THE MAREO CASE

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19904, 5 June 1936, Page 8

THE MAREO CASE

WIFE ML‘RDER CHARGE. __ . SECRETARY IN BOX. > _— LAST \‘ISI’I‘ DESCRIBED. (By Telegraph—Press Assoclatlon.) AUCKLAND. Friday. Her association with Marco in the capar‘ity of secretary was described by Eleanor Bmwnlee. when the .\laren il‘idl entered on its fifth day til—clay. Eric )lareo is charged with the murder of his wife, Thelma Clarice .\lareo. on April 15, 1935. Mr V. R. Meredith and Mr F. McCarthy are conducting the 'case for the Crown and .\lessrs H. F. O‘Lear)‘. K.C., T. Henry and K. G. Aekins are appearing for the accused. Eleanor Brownlee said she \\'us a pianist in .\lareo‘s orchestra at the St. James Theatre, receiving £2 weekly. For secretarial work .\lareo paid her 10?. weekly and also gave. her free les—sons in orchestralion. On March 28, 15:33. Maren lost his job as conductor of the orchestra, but her work con—tinued on the scenario “ The Plume of the Arawas.“

\\’iiness described her last ViSi’t t 0 Tenterden .\venue before .\ii‘s .\IEII‘E‘O died. That was in the middle of Feb—ruary and there was a row between Marco and his wife that night in the bathroom, resulting in Thelma and Freda Stark leaving the house. Dur—ing the incident in the bathroom .\lal‘eo was sitting on the floor in his shirt. and underpants. 7 Mrs .\lareo was sit—ting in the corner in 21 Very hysterical condition. She seemed half—drunk and was sobbing and calling for Graham. She said she would not remain in the house with .\iareo in that condition. After the others left she tried to per—:suade .\lareo to go to bed. christian Names Used. When ‘she was acting in a secretarial capacity, in the presence of others she called accused Mr Mateo, he calling her Miss Brownies. but when working alone they used Christian names. “I did not have a chance to dissuade .\irs .\lareo from leaving the house that night," said witness. “I stayed in the house. spending the night in Thelma‘s ‘hedroom. Mareo slept in the sitting—room, Graham in his own bedroom, and Betty in her room.“ Later .\lareo wanted her to apologise hut witness considered she had done nothing that demanded an apology. However, .\iareo was so insistent that witness wrote a letter of apology to Mrs .\tareo. She did not go to the house again. She never liked going unless it was absolutely necessary and she. would not have spent. more than live or six nights there. Mrs Marco's Condition. \‘Vltness said the Saturday evening before .\lrs Marco's death she went to the house and took .\lareo for a drive. She did not remember what had been said. but she knew Mrs Mareo had not been well. She did not go into the house as she did not want to meet Freda Stark. She had no clear recollection of Sunday, but she believed she saw .\iareo again that day and they went out somewhere, either to sea Judge Acheson or to discuss a business letter. On Sunday morning she waited at Balmorai Road for .\lareo. but he did not, come. Graham came instead and witness went to the house. “.\lareo was there and said he. wanted to get a doctor for his wife," witness proceeded. “I saw .\lrs Marei in bed, staying a couple of minutes in the room. She was asleep and breathing through the mouth and had a faint sort of bluish look. breath—ing heavily as it she had a. cold in the head. She asked .\lareo if anything was wrong with her or if she had been taking anything to make her ill. He said she had been taking some medicine and i think ‘he mentioned something about pills. This was about 10.30. Graham rang for a doctor but rouldn't make the people at the other end understand. so I rang again. The doctor was out and wouldn‘t he bacli till 1.30. The doctor was Freda Stark‘s doctor, Dr. Murphy. .\lareo asked me if it would be better to await his return or get another doctor. He suggested Dr. Dresden, but I didn't think there was any immediate neces—sity, Thelma looked to me as I had seen ‘her look on other occasions."

