IN DEFENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 21090, 23 May 1930, Page 8

IN DEFENCE.

MURDER TRIAL MUNN CONTINUES EVIDENCE THE CROSS-EXAMINATION (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, May 22. Munn, continuing his evidence in the murder trial, said that the poison found in a drawer in the bedroom was not found by him, but by Detective Doyle. Witness at the time was standing on a chair looking over the top of the wardrobe where he knew his wife occasionally concealed things. The chest of drawers was close up to the bed. Replying to the Judge, accused said that he was positive the bottle of pills was in the jewel drawer when the police searched and had been there for years. His wife was out of bed occasionally during her illness, including three times on Monday, the day before she died. Replying to the Judge, he said that he first came to the conclusion that his wife had committed suicide when he heard the detective tell the Magistrate in the Lower Court that his wife'died of strychnine and that witness had admitted purchasing strychnine. He did not know then that he was suspected. Munn, cross-examined by the Crown Prosecutor, denied cruelty to his wife or children, and said that prior to his wife’s death he - had never contemplated matrimony, but afterwards he had to think of the children. The advertisement by which he met Mrs Stuck stated his age as 40, not 45. , Mr Meredith: Why did you give your age as 40 instead of 45 ? Accused:• Just to-put.it in round figures. Questioned closely about his reason for advertising, he said that he knew no companionable men so he advertised for a woman. He knew now that he did wrong. Munn admitted that on the day he took his family for a drive he saw Mrs Stuck for five minutes, but did not introduce her to his wife. Accused was questioned by Mr Meredith about the arrangepient he and Mrs Stuck made to correspond when she was in Christchurch. His Honour: If there was nothing between you, why was this arrangement made? She could not then provide you with mental activities. Accused: I think she could. Afternoon Session. Mr Meredith’s cross-examination of Munn was continued throughout this afternoon and he had not finished when the Court rose. Mr Meredith: On the Friday you were at home. That afternoon Mrs Munn was not at all well?—When I left at three o’clock she was quite well. You heard Mrs Gill say she looked in and saw a remarkable change. Your wife looked as though she was dying?—Yes. Do you agree with Mrs Gill ?—I did not see her when Mrs Gill did. 1 had left her within half an hour of Mrs Gill seeing her and I had just succeeded in calming her down after Mrs Brown seeing her. You suggest she was upset by Mrs Brown ?—Yes. You have known of this disturbance between Mrs Brown and your wife since it occurred?-—Yes. Can you suggest why Mrs Brown was not asked about it in the witness box?- —I can’t say. anything about that. I am going to recall Mrs Brown and she will say that is untrue. —I am repeating a conversation my wife told me that she had practically told Mrs Brown to get out of the house and keep out as she was only annoying her by interfering with the children. On the Saturday, the day following, were you worried about your wife?—No. Not alarmed at all?—No. What did you do on Saturday morning? —I went to town. Where did you go first?—To Takapuna. What for?—To pick up a letter from Mrs Stuck. I said I would go. Is that sufficient warrant why you should go?—I said I would go and I generally keep my word. Who was in charge of your wife that morning?—The two children. Was it your duty to go to Takapuna to get a letter from Mrs Stuck more than your duty to your wife? —My wife was not neglected. You got a wire?—Yes. That is a wire saying Mrs Stuck would be on the train?—Yes. What did you go to town for? —To get my wife some fruit and to meet Mrs Stuck if she was about.

Did you get the fruit?—Yes. What did you want to meet Mrs Stuck for? she was nothing to you and y’ou had a wife desperately’ ill. —She was a friend and I would naturally want to see her on her return.

Although you knew then that the police were making inquiries, you didn't tell them anything of your opinion that your wife had taken poison herself? —No. When your wife made statements to you that she would get better, and that she was deceiving the doctor, didn’t you take her hand and insist upon knowing what she was doing?—No. Accused said that when he got up on Tuesday, February 11, the day of Mrs Munn’s death, he went out to feed the fowls. When he returned he gave attention to his wife and then prepared salts for her. “I took these into my wife and put them on the chest of drawers,” he said. “My wife asked me to stay with her and I asked: What is the matter? She said’shewas afraid she was going to have turns. She said she did not want the doctor and I said, ‘lf you are going to be bad I will get the doctor.’ Before the tremblings commenced I went out for a short while.” Munn said that his wife was gasping at 7.30 and 8 o’clock, although he did not recognize her condition from the demonstration by Mrs Gill.

Mr Meredith: How many convulsions did she have before you went for the doctor?— At least two distinct ones.

Accused went on to deny that there had been any cries by his wife as ‘testified to by Mrs Gill.

Mr Meredith: So, according to you, Mrs Gill said something that is untrue?—Yes. Do you say you were not walking round till 7 a.m.?—Yes, Mrs Gill must have been mistaken.

I intend to recall Dr. Dudding. He will say that on the morning of her death that you said nothing to him about the arching of Mrs Munn’s back ?—The doctor drew my attention to it and I said I had never noticed it before. • \

So if what you now say is correct, you did not see all the symptoms?—l said I saw all the symptoms except the arching of the body. ■ Munn said that Mrs Munn had made no cries of any description except the gasps which he had mentioned. He could not account for the sounds Mrs Gill Said she had heard about six o’clock. His wife made no sounds until after 7 o’clock. Mrs Gill was mistaken,’he said.

Mr Meredith: Mrs Gill referred to these cries when you came down for her?—No, Mrs Gill said nothing of the sort. Mrs Gill did not mention crying to me, and she could not have heard anything. Mr Meredith: Then Mrs Gill is saying something she cannot prove?—Yes, that is so. Regarding the poison. Munn said that his wife was the only person other than himself who knew of its presence in the pantry; Witness said it did not occur to him that this had any connection with the purpose of which Mrs Munn • had been speaking, and her veiled threats to do something to alter her condition. On one occasion only had he used the drawer in which the bottle was found. On the evening of Wednesday, February 5, he went there

to get a collar. He did not see the bottle there then. Regarding the placing of the furniture in Mrs Munn’s bedroom, Munn disagreed with the evidence of the two detectives in this matter. At. this stage the Court adjourned.