MURDER TRIAL OPENS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 969, 12 May 1930, Page 1

MURDER TRIAL OPENS

Death of Mrs. Munn husband charged with crime Intense Public Interest r TENSE public interest was shown at the Supreme Court this morning when, before Mr. Justice Herdman and a jury, Arthur Thomas Munn was charged with wife-murder at North cote on February 11.

Following the reading of the indictment, Munn, who was dressed in a blue suit, pleaded not guilty in a Arm tone. The intense interest in the trial was reflected in the public gallery, which was crowded to capacity, while the accommodation of the women's gallery upstairs was likewise taxed. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. V. R. Meredith, with him Mr. McCarthy, appeared for the Crown, and Mr. E. H. N’orthcroft, and Mr. Munro. instructed by Bell and Speight, represented the accused. JURORS CHALLENGED More than SO jurymen were called for swearing in, and of these six applied for exemption, but only three were successful The empanelling of the jury was followed with much interest, and was completed only after the Crown had challenged seven jurors and the prisoner Six. The jury selected for the trial is as under: —Leonard John Keys (foreman!, Joseph Simms, James Charles Stewart, Albert Waldemar Temm, Charles Lucas, Frederick C. Taylor, Victor H. Bell, Frederick R. Lincoln. Ernest Culpan, David W. Evans, Royston D. Knight and Claude Ewan. Immediately after the jury was empanelled, Mr. Meredith applied to the judge to have a discussion in chambers with counsel for accused concerning the admissibility of certain evidence which he did not think should be discussed before the jury. This was agreed to, and the court adjourned for half-an-hour, the jury being allowed outside. “The accused is charged with the murder of his wife, the allegation being that he killed her by strychnine poisoning,” began the Crown Prosecutor to a hushed court. Mr. Meredith pointed out that upon the jury would be the gravest responsibility that could be placed on any member of the community of having to sit in judgment of a fellow-being. Counsel pointed out that the jury, as on any criminal charge, would require to give this case the earnest consideration it demanded. , PUBLIC ATTENTION "I feel It my duty as an officer of Justice,” continued Mr. Meredith, "to point out that a case of this kind creates a great deal of public attention, much is published and is discussed and members of the community from which the jury is selected are prone to have formed opinions. I earnestly ask you before embarking on examining the evidence to eliminate from your minds anything you may have read or heard, or any preconceived idea. It is necessary in every criminal case that the decision should be based on the evidence presented :n Court, so. that if the evidence is not sufficient there should be no prejudice against the accused/ through preconceived notions. My duty is simple. NO DIRECT EVIDENCE "In this, as in all poisoning cases, there would not be, and there could not be expected, direct evidence of the administration of poison, because it "as obvious that if a man was going 'o poison his wife he would never call upon any witnesses. Further, a person to whom poison was given absolutely trusted a person administering it.” The prosecution, would depend, :herefore, on various inferences drawn from the evidence. It would be definitely established that Mrs. Munn died from strychnine poisoning. It w ould be equally evident that she died us the result of having received several doses of poison. If that were so, the prosecutor continued, there were only three possible explanations: (a) That Mrs. Munn took poison herself, with suicide as her intention (b) That she took poison by acci dent through food or similar means. (c) That poison was given her by someone else. If that were so, the Question was by whom? IMPORTANT POINT A very important point was the effect of strychnine on a person who took it or to whom it was administered. In view of the terrible effects °f the poison upon a person, the question would have to be decided whether there would be the slightest likelihood of anyone repeating a dose. Outlining the characteristics of j strychnine, Mr. Meredith pointed out that the poison took two forms for ! administration —soluble and insoluble, j •t was suggested in this case that the j hoison used was of the soluble type, j The crystals looked something like opsom salts, but not exactly. The Dotson was very bitter, so that its administration was difficult unless it *ere disguised. After citing a standard work on the affects of strychnine poisoning, Mr. -ueredith said the jury could gather an impression of the frightful agony it paused, and that during the time the body was bowed, the muscles were on the rack, while at the same time the mind was fully conscious to pain , the terrible impending death. Conn-, ®el said the statement was not in--euded to gain sympathy, but the jury eould consider this aspect if it was "usgested that Mrs. Munn, having realised this by taking one dose of j poisou would ever dream of risking a second. The first attack suffered by Mrs. Munn fitted the description in ?*• textbook, and on the morning of •wv death she must have Jiad at least «**• attache.

The Munn family was discussed by Mr. Meredith, who said that accused had married Mrs. Munn, then a widow, at Greytown oil March 12. Munn, who was a divorce, had three children, and since this marriage two little girls had been born. On coming to Auckland the Munns bought the sixroomed house at Northcote, which was acquired with some money belonging to the dead woman. The children of the first marriage were giving evidence against their father concerning his conduct toward his late wife, and there was no reason why their testimony should not be the truth. The two little girls would not be called by the Crown, because of obvious objections, but they were available to the defence if desired. Mr. Meredith proceeded to discuss the health of Mrs. Munn before her illness, stating that the evidence would show she was a bright, cheerful woman, whose general health was good.

(Continued on Page 10.)