| VESTERDAY'S EVIDENCE. Continuing her evidence after we went to press yesterday Freda Stark said when Dr. Dreadon came he told .\lareo that it looked like \‘eronal poisoning. .\lareo said he had veronal and had been tak~ ing it; for sleeplessness. Mareo went to the back of the house and returned with :1 \‘eronal bottle. saying, “It was almost full. but it is empty.“ Mrs .\lareo was taken by ambulance to the hospttal and died there about 5.30 that afternoon. \\’itness described later interviews with deterttws and a conversation she had had \\iih .\taroo in their presence. lext day .\tarco telephoned hor and ‘satd: "Prittrrs. rtoar. you'll have to he rareful what )ou say to the police or you‘ll have a rope round my neck“ He afterwards told her she was to have all .\Trs Marco's riothos exrnpt her fur coat. which he wanted to set]. In Hnswrr in Mr O‘Lrar) witness said that aftrr thr‘ last. ([uarrrl she had described .\tarro and Mrs Maren were happy together until her dr'ath. It the 'men case was cnrrent. .\tarrn must. [have invited hr-r rtut there to hr- pres—tent at the murder. l Allegations of Insobrloty. t It had occurred to 1191‘ that, Mrs §.\tareo might have got some of the :wronal which .\lareo had admit-ted ‘having, \\‘itnoss identified two trunks in ’t'finurt. as having been Ittrs .\lareo‘s. ,\\‘ttness hart hart ample opportunity to ‘jurlge whether .\trs .\lareo took liquor tto excess. \\‘hilc in \\‘otling‘tnn wtt—tnrss usod to :n‘rompauy .\tnrro and i’l‘hehna Trott‘ as she then was, to thr ltlrnw‘s Nest (Inharr‘t. at Island Hay. i’l‘l’ioro worn pronto named ltiano in the 'HCYHC Company. t .\lr D‘tmar)‘: If .\lrs Riann said that Our night at tho tirow‘s Nest tialvaret .lliss ’t‘rntt was drunk and that .\‘nu ;\\-i~rr there what would you Mi)".‘—— t'i‘tu- ltinuns wrrr not thvt'r. i To :1 I'urlhrr :uuwtiun \\itncss said ‘sht‘ had lmt .\vc .\liss ’l‘rntt. drunk at fttn‘ tzruw‘s .\‘vst «Inharvt. \\‘itnoss Liz-m 1 u: mu .\‘vw z.-;n;.u.tor unto] in ‘\\‘rlllu_:t-tn. and so did Manny and :‘Till‘tllltl 'i't'nit. t \ll- u‘tmary: tt‘ .\tiss Jane ttiann Isms stir ('dllt'tl .il ltlv .\‘l'w Zudlundr‘r IHnlrl nun dd) .md th.lt )ult .utd .\lurr-r t.«n.[ .\tiss 'I‘I'UII \\t‘l't‘ sitting round ii'L'H”? cards and that Thrltun had uJ I .

sbottle of brandy in front or her and Ewas getting drunk, \\h.tt \\ouhl you ,sziy‘l—«Nu, it never happened. 1 \\’itnoss said she \\'Ulllt’l In: very gsurpriscd to hear that Mrs Marco was in taker of drugs. It :1 witness came iall tlm \\ay from Adelaide to prove it. \hc would not liclimc jt. Mrs .\larcu :was not the type to hF a drug addict; [she \\’as too bright, and alert. ‘ Wltness's Denlals. 1 Mr O‘Leary: Since the last, trial has ‘it been pointed out to you that it is ‘important to wipe out if possible the possibility of her having got veronal herself on the Saturday nigllH—Nu. 1 Witness said she had stated that; on each occasion she went. in to Mrs Marco's room on the last Saturday evening she found hor lying in (“why the same position. Shi- (lid nnt know whether she hurl said that in vritlrnru hotorc or nut. but she .\uitl it nmv bu—:cause it was true. i .\lr li‘lieary: Is not the rmsnn or 'ynur saying this ha“ thut .\tlll \\'.mt In rllniiimln the possibility ut‘ hrr having :gnt, \‘trrunnl lirt‘srlt‘?-Nn. { lie-deminml lly Mr .\lrrmiim \\'it—‘nr'ss said lwn sistrrs ltiunu \\'rrr \\’ith lllt‘ Ernost ltulls llm‘un tinnuuiny (llltl their mothrr truVrllml \\iih [ht-mi 'l'llt‘lmu ’l‘l‘lJll \\'.t~' Hut. .‘1 t‘rlr‘llll (if thn ltinnns. .\sliml it" slu- know Hf (my itlit‘t‘rrrnm's lwl\\ccn ’l'hrlnlu (1111 l m.» :Hiunns \\itnvss Silltl slw llilli .\ll\ .\lhrru pt‘l‘l'ni‘lllwl «WI-r) night ut' "'l'hthllt'lll‘fifi nl’ llnlizig‘ >t'.’l.\"ll :iiul i| \\.l~' inn! ll'ltt' llmt \llt‘ \\..~ Mrr Imtit lvu “.crfnrln Ihrmigh :lrinlx. l The hearing “as udiuurncd until this morning.