CHARGE OF MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26621, 18 November 1947, Page 4

CHARGE OF MURDER

Enfield Case Continued at Dunedin

FURTHER WITNESSES HEARD

Phyllis Freeman, single, aged 33, appeared in the City Police Court yesterday on remand from Oamaru, charged with the murder of Mrs Joyce Maysie Morrison at Enfield on October 3, 1942. Nineteen Crown witnesses were heard at Oamaru last week, before the lower court hearing was adjourned to Dunedin.

About 60 persons filled the public gallery in the court yesterday morning. All seating space was taken and many had to stand. The accused, who was wearing blue, sat quietly in the dock during the hearing of the evidence. The main witness yesterday was Miss Ina May Pearce, a cousin of Hector Morrison, who described receiving a cake from an unknown person, which tasted “ bitter.” Witness also described an illness which had suddenly befallen her at the Morrisons’ house after she had eaten‘some sweets. Her evidence last for over two hours. Evidence was also given by Detective Sergeant J. W. Hill, of Oamaru, concerning the events leading up to the arrest of the accused.

With the evidence of four witnesses yesterday, 23 have so far been called by the Crown. The hearing will finish this morning, when one witness will be called.

from the body was sufficient to have caused death, although people had taken more and recovered.

In his opinion the recovery of eleven-sixtieths of a grain after four years was evidence that a fatal dose had been taken prior to death. He would have no hesitation in saying that death was caused by strychnine poisoning. Detective Sergeant J. W. Hill, of Oamaru, said the accused called at*the Oamaru Police Station on April 3, 1947, giving the name of Rose Hill. “She asked for a broadcast message requesting some people to return to Southland, and the. police took the usual steps to have the message broadcast, but subsequently it was found that the message was false,” witness said. “The real Rose Hill was located in Southland, and it was ascertained that she was not responsible for the message.” Police Investigations Begun Police inquiries were continued, and on May 27 witness went to Hector Morrison’s farm, where the accused was interviewed. She was identified as the woman who had called at the Police Station on April 3. After questioning, the accused admitted she was responsible, and she made a statement to the police. “The accused said that, but for finding a letter for Morrison in her box, she would not have visited Morrisons’ on the day of Mrs Morrison’s death. With the consent of the accused, we searched her room for strychnine poison. None was found.” Police inquiries were later made to find “Miss Scott, of Rangiora,” but she «ould not be traced. On June 19, 1947, witness examined chemists’ books covering sales of poison. He discovered that the accused had purchased strychnine from the U.F.S. Dispensary in August, 1942. On June 19, 1947, witness interviewed the accused in the Oamaru Police Station, and she made a further statement. On June 24 William John Freeman, father of the accused, had told the police that somebody had been interfering with mail matter addressed to the accused. Other statements were made to the police by the accused, m which the accused alleged that someone had been interfering with her letters. “ She later started to weep, and said she had been telling lies about letters,” Detective Sergeant Hill said. “She said she had been interfering with them herself.” ' She then stated that the Miss Scott referred to did not exist. She herself had sent Miss Pearce a . cake anonymous manner. She had found a iar of strvchnine in Morrison s washhouse shortly after Mrs Morrisons death. She had thrown the jar and the tin in which she found it into the dam near the wool shed shortly after Mrs Morrison’s death. Tne accused qualified this by saying that it was about 18 months since she threw the strychnine away. “While the statement was being taken the accused seemed terrified every time strychnine was mentioned,” continued the witness. “ She would shake all over and she said she had a dread of strychnine.” On September 22 he obtained a warrant for the arrest of the accused, said the witness, the charge being murder. The accused was arrested at the home of her sister. When the warrant was read the accused exclaimed Oh no, sergeant. Oh, but I did not do that sergeant ” She later said. Hector Svs I would not do a thing like that.”

Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., presided, and the case for the Crown was conducted by Mr F. B, Adams. The accused was represented by Mr J. E. Farrell, of Oamaru. The court rose at 6 p.m. until 9.15 this morning. The first Crown witness to be heard yesterday morning was Miss Ina May Pearce, aged 31, of Otautau, Southland, who said she was a cousin of Hector Morrison. Witness had known the accused since August, 1945; when she and her sister went to stay at the Morrisons’. The accused was living in the house as housekeeper. After her visit, witness and the accused wrote to each other occasionally. “ From An Old Friend ”

“ I next met the accused one day early in May, 1947, in Oamaru,” Miss Pearce continued. In August, 1946, witness had received a piece of cake through the post. The parcel was postmarked from Oamaru. “The parcel was covered with brown paper, underneath being a cardboard box.’ witness told the court. Written on the box were the words, “ From An Old Friend. Writing Soon. On one end of the box, “Timaru was printed by hand. A piece of cake was inside the box, with pink and white icing “ I did not know who had sent the cake,” Miss Pearce said. She was unable to detect the handwriting. “I did not taste the cake straight away,” witness went on, “ and it WoS put away in the meantime. Later on, 1 “\ G was aione when I tasted the cake, which was very bitter, said Miss Pearce She had not swallowed any of the cake. Her mother had also remarked on the bitter taste of th icing. Witness said she kept the cake for some time anH then burnt it. Eventually witness took work m Oamaru, and on Morrison s invitation visited him at his home on May 22. “At tea that night the accused, my cousin and I had tea together, W ness said. Answering Mr Adams she said she was in perfect health at that time. Witness had never experienced a “erious illness. She had slept with the accused, who gave her breakfast in, ‘During the morning the accused made a cup of tea for my cousin. Miss Pearce said. “The accused would not let me take the tea cut to Morrison, and she took it down heiself The accused then made tea for us While making the tea she brought out a bag of lollies from the pantry and offered them to me. “ The sweets, I noticed, were .lubes covered with coconut. The accused had offered me some of the sweets the night before, but I don't think it was the same bag because they were paper lollies. I think the accused also ate some of those.

