MAREO'S STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 234, 3 October 1935, Page 11

MAREO'S STORY.

NIGHT OF DEATH. STATEMENT TO POLICE WIFE AND ALCOHOL ((J NEVER GAVE VERONAL." When the third day's hearing of the Lower Court charge of wife-murder against the Auckland musician, Eric Marco, ngert 41, was about to conclude yesterday, Detective-Sergeant A. B. Mciklcjolin, who was in charge of the inquiry from the outset, produced a statement made by accused on Monday, April 15, the night of his wife's death. The statement, as given by Marco to Detective I!. J- Hamilton, follows: — No. 11 Tenderden Avenue, Mount Eden, Auckland, April 15, 1035. "I was first married in 1015 in England, and have two children of that marriage, a boy aged 10 years and a «irl aged 10 years. My first wife died hi England in 1027 of tuberculosis. In 1931 I went to Sydney, Australia, with m y familv. I met my second wife there. She was Thelma Trott, and was appearing in" Ernest Rolls' show as semiprincipal. X was conducting the orchestra.

"We both travelled with the same company to New Zealand, and while at Wellington we married on October 18, 1933. My children were still in Sydney. My late wife knew that I was a widower. We took up residence at Fernleigh, Synionds Street, and later lived at Buckland's Beach for about six months. -Then, we took the house I am now living in.. We have been here about six months. Since May, 1034, my hon and daughter have been staying with us. Did Not Take Drugs. "My late wife suffered from her appendix periodically. This occurred sometimes as frequently as every three weeks. She would not have, a doctor, and had a great dread of an operation. She had also a great dread of childbirth, and told me many times that she would sooner die than have a child. She did not tako drugs as far as I know, but t<he indulged in alcohol sometimes to excess. She was the principal actress in a romantic light opera called '"The Duchess of Dantzic,' which ran at Auckland at His Majesty's Theatre. It finished on October 3, 1934, and during that time she drank liquor to excess, and since then has always had on an average two bottles of sherry every day.

"Since that time I have been employed at a city theatre as conductor, and about a fortnight ago I told her that I was leaving the theatre. She then knew that my source of income was reduced, and from then on she told me that she was going to stop drinking alcohol to reduce expenses. As far as I knew she didyiot I«ivb any after that. From then on -she >$ad' an of appendix, almosft a (fbntinuons attack, and I gave her paraffin oil, which she kept in the house t for that purpose. She looked so bad and felt so ill that I offered to go out and "get her some wine or brandy,; but she would not let me. This attack continued almost up till Friday, the 12th inst.

"I was - out alt one day about a fortnight ago on business, and came home about 6 p.m. I think my wife gave me a meal and then went to bed. She then appeared to be under the'influence of liquor. I did not ask her if she had been drinking. From then on, every time I came home, my wife seemed to be dopey as if she had been drinking. I never asked her. On Thursday, the 11th inst., in the evebing, while sitting at the fireplace, my wife said to me semi-jokingly, yet with an undercurrent of sincerity, "Sooner than have a child I would bump myself off." I told her jokingly not' to be a fool,' and that there was not the vaguest possible i:hance. She was slightly dopey that evening. Fell Asleep. "On Friday morning, the 12th' inst., olie would not get up, and apologised tor not making the breakfast. This was unusual, because as a general rulo she never made the breakfast. Her eyes were glassy and she had the general nppearance of being intoxicated. I then went out on business.. Before going I gave her breakfast in bed —scrambled eggs—which she ate and thanked mc for and 'said were lovely. She said she would get up later and do the house. She then fell asleep.

"I arrived home on Friday evening, and my wife was still in bed.* I cannot remember if I gave her dinner in bed. She was still looking intoxicated. My wife's bosom friend, Freda Stark, arrived on the Friday evening about 8 p.m. By this time my wife was asleep. Miss Stark did not say anything about my wife being asleep, as she knew that she was given to drinking bouts. My son, Freda and I played cards thnt evening. It was arranged that Freda should come to the house the following day, as she was my wife's best friend. She did not come to look after the house because my wife was ill. She was often in the habit of staying at week-ends.

"On the following day, Saturday, on awakening —I had been sleeping on a chair afongside the double bed in case she wanted me—she still appeared in a drunken sleep, and I did not wake her up. In- my opinion .it was a drunken fleep. All my married life with her, if I came home from a theatre and found her drunk, I let her sleep on the bed while I myself slept on a sofa in the dining room. On Saturday, the 13th inst, 1 was out on business until 1 p.m. My wife was still sleeping when I left. My son was looking after my wife. Freda Stark arrive'd at about 3 or 3.30 p.m. that afternoon. She was still asleep then and looked under the influence of alcohol, but looked quite healthy. I stayed all the afternoon in my wife's room sitting on a chair dozing in case she woke up and wanted anything. Freda and Graham, my son, woke m'e up and told me that tea was ready and to come and have something to eat. This would be about 0 p.m. I went out to the kitchen and had tea with them. I think we played cards during the evening, as far as I remember. "Wandered Around." "We retired about 11 p.m., and it was Arranged that Freda sleep with my wife. Freda suggested that I sleep in Bettys room—that is my daughter's room—but thinking that I might be wanted I slept j,. fi, o same chnir with a rug round me in the *aiiie room as they were sleeping and the same chair I.had.occupied during

the previous nights. When I woke up in the morning my wife was still sleeping- I got up first, and later Miss Stark and she and Graham had breakfast I did not have breakfast. Before getting up, Graham had brought me a cup of tea. Oi) that day, Sunday the 14th, I to"! ° Ut on b " s iness from 10 a.m.'to J2..W p.m. I was meeting people trvin" to get subscribers during the times I have mentioned that 1 have been out on business. The subscribers are for the Symphony Orchestra. On the Sunday mentioned I went out and did not feel like talking to any person, and onlv wandeied around and came home about 1 p.m.

