whether ,she added anything to them whilst they were cooking. However, he did not eat them, hut wrapped them up and kept them until ' he saw "Senior- detective Thompson on l June 26. On the evening of June 23 he de- ' clares he. saw her dust both sides of two chops with the white powder con- ] tamed m a piece of* paper. l These also he wrapped up and locked * away. \ On Sunday, June 24, there was no l porridge cooked by Mrs. Koerbin, so £ he made some himself, leaving some for the remaining members of the » family. l BiiiraiitimsiinMiiMiimiiniiinnfinnnminiiimimiiniiiMHi-iniiHiminiiiiriiMiiiimnnnrmnnwmiiiiiiii liiiiiiiuriiimiiniiliiiimrniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliniiinltniiniiitiiiiwiiiniiiiiiiiiimiimnimiiiiiiiiiimmiitii<>

that he had already eaten some porridge, she immediately threw the contents of the porridge-pot .into the rubbish tin. \ On Monday, June 25, Koerbin maintained his observations at the slide and saw Mrs. Koerbin repeat her process of adulterating his porridge by the addition of a white liquid, taken from the narrow bottle m the pocket of her apron. Again, he refrained from eating the breakfast thus provided by his wife, but kept it locked away m a receptacle. I ritinniiniiiiiiiliiitliiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiinllii<lliniiiliiitititiliiiiiitnintininimir

tive-sergeants Holmes and Thompson, Koerbin rose early on the morning oi June 26, and at a quarter-past seven admitted the two detectives by way oi the front door. As the dining-room was not frequently, used for dining purposes, and because of the fact that any process of observation would be expedited by the convenient position of the slide, the three men stood near the slide 'aperture. The two officers entered the room iiiiiiitiiiMii.'-iiiniiiMiiiiuiiiiiiiuiiniiiiiiiniiniMiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiimiiiiiuiiiiuiiiiiiiiiii

5 , ___. ____ _ . — _-_ ' as quietly as they had gained admittance to the house. Taking up their positions at the slide, they saw Mrs. Koerbin prepare the breakfast m what her husband declared to be her customary manner. The process of extracting sufficient porridge for herself and the children; replacing the saucepan 'on the cooker and then mixing the white liquid into .the remaining portion of food, were all observed by the watchers. Koerbin left the two detectives at the slide and went on to the balcony, where the boy was watching his pigeons. The father instructed the boy to ask his mother to serve the porridge and then have it brought into his room. Koerbin heard the boy ask his mother to let him have his father's porridge, as he wanted to get away early, and the boy then passed through the kitchen doorway with a Jug •of milk and a plate of porridge m his hand. , ' ) The lad was about to take the food { into his father's room when he was intercepted by , Detective -sergeant Holmes, who took charge of both por- < ridge and milk. < Koerbin said that it ha"d been his wife's custom to feed the scrapings j of the porridge-pot to the cats. , - Four of the animals had died within the last seven or eight months, and ( all had vomited .a great deal before - they died, usually m the garden, where ; they were found by the children. \ Both Mrs. Koerbin and her children appeared to be under the impression that the cats were poisoned by neighbors. '' ' '■'„' When Koerbin sympathized with the children at the lo_s of their pets, Mrs. '< Koerbin,, according to her husband, ; said: "It should be your swine of a \ Killed The Cats ' father that should be poisoned — not the cats." Mrs. Koerbih's counsel then rose to his feet and subjected the hus. <* band to a rigorous cross-examina-tion. Counsel: Have you the cheque-butts for the month of March m your possession, m court? — No.. Where are those butts? — I. never keep them. Where are they— will you answer my question? — I never keep them. When do' you destroy them?— As soon- as I get my pass-book and have checked them off with that. "I want you to bring those butts into court, after lunch." Magistrate Page: "Yes, you must bring them m." The luncheon adjournment then intervened, and, when the hearing was resumed, Lawyer Sievwright again asked Koerbin whether he had brought the cheque-butts with him. Koerbin replied that he could not find them. Counsel: Will you tell us the real reason why you did destroy them?— Because the wife took an axe and smashed up the box m which I kept my papers. She got away with some of the butts. She was very inquisitive. Is that the only reason?— Of course, it is. Is that the only reason ? — I am on my oath. . ."Well, lam giving you a chanoe before carrying the matter further." The question was repeated several times and the witness gave the same answer each time. • Counsel: You last appeared m this witness-box on Marchl2, did you not? --You ought. to know. ronwpiHirwuiimHnimniiMntt«nTOmmiiiHii«imiwuiiii_^ iniunwiiiHiiiiiiimiiiniinniiiniiiiinniinniiniuiiniiitiiimriiiiiiMiiiiitiiiniiiiiiiiiii -iiiiimiiitiiuuinuui