Sweets With Bitter Taste “On that morning I took one sweet from the accused. I cannot swear whether she took one fromi the bag although she came back from the. pantry chewing something, witness said "There seemed nothing unusual about the accused when she offered me the. lollie. The jube had a very bitter taste, and I would have spat it out had the accused not been there The taste was the same as the cake that was sent to me. “A few minutes after that wc drank the tea, and just as I was finishing, a strange feeling came over me,” Miss Pearce went on. “The accused was sitting at the ta “Whe e n ld i e wa e s” finishing the cup of tea I began to feel dizzy,” witness continued. “My legs started to twitch and I could not sit on the chair. I at tempted to walk across the floor, but the spasms were so bad that I fel over Eventually I became unconscious. All my muscles had stiffened and I felt agonised. . - . “ When I first became ill the accusea offered me a drink and told me, to sit there as the turn might go off. Miss Pearce continued. The accused had complained twice of feeling dizzy before witness lost consciousness. When I recovered consciousness I was on the floor and I remember the accused saying I had better lie on the bed The accused then assisted me to bed and I immediately took another spasm. 1 kept on taking these turns and Hector Morrison came home about mid-day. Before that I had asked the accused not to go out because I was frightened I was going to die. A.P.C. Tablet “ Before my cousin arrived home the accused had suggested giving me an A PC. tablet,” witness continued. “She told me I would feel better. Saying that she would powder one of the tablets, the accused went out and returned with some powder in a spoon She told me to take it. ‘lt would taste bitter but would do me good.’ The colour of the powder was pink. “The accused pretty well forced me to take the powder by holding my jaw and my head. I swallowed a little of the powder—it had the same bitter taste that I had felt all along.” Witness had since tasted an A.P.C. tablet and the taste was not the same as the powder she had swallowed on May 23 It had a more acid flavour. After Morrison arrived home be went immediately for the doctor, witness said. Before the doctor arrived she vomited, and then began to feel better. Witness was removed to hospitar' and felt weak for a few days She was visited by Morrison and the accused three times in hospital. The broadcast message was discussed on one of these occasions. The accused had confessed that she had sent the message. Asked why she had done it, accused said “ She didn’t know,” and that “ something must have come over her." Miss Pearce said she later received a letter from the accused, in the form of an apology. “ I have never seen a turn like that before.” wrote the' accused. “ and I got a big shock. I am a nervous wreck, am shaking’ all over, and am fighting nerves day and night. If I can stop worrying and thinking about it all. it would not be so bad. You will have to come back some time and finish your stay.” Also in the letter was £l, “ to pay for the expense I caused you.” Pathologist’s Evidence

Hopes for Marriage The accused said . she knew Miss Pearce, who had visited Enfield in August 1945. “I was engaged to be married at one time, but the engagement was broken off before Mrs Morrison died,” the accused said. .Mr Morrison has asked me once or twice if I would marry him, and I have been expecting Mr Morrison to marry me. I was not jealous when Miss Pearce came about the place, and I am not aware that he was friendly with Miss Pearce other than corresponding with her at times.” Accused described what had taken place when Miss Pearce went to stay at Morrison s place. “ I remember handing her a bag containing jube lollies, which I had bought in Oamaru,” the accused said “Mr Morrison and I had some, of the lollies the day 1 bought them. The accused said that she had never tasted strychnine nor had she ever seen it. She had nevei bought strychnine, at any time. “Mrs Morrison and I friends, and I had been in the habit of visiting her quite a lot,” the accused slid If strychnine or other poison was the cause of her death I do not know how she got it. I did not give he? any mysefi. If strychnine or other poison was the cause of Miss Pearce’s illness I do not know how she got it. I did not put any poison- in the jubes or in any of her f°°d If Miss Pearce received a cake that wapoisoned I do not know anything about 1 Strychnine from Chemist “I did not receive strychnine from the U.F.S. Dispensary nor afterwards through the post,” the accused declare#. “ I still maintain I have never seen strychnine, and I don’t know what it is like. I have now been told that the U.F.S. had a large amount of strychnine in stock at . still say that I was. told by the girl that thev had none in stock I have also been told that if the shop had stocks they would not post it and that, after being purchased, it would be handed to the customer and not P The d accused said that she had given Miss Pearce an A.P.C. tablet in powdered form on May 23, the day on which Miss Pearce became sick at Hector Morrison’s house. It thought that it would be easier for her to take in powdered form and I went out to the kitchen and powdered up the tablet,” said the accused. “After Miss Pearce had taken the tablet she vomited. The accused admitted that she had sent a piece of cake to Miss Pearce last year, about September or October. “ I do not know why I told the police a lie about this matter,” she continued. “There was nothing dangerous inside the cake, and I did not put any strychnine in it. ' “After Mrs Morrison died 1 was cleaning out the washhouse and inside an old tin there was a small jar, on which was written ‘strychnine,’” the accused went on. “I left it there for a while—l do not know how long—and then I threw the tin containing the jar into the dam. I threw away the strychnine prior to Miss Pearce’s illness and I never saw it before Mrs Morrison’s death.” The court adjourned until this morning.

Dr E. F. D’Ath, professor of pathology at Otago University, said that he was present at the exhumation of Mrs Morrison’s body. He detailed his examination and said that there was no evidence of any haemorrhage of the brain. If there were strychnine in the body at the time of death it would be reasonable to assume that during four years in the grave some would be lost by seepage. The amount found by the Government analyst in organs removed