THE NORTHCOTE SENSATION

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17986, 3 April 1930, Page 7

THE NORTHCOTE SENSATION

AUCKLAND, Wednesday. . The hearing of the charge against Arthur Thomas Munn, of having murdered his wife at Northcote, was resumed at the Police Court 10-daj. Statement by Munn. Detective-Sergeant Doyle said that about 4 p.m. on February 12 he visited 33 Richmond Avenue, Northcote. Witness told Munn the object of the visit was to make inquiries regarding Mis Munn’s death. Munn said: 1 cannot understand it. Will Hie doctor not give a certificate?” The witness replied that he understood the doctor would not give a certificate. Witness also told him he did not know the reason for the doctor’s refusal. The detective-sergeant then read a statement made by Munn. In his statement Munn said: “I am a 1 wickerworker and reside at 33 Richmond Avenue, Northcote. I resided with my late wife, Lillie May Munn, aged 43 years, and two children, Freda, aged five years, and Doreen, aged nine years. My wife was in normal health until Tuesday, February 4. On that morning she complained of a headache, but she got up about 6 a.m. She then complained of a giddy turn. She appeared ill, and I decided to call Di. Dudding. The doctor treated her for blood pressure. The doctor gave me a prescription which 1 took to the local chemist, Mr Johnson, to make up. I received the medicine and gaie it to the wife as directed. Condition Appeared Normal. “ My wife's condition appeared normal to me from the time she went to bed on February 4 till the following Tuesday, Febraury 11. On February 11 my wife woke me about 7 a.m. I gave her half-a-teaspoonl'ul of Epsom salts, which the doctor had instructed me to do. She refused to have breakfast. It was about 7.30 a.m. and I was in the room when the wife said: ‘1 don’t want you to go away; I want you to stay with me.’ She then appeared normal, but I asked her if sue was feeling bad and she replied: ‘I think I am going to have a turn.’ Almost 10 minutes later she got jumpy and moved her body, gently at first, but then got worse I said: ‘I will send for the doctor.’ She replied: ‘I don’t want the doctor, I want you.’ She insisted on not seeing the doctor. “ I applied cold water to her heart, as the doctor had ordered, but she told me it made her worse. She appeared to lose her resistance, and I then saturated her with cold water, applied with a towel. I remained in attendance on her, but later I became alarmed at her condition. I got Mrs Lydiard, a neighbour, to stay with her, and I went for the doctor. He returned and pro•nounced life extinct. “ My wife and I have lived happily together, and at no time has she ever threatened to take her life. She had no worries and her mental condition was quite sound. During her illness I had no reason to believe that it was brought on by other than natural causes.” Poison in the Pantry. The detective-sergeant said that asked whether there was any poison in the house, Munn said: ‘ Oh, yes, I have some strychnine in the pantry which 1 keep for rats.’ “ Surely you do not keep strychnine in the pantry,” said witness. “ Yes, I keep it covered,” said Munn, who then went into the pantry, which was situated on the back verandah. Placing his hand on a honey carton on the top shelf, which was sft 9in from the floor, Munn said: “It’s under this.” Then, on lifting the carton, Munn said: “It’s gone.” Then Munn said: “We will look in the bedroom.” Witness said he and Detective Power made a search of the room, and found in a drawer of the chest of drawers, under some collars, a small bottle lying . on top of a suit of pyjamas. Witess said to Munn: “Do you use this drawer?” He replied: “Yes, that is my drawer, but I do not wear py-

CHARGE OF MURDER AGAINST MUNN, STATEMENTS TO THE POLICE. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. ;By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

jamas. I cannot stand them.'' On seeing the bottle, Munn said: That s it.” ■ Asked how he suggested the bottle became placed in the drawer, Munn said: “ I don't know. I thought it was in the pantry. The last time 1 saw it was about a fortnight ago.’f Witness examined the bottle, and there was a total absence of finger impressions on the glass. .Munn then made a further statement as follows: “Almost six months ago 1 purchased a quantity of strychnine from Air Johnson, chemist, at Northcote, for the purpose of poisoning rats. About a month later 1 returned to the same chemist and I told him that the poison was a failure, as the rats would not eat it. I told him that I wanted to poison the cat, and he gave me a small bottle of liquid poison. I gave the cat the lot, and it killed the cat. At that time I had the bottle containing the balance of the strychnine in the pantry on the top shelf. The bottle was labelled 1 Poison,’ and I concealed it under an empty carton. 1 drew the- wife’s attention to the poison, and I told her what it contained. To my knowledge the bottle containing the strychnine remained in that position, and I last saw it there between 10 days and a fortnight ago. That was before the wife took ill. 1 did not discover the disappearance of the strychnine from the pantry until today, February 12, when the detectives called. The •medicine and salts handed to the poilce are what my wife took when ill, and which were prescribed by Dr. Dudding. I had no other poison in the house, other than that found by the police. I have never at any time purchased or procured strychnine from any person other than Mr Johnson, and only the quantity referred to from him.” Statement Regarding Property. Continuing, his evidence, DetectiveSergeant Doyle said on the afternoon of February 15 Munn made a further statement, reading, inter alia, as. follows : “ . . . My wife was of a sentimental nature and worried a good deal over trifling things. The house I am living in was the property of the wife and was in her name. Nine years ago we bought the property at £IOSO, a deposit of £SO being paid by me, which was my own money. When the house was bought it was put in my wife’s name. At that time there were two mortgages, totalling £IOOO. About seven years ago my wife raised a State Advances loan of £BSO. The previous second mortgage had been reduced, and the Government loan of £BSO was sufficient to pay off the two existing mortgages. The interest and principal now- payable half-yearly amount to £34, and at 'present the arrears amount to £9O, less the sum of £l6 paid on February 4, 1930. Mv wife has no interest in any other property and there was no insurance on her 'life.. “ During the wife's illness I suggested a nurse for her, and she said she did not want ijne. I never saw her out of her bedroom during her illness.”

After procuring that statement the detective-sergeant said he asked Munn how he was going to get on with the young children, and whether he proposed io get a housekeeper, tout the accused replied: “No dammed housekeepers for me. I know too much about them.” Evidence relating to two properties at Northcote and the mortgages on them was given by four witnesses, who were the last called toy the prosecution. Committed for Trial. The charge was again read io Munn, who was asked the usual question as to whether he had anything to say in reply. Mr Bell replied on behhalf of the accused that he had nothing to ’say, and that .the defence would toe reserved. Munn was then committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Mr Hunt intimated later that he did not propose to return an inquest verdict for the present.