SH ' ".. • ' y-' y " . . The day after you appeared m court m connection with an action for maintenance brought by your wife, did you write a cheque for £5 10s. and give it to her? — I believe I did. I gave her a cheque' at the beginning of every week.. I am suggesting that, you had another reason for destroying that butt. Now, was that cheque you gave her the day after your appearance the second .cheque m the book you . had just purchased? — 1., wouldn't be ..cer-. taini though now I come to think of it, I think it \ya__. Now, I want you to.recollect whether or no that ' preceding ... cheque was drawn to "self." I put it to ydu that you destroyed that butt so as to remove the evidence to be brought up against you?— Certainly not. Well, then, when was it destroyed? —As soon as I got the pass-book. Where did you destroy it? — At home. I suppose I burned it. I turned out the box and removed everything I did not want the wife to pry into. . Counsel (referring to a small diary handed to him by Mrs.- Koerbin): The first butt had "March 16" on the top Koerbin slaves — , - ; - ,--. ,"'■■' . andthen the word "self" underneath? — No. ' And had the sum of £5000 been drawn?— The wife might have imagined it. • •■.■,.•.:■'■_•■ '- .yy -' I . asked you a simple question and for once I would like a truthful, answer! — I tell you "No." I give you this further, chance. That cheque was drawn, arid the butt dated "March 16, 1928. Self," f0r... £500.6 ?tNot on yo.uf life. That's - the sort of thing I've had to put up with. '• Yes, she had a good deal to contend with from you? — Yes, through . ybu! (heatedly). ' Counsel again made ref erence to the cheque for £ 5000 . and elicited the answer that Ko'efbin never had £0000 m his life. ':'. ••• : -' ' .:':■ Now, when you separated from your wife 'about two years "ago, yj|ji had not been living with your wife for sqrne time. Tell me, at that time were, you well?— I wasn't too well. • : Were you' going to Dr. Robert Stout? — Yes, and a specialist. Who?— Well, Colwill (arid theh.V hesitatingly) a chiropractor (and then, boldly) the man. you jeered at- in court, that day. What was wrong with you?— Nerves. Worry. : ' •-.; When did you sell the Albemarle ■ Hotel, Mr. Koerbin?— ln' October of that year, 1926. y, '";'." What was the price ?—■ £8250. How long \vere you there?— -About eighteen months. • .' ". The price you paid for it was . . ...: ?— £6750. And at that tin^e you owned a.number of other properties? — Tes. Couldn't Explain ___ ' . — — — _-„ Now, do you know. Mrs. Springhalt—Yes. A truthful woman?— (No reply). You wouldn't deny it? — I .wtmld deny it (firmly). ' Did you hear her say on July 15, 1926, that you told her you were worth £ 30,000 m assets ?— Yes, I heard her mentlon.it. Also that you said I was worth £100,000. Never!— rYou said so m front of Mr. Page. " ! ■ • ;' . Never! 'Didn't Mrs. Koerbin say she heard you telling someone you were worth £ 30,000 ?<-~-She has said : that every day for about two years (scornfully). ■ ' ; --.y ■'.-, I put it to you. that your conduct was the cause of all the untiappiriess ? —I did 'all I possibly could to get- on with the wife. * ..' Did you, Koerbin, by any chanoe see any marks on yoiir wife's neck, at the mnwaimi»_»»uiNWi»ii-WiinmiiiiiiM»lliliuiiMnnii»inliiuililiuiiiiiiiuiiiirlii«ili-l iiiiiiiiii.^ _uiiiiiimiuiuuuwiitiumtimim»iiiwiiinimiuiiiiiuiiuummitmimiiuiiiii_in_uiiumimiiiiiiii_S

iiiiiiiuiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiimmiininiiimiiitiiniiimiiiiiHiimuiHW beginning of June of this year? — N0,;i1.---did not. . ;, J I put it to you that five or six ')■ weeks ago you had hold of lier by; J the neck and tried to strangle her';' that you threatened to kill her?-r . No, certainly not. Can you explain how those marks: came to be on Mrs. Koerbin's neck?— * No. ',_ ' ■■„ :,. . Tho^'e marks were seen . by other:!, people, who will give evidence at ihex. proper, time. Yet you say you didn't -y see -them; that you were not respond sible for them. Of course, if a hus-*7 band did that, he would be a scoundrel f v and a blackguard, wouldn't he?-?-It\i would depend. upon circumstances, f y I thought you would say that I Now,? about the same time, Mrs. Koerbin had*" marks on her wrist, allegedly caused-:)' by you?— -I caught hold of her wrists* once when she was screaming and :^ "going on" ... to quieten her.- 7. Not by the throat? Did you never _. punch her m the eye and make tt^; black ? — Yes, once. I slapped her withoi my open 'hand. .'' ' . . 51 She has had- two black eyes, hasn't £ she?— Tes. She t was, running after : me; to escape her I quickly closed the door arid she -ran into: It. , Oh, Isee. An accident I — She passed some offensive remark m front of th« little girl . _ ■ . ' and I told my wife that if she riiade that statement again - I would knock her flat. She made 1 it £ arid so T'knocked her flat. ■ ■' & Mrs. Koerbin was In the habit . of -2 locking herself m the room on maky.. occasions, wasn't she, to get away from "- you?— She used to lock the door at J. night time, but I don't know why she£ did it. ■'•:, . X". J .? Tou dop'trkriowiwlay?-— Except that V occasionally "T'Kave .pushed the door ) m%. sometimes when she has been screarii-*> ing and "carrying on," and calling me;l everything... ' y '■: -X Finally you would succeed m smash- -J; Butts DDestroyerd r ing the lock, and thereafter Mrs. Koerbin had no-.protection against your go- iing into her bedroom?.— She was never y afraid, of my going into her bedroom! Will ybu answer my question? After .you smashed the lock by belaboring; and bursting the door, she did not have J any protection? — No protection neces-^ sary. -•'.-''■:; , The magistrate: Will you please answer the . question. It is a simple * enough one.— No. — y Counsel: I put ityto you 'that m a measure y oti have framed' this up with. a view to getting a divorce I — lt Is a : peculiar thing to say . . . Certainly : : not. '.'.-... " .'.■- You know very well, Koerbin, that every time your matters have been " before the court, the decision has been., m favor of Mrs Koerbin ?— lt is quite m order m doing so. And that you have been the offending party m all the proceedings before the court?— No, certainly not. And that every time you came to court you failed? — What do you mean, "failed"? In. the suits with your wife; you applied to have the order' cancelled, but it was increased 1 instead?: You, drew that butt for £5000 merely to inflame her, Koerbin. — Oh, nonsense. ' It ls all imagination on ber part— -and you know lt. ... Well, then, Koerbin, if it is not the truth, why did you destroy butt? —To prevent the wife .from peering into my private effects. I put it to you that this is not the truth y6u are telling!— lt Is. I have the pass-book here, y -' : "Never mind about /that. I want those butts!", y X- ■■■-■'..'■■'■■'.. -J Counsel again referred 4 te the miniature diary and . then asked: Did ybu draw a further cheque oil March 80, "Self, £288"?— I don't think so. Will you deny it? Will you deny that Che reason why, you "put different* amounts on the butts from the amounts you wrote 013 the, cheques was to inflame your wife?— The wind blowing would inflame her, without my doling it.- ■■■'•. v •-'■ -*X X Xi:.- ■ '.:■ ' Now, you say that wfiori -you receive your , pass-book you VliSmedlpely destroy the butts. T^qj.pheque-books were issued to you between /March and June. When d!d N you "last have your pass-book made up? — K>n June 27. *f Ah ! exactly three weeks ago. Yojtir wife was arrestee! on June 26. • When did you destroy.: those .ljutts.'.Koerbiri'? That book of butts wasn't destroyed r> before June 27, was it?— tYes: .'"::.• ;y Why did you destroy them? — Be-; : cause they weren't any use . . . t - Then the previous reason you ?r gave for their destruction, that you didn't want th£, wife to see them, wasn't true? Why did you destroy them and when? — I have told you a * dozen times. ■._■■:" .."'•: ,-y : y. ;i put It" to you that this- cheque Is B^ill m existence. 7 :' Have you a: distinct -J recollection :of halving destroyed ianyy partioular cheque-butt between March". » and June of this year?-— Yes. Is that box still m your house? — Yes.ii Have you any objection to handing? ;j over the key to someone who Will go to- ■■ the house and look m that box.for the~y cheque-butt I w&nt?— Most certainly,;; I have. Counsel then appealed to Magistrate virago, saying that the matter was af. most serious one, whereupon the bench ;= ;. suggested to Koerbin that perhaps he 1 might go with/one of the detectives*, engaged m the case and oversee the : ___£*_*___ roll Koerbin agreed., A few minutes Jj later he and Detective-sergeant?; Thompson left the court and. were X away some time. . ... They returned with., a ■: bundle of y-cheque-butts, but the 'lone .demanded..*; by Counsel SieArwright was missing. / Chief- detective Ward (to Koerbin) :y What was this cheque-butt concerned . with, that we should hear so much about it?Ar-It was for furniture stored over a period of three years. If you were filling m a cheque-butt, ... . how would you do it ?— lf .there were no, shillings and "pence I would write trie "pounds," a curved line, ."riought," another line, and then : another -, ' "nought."

