MURDER CHARGE

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19901, 2 June 1936, Page 8

MURDER CHARGE

RETRIAL 0F MAREO. ‘ i A FORTNIGHT’B HEARING. l _ i i CROVVN'S CASE OLTLIMZD. i i | (By Telegraph—Press Association.) i AUCKLAND, Monday. i Sentenced to death on February 26 for the murder of his wife, Thelma i Clarice Mareo, aged 29, by administer— ‘ ing a hypnotic drug, Eric Mai-eO, aged ‘ 45, musician, stood in the dock in the 1 Supreme Court this morning for re—‘ trial on the grounds that fresh evi—i dence had been discovered. i Mr Justice Gallan presided. The} Crown case was conducted by Mr V.‘ R. Meredith, who at the time of the: first trial was travelling as manager of 1 the All Blacks, and with him Mr F.‘ McCarthy. while the defence was again conducted by Mr H. F. O‘Leary. 1 of \V‘ellington, Mr Trevor Henry and‘ Mr K. C. Aek‘ins. ‘ No evidence was called for the de-i fence at the last trial but. several wit—nesses will be called on this occasion. i including three from Australia. it isi expected that the trial will last abouti a fortnight. Casual public interest was i shown this morning, a small queue Dfi nienwvaiting outside the doors and at few women being seated in the gal-i lery set aside for them. ‘ Mareo stepped briskly into the dock, and after smiling at his counsel stood watching carefully the empanelling of the Jury. He was neatly dressed and looked lit and hronzed. Nine applicat'lons for exemption from the jury were received, four being granted and fifteen being set aside by the Crown. The defence exhausted its right to challenge. The Court was adjourned to allow the jurymen to make their business and domestic arrangements. Grown Ono Opens. Mr Meredith, opening the case for the Crown, said if a person took an overdose of veronal he would so into a coma and when recovering would noti have a relapse. Mrs Marco, who had‘‘ been married only eighteen months! was a very talented lady. She graduated B.A, at the University of Queensland and was an actress of charm. While with the Ernest Rolls Revue Company she met Mareo whom she' married in Wellington in October 1933. 1 She died in April 1935 at her home in Tenterden Avenue, Mount Eden, where l she had lived with her husband, his son Graham by a former marriage, and ‘ a girl known as Betty Mai-eO, aged 21, who was a daughter of Dr. Grey and; Mrs Grey, of England. ' One of the many witnesses to be called would he Miss Freda Stark, a! close friend of Mrs Mareo and a fre-‘ quent visitor to the house, Another,i Miss Eleanor Brownlee, who met' Mareo when she started to take lessons l in orchestration from him, also acted' as accompanist in his orchestra and; his private secretary. At the time of the marriage Mrs Marco had saved £SOO which she handed to her husband. At the time of his wife's death Marco was financially embarrassedu and was out of permanent employ-1 ment. There had been three Serious‘ quarrels between Mareo and his wii‘ei shortly before her death. ‘ Story of Quarrels. i “Mareo was a heavy drinker," de-i clared Mr Meredith, “ and used to come home under the influence of liquor." He described an occasion after a cabaret party when Mareo came home under the influence and there was a row in which Marco verbally attacked his wife, saying, “get out on the streets where you belong," and she replied “give me back my 5500." Marco replied: “ Can‘t do that. \V’ould take me two years.“ On another oeasslon there was a row between them in the bathroom, Mrs Marco leaving the house with Freda Stark and spending the night at her friend‘s place. Eleanor Brownlee, who had brought Mareo home in her car, slept that night in the house. 1 Purchase of Veronai. 1 Mr. Meredith described a further quarrel when Marco came home one night and ordered Freda Stark out of ‘the house. The evidence would show that Mareo purchased veronal, stating that he had been SutTering from in—somnia. Just prior to the fatal sleep the accused had purchased veronal. On Friday his wife was in bed all day. Betty returned home and had tea with her father and brother. Mrs .Mareo got up and washed the tea ithlngs. Marco went to the bathroom ‘and wrote a note which he gave to ‘Betty. telling her she was the daugh—ter of Dr. Grey and it‘ anything hap—pened to communicate with a solicitor. \Vriiten on the envelope was an iii—struction that it was not to be opened unless she heard 01' his death. The letter would Show that )lareo was in either a morbid or desperate mood. The same evening .\lrs )lareo went into In sleep and iinally died. \Vhen Freda Stark left the house that night she hissed .‘lrs Marco and did not notice a smell of liquor. Evidence would be given by two women that they saw Marco after his' wife's death. lie told them he had given his wife some \‘cruiial on Friday night. That night Freda Starla ilOill'L‘d that Mai-w, on awakening, staggered in his gait, but there “its no smell oi" liquor nil him. .\il‘> Maren “115 still sleeping. Freda Stark suggested scl—iinf: a doctor lllil Alarm said it" she did not wake soon he would get a doc. tor. He said it' he got. a ilorior he would got into lrouhlc because oi’ the medicine he hurl gut her that night. licl‘nre Marco went for a drive with Miss lil‘UWlilru Aliss- stark again suggested getting a doctor. Mrs Marco’s condltlon. After he had been out about halfnn—hnnr Miss Shirl; heard .\lrs Marco rail out “Freda“ and she went to tier. she did not srein to have power in nor limbs lllli ilL‘l‘ mental activitirs mm all right. l|n Saturday night oil the >|l.fl'£t'hll-tll ”1' Miss Shirl; snl \nlzi—--Itilr \\ns giwn \lrs Maren, who ln‘cninr brighter. .\ run oi‘ mill; was brought in, [he :u'ruswl handing." it to Bliss Stark in .‘—:i\t- his \\ii'r_ \\'hrii Miss Stark nitvinplml [u nin- the rest of the inillt .\lr< Alarm. i‘lt‘lll'ill‘d ilL'l' lrrlti limit nlrrlinwl to drink 11. She was soon “gain nslm-p. .\'r.\l morning Miss Stark .i}—‘.lll| Nisan-4rd getting" :1 litit'ilil'. 'l'iic llwui't .uliuurnl'd l'ur luncheon at \iiis sing“. tin rrsuinpiinn .\ir )li'i'rdlth said the only prrsuns in iiil‘ house from l’i‘iday night onward worn .\ii' and Mrs Maren, Fri-tin Stark and Graham .‘lill‘l‘ll. l7l'v‘iln ‘lnl'li \\rni iltrllli‘ early un <lni—idly mrninz. \m'urrtin: lu .\l..i'ru\ [statement he noticed his wife‘s blue

