THE NORTHCOTE SENSATION

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17985, 2 April 1930, Page 5

THE NORTHCOTE SENSATION

CHARGE OF MURDER AGAINST MUNN. OPINION OF THE MEDICAL ADVISER.

DEATH DUE TO STRYCHNINE POISONING.

Tho hearing of the charge against Arthur Thomas Munn, 45, /urniture worker, of Northcote, of the murder of his wife, Lillie May HUunn, at Northcote, in February, was continued before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., yesterday.

Dr. Reginald George Dudding, of Northcote, said he had known Mrs Munn for three or four years, and had attended her about 16 months prior to the illness which led to her death. She had quite recovered from her earlier illness. He was called to see Mrs Munn on the morning of February 4. Munn met him at the house, and witness went straight to the room where Mrs Munn was lying in bed. He asked several questions regarding Mrs Munn’s illness, and Munn said she had been shaking all over and had had some sort of convulsive seizure. He was also told that Mrs Munn had had some headaches, and had been taking aspirins for it, but there had been no sickness. Mrs Munn seemed to be rather “played out.” He found the blood pressure to be abnormally high, being 220 m- Witness assumed from that that Mrs Munn was suffering from the effect of blood pressure, and might have been on the verge of a stroke. Witness prescribed a sedative mixture, and ordered one teaspoonful of Epsom salts to be given every morning. "When he left, Mrs Munn said she was feeling better, and she seemed quite composed. At no stage of the illness had witness contemplated sending the patient to hospital. The doctor said he next saw Munn on the evening of the same day at witness’ residence. Witness suggested the patient needed a sedative for the night, and he gave Munn 7J grains of veronal tablets, which were to be crushed and given in warm milk. Witness, next saw Mrs Munn about 3.20 p.m. on February 6. Mrs Munn seemed very comfortable, and witness was not very concerned about her condition. He did not consider Mrs Munn to be seriously ill. Witness called on the morning of February 10. Mrs Munn appeared quite comfortable, and was joking about having to stay in bed. After they had left the room Munn said his wife had bpen very nervy- Mrs Munn was really quite cheerful at that time, and did not seem to be worrying" about her condition. It was then mentioned to witness by Munn that his wife had a great horror of hospitals. The Last Illness. About 9.10 a.m. on February 11 witness again visited Mrs Munn. she seemed hysterical, and kept calling out that she did not want to be touched. After she had been shifted in the bed Mrs Munn began to shake. He thought the patient was hysterical. Mrs Munn was conscious and moan-

, ing. Her jaws closed; then she comi plained of thirst. During the attack she resented very strongly being ! being touched. Immediately witness perceived the nature of the attack he administered a quarter of a grain of morphia, hypodermically. The convulsion seemed to quieten down after about four minutes- Witness asked Munn if this convulsion was similar to the one his wife had had before, to which Munn said “yes.” The convulsion, witness said, was not consistent with blood pressure. ' were usually associated with strychnine poisoning if the attack came on suddenly. Witness then became highly suspicious, but he did not mention his suspicion to Munn or to the patient. Munn again called called about 11 a.m. that day. Witness went immediately to the house and found that Mrs Munn was dead. Munn Purchases Strychnine. Witness was very much more confirmed then in the diagnosis he had made on the earlier visit. Witness looked round to see if there was strychnine or' anything that might be strychnine about the room. There was a little fluid in a cup, about a quarter full. Witness put some of the fluid into a container and placed it in a case in which he carried a hypodermic syringe- He tasted the fluid in the cup by placing his little Anger in the fluid and placing it to the tip of his tongue. It was bitter, and it was then that witness took a sample of it. Witness asked a chemist, Mr Johnson, to show his poisons register, which was produced. There was an entry to the effect that Munn had purchased a dram of strychnine. Mr Meredith produced the register, which showed the date as November 25 last.

Dr. Dudding said he decided to get specimens for further analysis by a competent person- He went back to Munn’s residence, taking with him four bottles, which he procured from the chemist. Munn returned while witness was making preparations to collect the specimens. Munn said he was going to town, but was so upset that he had forgotten to put on a collar, which he had come back for. Munn left again within a few- minutes. The samples were submitted to an analyst, and. as a result of that report the matter was reported to the police. Mr Meredith: As a result of what you had seen in the end, what, in your opinion, was the cause of death? I—Strychnine poisoning. One or several doses? —Several doses, more than one. The Court then adjourned until 10.30 to-day. TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. EVIDENCE BY CHEMIST. STRYCHNINE BOUGHT BY MUNN. (By Telegranh.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Wednesday. The hearing of the charge against Arthur Thomas Munn, of having murdered his wife at Northcote, was resumed at the Police Court to-day. Frederick W. Johnston, chemist, Northcote, produced his poison register, with an entry on November 25 of the sale of strychnine to A. T. Munn, of Northcote, signed by accused. Munn said he wanted it"" to poison rats. Witness gave him instructions as to how to use the strychnine, and warned him to destroy what was left over. The packet, was marked “Strychnine: not io be taken.” on the other side was a red label inscribed “Poison.” Witness was asked: “Did Munn buy further poison from you later?” He

