WIFE'S DEATH.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1920, Page 5

WIFE'S DEATH.

HUSBAND IN THE DOCK. ON TRIAL FOR MURDER. By TeUgraph'Press Assn.—Copyright London. Nor. 3. The newspapers give great prominence to the sensational trial at Carmarthen In what is known as the Kidwelly case. Harold Greenwood, a prominent .solicitor, Is charged with poisoning his wife. Shortly afterwards he married Hiss Gladys Jones, with whom, the prosecution alleges, he had relations prior to his first wife's death.

The court was densely crowded. The greatest criminal lawyers were engaged in ihe case. Trains brought great crowds to witness the trial, and the scenes round the courthouse had a resemblance to those at the national Eisteddfod.— Times.

A STARTLING TURN. DOCTOR ALTERS HIS EVIDENCE. CHANGES CASE FOR DEFENCE. Received Nov. 4, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 3. The Greenwood trial at Carmarthen, which is regarded as the most sensational murder trial since .the Seddon case in 1914, took a startling turn during the examination of the deceased's physician, who gave evidence at the Coroner's inquest that he administered two pills, each containing half a grain of morphia, a few hours before death. He now corrected that evidence, saying he meant opium, not morphia. He only ducovered his mistake yesterday. He admitted a grain of morphia would probably cause death, but insisted that it mis opium. Sir Edward Marshall-Hall, who is%fending Greenwood, vehemently protested against such a surprise being sprung upon the defence without warning, and stated it altered the whole ease for the defence.

Sir Edward Marshall-Hall half hinted that the defence intended to show that an overdose of morphia caused death, and not arsenic. At one moment lie threatened to withdraw from the caw, bat be continued after an adjournment.

The doctor said he had the prescription at his surgery, hut returning to the Court he announced that he could not find the originals, as the book had been destroyed. He added that the police had a copy of the original for some months, in which the word was opium and not morphia The book was destryed when he gaTe up practice in December, 1919, but he admitted that a copy was made in June, 1920.

In cross-examining the witness, Sir Edward Marshall-Hall showed the second line of defence, which was that the arsenic in the body might have been derived from glucose, whieh w« 9 extensively used during the war period for baking jam, owing, to the shortage of Sugar.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

pxtraordinary interest has been aroused in England by this case. After lying in the grave for over nine months, the of the late Mrs. Mabel Greenwood, wife of Mr. Harold Greenwood, solicitor, of Llanellv and Rumsey House, Kidwelly, South Wales, was exhumed from the grave in Kidwelly churchyard parly on April 15. Later in the day tin inquest on the femains was opened at Kidwelly Town Hall, and was adjourned pending the result of an examination of certain organs of the body, which, it was announced, had been removed and despatched to London for analysis by Dr. .Wiflcox, the Home Office expert. Mrs.Greenwood, who was a sister of. Sir Thoma* Vansittart Bowater, Lord Mayor of London in 1013, died in June last, death being certified as due to heart failure. It was well-known among her numerous friends that Mrs. Greenwood iiad suffered from a heart affection, and har demise caused little surprise, as her pealth had not been satisfactory. A few months ago it transpired that the police were making investigations kt Kidwelly, these resulting in the ex- * tarnation order. When the inquest was opened Dr. Alexander Dick gave evidence as to carrying out the postmortem examination. The examination, |»e said, wag performed in the presence jDf three other medical men. He reinoved certain organs from the body, and Under instructions these were dispatched )o London, in charge of a police-officer, Elo be analysed by Dr. Willcox, of tlfe ome Office. The coroner at this stage id that he could not carry the inquiry >ny further that day. He explained £hat certain documents containing information came into hi* possession on March 25, and after consultation with the Secretary of State an exhumation torder, to be immediately executed, was issued, and this had been carried out tkat day. The organs were to be examined by Dr Willc«x, and immediately after the report of the latter came to Band he would summon a jury together (a order to conclude the inquiry. The examination disclosed traces of fcrsenic and a verdict of wilful murder againsi the husband was returned by the jury. Mr. Greenwood married a Miss /Jones four months after the death of his ,«ife; it ia stated that this led to- the .jbrt suspicion of foul play.