MURDER NOW ALLEGED

NZ Truth, Issue 1262, 6 February 1930, Page 11

MURDER NOW ALLEGED

■ ♦— Mrs. Herbert To Face Grave Charge

GIRL'S DEATH (From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) Following the death of Jean Mulr Burdis, concerning whom she allegedly committed a very serious offence for which she has already been committed for trial at the Auckland Supreme Court sessions, Maud Herbert was again brought before the lower court. CHE was charged that, "for an unlawful object she did do an act that she knew or should have known to be likelyAto cause death m that she did. unlawfully perform a certain act with intent to a certain event and did thereby commit the crime of murder." The adjourned inquest on the young woman was heard at the same time by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., . and coroner, the evidence with one exception -beingr the j same as that taken m the previous charge. The only additional testimony was that of Dr. Walter Giimour, pathologist to the Auckland Hospital, who said he made a postmortem examination of, the body of Jean Burdis on January 23, the j day after her death. Mr. V. R. Meredith, Crown Prose- ' cutor: Having heard the history of the case from Dr. R. J. .Miller, who first attended her, what do you consider was the cause of death?— Blood poisoning, following on a septic condition. The coroner returned a verdict m accord with the medical evidence, adding that as he was committing Herbert for trial on the charge of murder, he would not make any further remarks m his finding. Another strong plea for bail was made by Mr. Allan Moody, counsel for ■Herbert, and at first Mr. Hunt seemed inclined to grant , it, but on Mr. Meredith opposing the application, he at once refused. The dying deposition made m the hospital by Mrs. Burdis — or Miss Munn as she then was— before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. and m the presence of Herbert and Mr. Allan Moody was produced. > In the statement Mrs. Burdis stated that she left home for the last, time on the Sunday before Christmas, and "went to a friend's place. . . . She wasn't exactly a friend, but 'she turned out to be a friend.' She is present to-day. She helped to relieve me of my condition. "I paid her something, about £9 m notes. She just said she was a trained nurse." To Mr. Moody: "I had been sick before I went to the place, off and on for about six weeks. I had been taking some medicine which caused the sickness. I felt vary bad."