3__ , . ____ _ 1 He then moved around so as to give his wife the impression that he had> returned to his room, but instead he took up his position at the slide and watched to see what she would do. Presently, he says, he saw Mrs. Koerbin go into her room and upon her return place some white liquid into the porridge she had left m the pot, after taking three portions for herself and the two children. Shortly afterwards, Koerbin returned* to the kitchen, arid when his wife saw

o.■ ■■■■.■■;;■■■■.. ■*X1..:! V.-.-" : ''. ■-.- , On, the. evening of the same day there was fish for tea,; arid^_Btoerbin says, he saw his wife carefully 'remove the skin from, the fish and r \"diist: it with some powder out of a packet "held m her hand, subsequently cpokirig the fish and placing .it on the kitchen table, saying to her daughter: "This ought to 'do' the dirty rotter." , As the result of an analysis report received from . the analyst, Lawrence, on June 23, Koerbin went to the detective office. Following an interview with Detec-

"N.Z. Xruth's" Exclusive Pictorial ftorvio* J • •■ ■ * • : .''■.'.- .■•...•■..''■'.'"■■■•... .-'.'■' v ■.■ • - - _y "...'.','- . ' . y .. y

Andrew Izatt, an analyst of 32 years' experience, and an employee of H. W. LaAvrence; Johnsonville, testified that on June 19, he analysed a plate of porridge handed to him by Lawrence junior. He performed a qualitative test and found barium carbonate present. The following day he made a quantitative test, when he found Vthe food contained 14.98 grains of barium carbonate to the pound. He found the same poison m the second lot of porridge received by him, but this time he did not make a quantitative test. On June 21 he received a jar containing tripe and onions, which he examined for detecting the presence of ground glass, and also subjected the food to a qualitative test for barium carbonate. . i . In the tripe he discovered glass of both fine and course degrees, and he detected the presence of barium carbonate also. The minimum fatal dose of the particular poison he found m the tripe would be about 60 grains, he. considered, and he found one quarter of that amount when he performed an analytical test on the tripe. Izatt testified that the ground glass would have a very irritant effect upon the membranes of the stomach and other Internal, organs, whilst the symptoms of barium carbonate poisoning would be acute nausea and .vomiting; severe pains x in the stomach, general nervous disorder and headaches. Painters, he 'said, sometimes used It for coloring purposes, while certain manufacturers used the poison m the making .of fireworks. Barium carbonate mixed with a little flour was often used as a means of poisoning rats. Its- effect was .not cumulative. Counsel Sievwright: You told the chief detective that there was no cumulative effect of barium carbonate, didn't you? — Yes. \ You mean that every dose is absorbed m the fluids of tlie body and finally excreted? — Yes. Physicians prescribe- it. for certain ailments, don't' they? — Tes.So far as you know, .14.98 grains was the maximum quantity found m the samples you examined ?