A STRANGE WOMAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 307, 22 August 1932, Page 7

A STRANGE WOMAN

SITS DAILY BESIDE HUSBAND SHE INJURED. NO MURDER CHARGE Perth, Saturday. Three times every day a woman called at Perth Public Hopsital and for an hour and sometimes longer, sat beside the bedside of a man. At times . she cried a little; sometimes she conversed; hut mostly she sat, scarcely moving and silently loolcing down on the man in the bed. After nine days the man died, and to-day the woman is in a eell, charged with his murder. Her name is Mrs. Rita Bransby — a remarkable figure in a remarkable case which concluded its lirst phase ' at the Coroner's Court yesterday. ■ Not Wilful Murder. She is not charged with wilful murder, as the Coroner considered, she had thrown petrol over the man with whom she had been living, and who ( later died in Perth Hosuital, and sst 1 alight to him. But he considered she did so with the intention of doing him 1 grievous bodily harm and not killing him. Many of Perth's sporting fraternity remember her years ago as "Jockey Rita," the nickname being earned by her skilful horsemanship. i Certainly few more striking-looking ; women have stood in a Western Australian court on any charge. ;