mottled appearance on Monday morning and hernmr olalmied for the first time. \liss Brownian \\ out it) the house that morning and inn-do an effort to Fri. :1 doctor. but, without success. Arrival of Doctor. I Miss Stark went. to the. house about i 2 p.lll. and found Mrs Mareo “in a frightful condition." She had one look and rushed next door to tele—phone for a doctor. Dr. Dreadon ar—rived about 8 pm. and found Mrs! Maren in a. parious condition. Dr.i Dreadon formed the conclusion that! she had had an overdose of dope andl asked Marco if he had any veronal ml the house. )lnreo said “Yes," and! that he occasionally took some. and[ he went out to the wash—house. He brought back a \‘eronal tablet bottle. and expressed surprise that it was empty. Later he produced to the police from his hip pocket 3 bottle with nine veronal tablets in it. I Dr. Brendon sent Mrs Maren to the; hospital as her only chance, but she died about 5.30 p.m. At. the hospital' )lareo told Dr. Keenan he had found: a, veronal bottle empty on the previ—ous Friday night. On the following day a post-mor—-tem was held on the body of Mrs Marco, and it was found that all the' organs were healthy. The Govern—l ment analyst found 8.55 grains of \‘ero-’ nal in bodily organs submitted to him, and 6.23 grains in bedding and gar-i ments. The experts considered that‘ that; showed Mrs Marco had had a' very large dose of \‘eronal, certainly: enough to kill her. Mr Meredith then read the long statement made to the detectives by‘ Marco on the evening after his wife‘s! death. in this Mnreo accused her oft ‘being a heavy drinker, and said heE thought. her condition before her death had been caused by heavy drinking. The next day two women who had been members of “The Duchess of Dantzic" company called on Mareo.' They would say they had had close association with Mrs Marco, and had, never seen any sign of her drinking. ‘ ” They Won't iHang Me, Will They?” \Vhen they called, Marco told them he had given her \‘eronal on Friday night. As they were going away hei grabbed them.by the arms and said} “I am really frightened. They won’t. hang me, will they? Will you helpi me if I need it?" 1 Bottles were found at Marco‘s: house with the labels scraped off. and Betty Maren would say she scraped them off so that the chemists con—i cerned might not get into trouble. Mr! Meredith concluded his address by urging the Jury carefully to consideri the evidence and to return a. verdict, in accordance with their convictions. i The opening witnesses called for the Crown were a police photographer and a Public Works draughtsman. who submitted photographs and plans of Marco‘s home. . Stanley Stapleton Porter, insurance: agent, gave evidence that, Mrs Marco had an industrial policy for £37, on which he collected is a week. She was in good health and spirits on the Monday prior to her death. He had, never seen any indication of liquor on< her. ‘ To Mr O‘Leary. witness said the. amount payable on the policy was‘ about. £lB. The Court then adjourned until this' morning. I