JURY REFUSES DRINK

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 185, 22 May 1939, Page 1

JURY REFUSES DRINK

DISSOLVED PILLS INCIDENT AT TRIALBRISBANE, March 20.—A remarkable incident was associated with the trial in the Supreme Court to-day of Edwin Claude Helton, ' who was charged with having murdered Margaret Jane. Roche at Augatliella on September it), 1937. Mr. A. L. Bennett, counsel for the accused, in addressing--the jury- contended that- Mrs. Helton had committed suicide by, taking a large-' quantity of aloplien pills, some-Hi'd idles of which were found in her room. Producing a bottle marked “poison,” Mr. Bennett gave a demonstration in support of his theory. He filled a, glass with water, which lie put in front- of the jury. Then lie took 40 brown pills from the bottle and dropjied them in the glass. The 40 pills, it was stated, contained half a grain of strychnine, a fatal dose, and after they had dissolved, the water turned a brown colour. “Here we have a lethal dose of pills,” said Mi\ Bennett to the jury, “Would you like to taste it, gentlemen?” 1 V.fr Mr. Bennett held the the jury, but none of them made any move to accept t-lie invitation. Then Mr. Bennett drank some of the fluid himself. “It tastes very bitter, gentlemen,” be said, as he put the glass back on the Bar table. The judge immediately ordered that the poison should be removed from the court.