— -Yes. Less than a third of what you know toas been prescribed by some physicians? — Yes, but that would be over 24 hours. Gilbert Alexander Lawrence, a Bachelor of Science, said he handed Izatt the samples of food brought to Johnsonville by Koerbin, Izatt had conducted certain 'tests and witness subsequently checked the results, agreeing ,with the findings of Izatt. , Thomas Edward Holmes, detectivesergeant, said that m consequence of a complaint made by. Koerbin, he accompanied Detective- sergeant Thompson to Austin Street at 7.15 on the mornirig of June 26. He related how they raised the slide between the dining-room and the kitchen, and how at 7.35 a.m. Mrs. Koerbin went into the kitchen, raised the blind and looked out of the window for some little time. She then Went Into the scullery, returned with a saucepan of water and then went to fetch another saucepan containing porridge. She commenced to stir the contents of the porridge' saucepan, but after a short while she again went into the scullery, this time returning with a breakfast cup and spoon m her hands. Walking over to the window, she looked intently into the cup and continued to stir something Avith which she apparently experienced some difficulty m getting to mix. Another visit to the scullery, but this time she returned Avith a white enamel funnel, She then prepared the breakfasttable, cut some bread and butter, and stirred the porridge. A few minutes afterwards she went into her" bedroom. When she came back she called her son Into the kitchen, and then put a plate of porridge on the. table. The j boy made some remark about going away to the front of the house and then went along, the passage leading to the verandah. As soon as he had left the room his mother took a small bottle from her apron pocket. , Shaking the bottle vigorously, she removed the cork and poured a , liquid from the. bottle (m the remaining porridge ln the saucepan. Having thoroughly stirred the porridge, she removed the sauce- | pan Irom the front to the back of the gas-cooker. Just as the boy was about to re-enter the kitchen, his father called and asked him to bring his breakfast, to his room as he had to ; get away early. The tAvo detectives heard the boy tell his mother that Koerbin was anxious to be away from the house by twenty - . past eight, and they say they saw- Mrs. Koerbin serve some porridge from the saucepan into which she had stirred some liquid from a. bottle, give the boy a jug of milk and a spoon, and tell him to take , it to his father. Just before 'the lad reached his father's bedroom door, Holmes stepped out and secured the plate of porridge, walked along to the kitchen and said to Mrs. Koerbin: "We are from the police. Your husband has complained of his being ill lately and he thinks, the food Is the cause of his illness. Do you, know any reason why it should make him ill?" ' She replied: "No." Holmes . then requested her to sit down, as he wished to have a talk with her.' • The accused was then fumbling about m her apron pocket, said Holmes, and he thereupon asked her whether she had. anything; m her pocket which would affect her husband's food. She ;', replied:'', "Certainly not." He asked her whether there had been any trouble' between herself and her husband, and she admitted there had. "Is ' there any poison m the house?" he asked her, but she said the only .poison she knew of 'was some oxalic acid which she used for cleaning her copper- kettle. Whilst she was making a statement to Holmes,, he sent for the police matron; ' '■. .' ' "' ' Holmes told the accused woman that they had a search warrant, and that they intended to search the house for poisons. ■•:- : ;.",. When he. informed her that - she Avould have to subject herself to search,, she replied that she was quite agreeable. « y She rose from her seat, and, as she did so, a small, narrow bottle protruded from the , pocket of her '"'■■ apron., Detective- sergeant .Thompson saw the -bottle, and pulled it from Mrs. Koerbin's pocket,: saying: "What' is this?" ' : After a slight hesitation, she replied: "Yes, that is it." By this time the police matron had