replied: “Yes; he bought two drams of prussic acid. Munn said that was to poison a rat.” Mr Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, produced a bottle of brown-coloured medicine, which witness said was made up for Mrs Munn by Dr. Dudding's prescription- He witnessed the tests made by Dr. Dudding in his dispensary on February li. The bottles used were quite clean. Witness recognised another bottle of medicine made up on Dr. Dudding’s prescription. He said there was no possibility of strychnine being in the medicine. Result of Analysis. Arthur James Parker, public analyst, said he received four bottles in an attache case from Dr. Dudding. The bottles were marked: (1) Fluid from jug; (2) fluid from cup; (3) urine; and (4) gastric lavage. He was asked to make a quantative analysis for strychnine. Numbers 1 and 2 gave negative results. Sample No. 3 gave a distinct positive reaction for strychnine, probably only, a small quantity of the alkaloid being present. The reaction was a complete one, but the colour was not strong. Witness was asked: “Would the reaction you got leave any doubt in your mind about the presence of strychnine?”

Witness answered: “Not the slightest.” He said No. 4 gave a distinct positive reaction for strychnine. No- 3 contained an amount of strychnine just about sufficient for recognition. No. 4 undoubtedly contained more strychnine, but in his opinion not a large quantity. His reason for saying that No. 4 did not contain a large quantity was that a preliminary tost made with two drams of the sample gave a very slight indication that there was not complete reaction. Traces of Strychnine. Kenneth N. Griffin, Government analyst at Auckland, said that on February 13 he received from Dr. Murray a glass jar containing the stomach and porition of the liver, kidney and spleen of deceased. He also received on the same date from Dectective-Sergeant Doyle one small bottle labelled “ Poison,” one bottle of medicine, and eleven whole packets and two broken packets of Epsom salts. On analysis witness found that the stomach contained strychnine, the amount of purified alkaloid recovered being equivalent to two-fifths of a gram in the whole organ. The total strychnine present in the stomach was probably about twice the amount recovered. Portions of the liver, kidney and spleen were also extracted and definite reaction for strychnine were obtained in each case.

Witness said a fatal dose is given as from half to two grains, and it was probable that at least one grain of strychnine was present in the body. In another bottle was contained 2-sths of a grain of crystals of strychnine. The medicine and each packet of salts were tested for strychnine, but none could be found. • No External Evidence of Violence. Replying to Mr Northcroft, counsel for Munn, witness said the methods employed in his department were standard methods prescribed by the authorities, which he could produce in fifteen minutes. Mr Northcroft: “Well, I would like to know what they are.” Witness quoted three well-known books, which he produced. Dr. D. N. W. Murray, who examined the body of deceased on February 13, said be found no external evidence of violence. After giving details concerning the various organs, witness said he could not And any evidence of disease or injury such as would cause death. The stomach and its contents, with a piece of the liver, a kidney, and a spleen, were placed in a sterile glass jar, sealed and labelled, and handed to the Government Analyst on February 13, the day of the examination, for the detection of poison. lie subsequcntlv received a report from the Government Analystr Witness was satisfied that the cause of death was strvehnine poisoning. Mr Meredith: “As a result of the evidence you have heard, your postmortem examination, and the report of the Analyst, what, in your opinion, was the cause of death?” Witness: “Strychnine poisoning.” Was the convulsion described by Dr. Dudding typical of convulsion due to strychnine poisoning?” Yes. “What about the convulsion demonstration in Court by Mrs Gill?’ “That was compatible either with a convulsion due to strychnine poisoning or a' convulsion due to tetanus.”

“Is the history of the case, as you heard it, compatible with tetanus?’- — “No.”

“Do you think that more than one dose of strychnine had been taken?” —“Yes, hut I think death was due to a dose taken on the morning of February ft.” Separate Doses of Strychnine.

“Then the convulsions of February 4 and 11 would be caused by separate doses of strychnine?”—“Yes,”. “And what about the bad turns between those dates?’’ —-“I would suspect that Mrs Munn had been getting further strychnine.” Witness said the fact that about four-fifths of a grain of strychnine had been found indicated that a recent dose had been taken, otherwise no strychnine would have been found in the stomach washings. He thought the doses had been taken within a limit of ten hours. He said death usually occurred two or three hours after a fatal dose of strychnine, but possibly would not occur until after about six hours if less than a fatal dose were given. The convlusions would become less and the interval between them stronger. COUNSEL INDISPOSED. HEARING POSTPONED. AUCKLAND. Wednesday. Owing lo the slight indisposition of Air. E. H. Northcroft (counsel for Munn) the resumption of the hearing of the murder charge was delayed till later in the afteruoon-