arrived, and her first . step was to search Mrs. Koerbin, m whose pocket she found a, brown-paper packet containing a white powder. In the kitchen, cupboard the police officers also found a packet of oxalic acid crystals. Holmes said that Mrs. Koerbin then beckoned to him and walked over to the window, saying: "Shall" I tell you all about it?" to which he answered that while she was not obliged' to tell him anything, she could do so, if she wished. The following conversation Is declared by Holmes to have then ensued. . I Holmes: Have you Borne \ot the broken glass you have been, using? — No.' -! Have you used the oxalic acid? — j No, I have only used the rat poison. Where did you get it? — From B. j Smith's, m Courtenay Place. | How long have you been using it m the food? — About a month. . When I get tidied I will tell you all about it. Holmes then ■: walked over to the kitchen, table, pointed to certain things, and asked: "All these aria poisons?" "That is it," sha, is alleged to have answered, as ' she'Tpushed the brown paper packet towards the bottle. "We know all about.it— we have been watching you. What were you doing with the funnel?" Her reply to that was: "I used it to pour the stuff from the cup into the porridge," according to the detective. Holmes and the police matron then searched Mrs. Koerbin's bedroom. Under a long wardrobe they discovered a fibre suitcase and among the contents a piece of brown paper containing a very small quantity of white powder. There was also a locked box, which was opened by the accused woman at Holmes' request. i He searched the . box and unearthed a small face-cream jar of particles which appeared to be ground glass. , Holmes: I said to accused: "What 1 is this?" to which she. replied, "Crys- J tals." ' Holmes: Crystals of what? — For 1 . making up the stuff. I He then took a few crystals and rubbed them between his finger and thumb, saying as he " did so: "This is powdered glass." But she vouchsafed no answer. He also found some small pieces of very thin glass. When he asked Mrs. __oerbin what they were for, she Is said to have replied: "It .will be from some old globes we had m the other house. My husband ls 'always rum-: m aging around through my boxes, making them untidy." . They then returned to the kitchen, whfere Holmes again warned her before asking her to make a statement. v. ,He pointed out a packet of cascara pills and' a further packet of oxalic acid, but she again stated that the substances m the original packet and the small bottle ;were the only things she had used. . • ' « , In her statement she ls alleged to have said: "There ' has always been trouble m the house on account of his bad temper. . . y, -, ■;■..; "The separation' order -was granted.) but we came together again, but since i then the matter was before the court and the amount of maintenance was increased to £5/10/-. "During the past month my husband has been sick, on and off, and I know that he suffers from heart trouble, as he has had two heart attacks since we came here m February, 1927. "About a month ago he stayed In his room for five days ... but I do not know" what was the matter with him. ■'.'■■ "I cannot account for his sickness and it is not m any way due to my cooking. . „' . - "I use oxalic acid for cleaning my copper kettle, but none of this could have got into his food. „'.'.. I have no other poison about the house." Holmes said that at the time Mrs. Koerbin showed no signs of mental trouble. From her conversation with him, he gathered that the accused woman regarded her husband as a very mean man. She computed his wealth ln the neighborhood, of £50,000, and contributed his meanness as the cause of the trouble m their home. Detective- sergeant John Thompson i corroborated the evidence outlined by ; Holmes. Dr. James Scott McLaurln, Dominion analyst, alio gave scientific evidence m support of that already tendered by Izatt and Lawrence. J He agreed that powdered glass m . food would have a very irritant effect • upon the internal organs of the person . swallowing it, and considered that, . continued doses would probably prove fatal. Counsel for the defence said that the : introduction of the ground glass m the evidence was done either innocently , or purposely. If purposely, the inference was that ! the Crown had brought the subject forward, simply to create an atmosphere against {he accused. "There has been no ground glass found m the food," he complained. The magistrate: "You are not quite right, Mr. Sievwright. Did not the ' other analysts find ground glass m the tripe and onions?" The Chiefrdetective: "Yes, that is so, sir." Counsel . then addressed the court and asked the magistrate to assume the responsibility, of determining that there was no case, to go before a jury, and to dismiss the case as it stood. There, was no evidence before the court which would justify a Jury m convicting Mrs. Koerbin of attempted murder, he said. The Bench: "Why do you say that? What is Your foundation ?" Counsel replied that there was no evidence anywhere 'for the court to say that the accused desired to secure the murder of her husband. Further, the quantities said to have been administered by the woman were 'insufficient to have . caused any harm, so far as the evidence showed. He quoted a case where, m 1831, a woman cut up a sponge and administered it/to. her husbanc|. It was proved Innocuous to the man who ate it and the woman was discharged, There ..was another case concerning a man named Haydon, but m that case also it was proved, that where poison Was taken ih small doses, and not /.to any degree of ex'pess, the poison was not destructive, and the prisoner was acquitted m this case also. /...'. „ The magistrate, however, said he did not propose to discuss the points raised by Lawyer Sievwright; ' He considered the case of Mrs. Koerbin one which should come under the consideration of a >jury. The accused woman pleaded "Not guilty" m a thin, quiet voice, and was then committed to the Supreme Court for trial. . I

Says He Discovered Poison In Porridsre

Kitchen Episode

Detectives' Story