I and had a look at my wife and she was still asleep, and I believe that it was then that Freda Stark suggested that I get a doctor, and used to seeing my wife in an unconscious condition through alcohol, I told Freda Stark that 1 would wait till Monday morning and sec how she was, and then, if necessary, ring up a doctor. Freda never at any time asked me what was the matter with her, and I am under the impression that she thought the same as I did, that is, that she had been drinking, especially in view of the fact, that on one occasion to my certain knowledge, .sopie months ago, when I came home expecting to Ond my wife alert and keen to hear what I had done in my work, I found that she had been supplied with, a bottle of whisky by Freda Stark. My wife told me this personally, and I paid for this whisky, I think through my wife, to give to Freda Stark. So that, Freda obviously knew that my wife was in the habit of drinking prettily heavily and knew that she went on drinking bouts. What Mareo Thought. "I still thought at this time that her condition had been caused through secret drinking. Freda left about 10 p.m. on Sunday night, and she was still asleep then. Graham saw Freda to the tram, as he always does. I slept as usual in the chair alongside the bed, and during the night, on occasions, had a look at my wife to see that she was all right, but each time she seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully and normally.

"At about 8.30 a.m. I woke up and she was still sleeping. I had a look at her and she appeared different from the previous days. From' being apparently sleeping normally the previous days.and looking all right, but just asleep, this morning she was breathing heavily and appeared a mottled colour, that is, blotchy, and her lips were very pale. That was the first time that I became anxious about her condition and thought she might bo ill. I thought perhaps her appendix may have had something to do with it, so told Graham to get dressed and 'phone a doctor. He got dressed and 'phoned from next door, but could not get a doctor, as they were on their rounds. One doctor, Dr; C. Murphy, we were told, was to be in at 1.30 p.m., so I decided that we would wait until 1.30 p.m., and 'phone him again. My son 'phoned in the. morning. I cannot say the time, but it would be between 10 and 11 a.m.

• "Freda arrived here at about 2 p.m., and I told ber to pet a doctor immediately, preferably Dr. Dreadon. Dr. Murphy was not in at 1.30 p.m. Dr. Dreadon arrived at about 2.30 p.m., and immediately 'phoned for the ambulance, which arrived here at about 3.30 p.m., and she was taken to the hospital. On Saturday night I gave her sal volatile because she would not wake up, and we got her to wake up and she went to the lavatory with Freda Stark, assisted by mr son, Graham. Although she was awake, she appeared still to be sluggish in het* movements, and she was assisted back to bed by Freda and Graham. I put eau de cologne on her forehead to freshen her up, and she appeared to go into a normal sleep. She had been awake for about one hour and almost half an hour at the lavatory. She spoke common sense. I made the bed while she was at the lavatory. An Empty Bottle. "When Dr. Dreadon sent her to the hospital ho told me that the cause of illness might have been veronal poisonin<* and asked me if she knew if there was any in the house, and I told him that there was some in the house, but as far as I knew she did not know of it. I then went out to find the bottle containing veronal tablets which I had hidden in a trunk on a high shelf in the washhouse, and discovered the bottle still there, but empty. When I last saw j t t here—two or three weeks ago—it contained between 30 and 40 tablets. In the meantime I had purchased two other small bottles of those tablets because I had been suffering from nervous prostration through overwork, and I bought the:fi because I heard that on April 1 a restriction was to be placed on the sale of them unless through a doctors certificate.

"I think that the first bottle contained 50 tablets, the next bottle 12 and the next 25 tablets. I have only taken one per night, which I commenced to take about three weeks ago. I cannot sav if my wife knew that I was taking , these tablets, and she did not know where they were hidden, as far as knew. No persdn in the house knew, as far £ts 1 knew. The only veronal tablets I have left I have handed to the police. If my wife's death was caused through veronal poisoning the only conclusion I can arrive at is that she discovered where I had hidden them and has been taking them secretly in place of alcohol. "On Sunday morning I saw a box of pills with writing in pencil, Two to be taken at night' written on the label. There was no other indication as to where they came from. I opened the box and saw four pills, and I took two of the pills out and I left the box on the night table. I have not seen the box or the other two pills since. It was a round box. about lira in diameter by lin deep. The two pills that I took I placed in mv pocket and have handed to the police. *Tho reason that I put them in my pocket was that I did not know what they were and I was going to show them to a doctor to see what they were. I suppose subconsciously I nad a va o ue idea then that she might be taking something injurious. Never Bought Pills. "For the past month and up to the time of her death she was suffering from summer sickness. She did not have any medicines in her room that I know of, with the exception of tne pills I found on the Sunday and the sal volatile bought by us on the Saturday. I did see a bottle of some kind ot brown liquid on the night table or dressing table. I did not ask her wha it was. I caunot say when I last saw it. It is not there now. I have never at any time bought any pills or other ■ medicine for the purpose of abortion, j but my wife has told me that she had something on the premises for that purpose if necessary, but I have never seen the stuff she mentioned. I have often I coked for this stuff without her knowledge, but unsuccessfully. When talkI ing to my wife on last, as mentioned previously, I assured her and told her she had not the slightest cause to worry in any way whatever, and gave her my word of honour +o this offoct that she could not possibly be pregwmt.

"Just before the doctor arrived, I told Freda Stark to give my wife a wash, as 6he had been in bjd for three days without a bath, and Freda had come out and told me that the bedclothes wcr" all stained and wet. I told her to wa.jh her and change her nightdress. I want it to be clearly understood that the reason I was not over-anxious about my wife's health at first was that I was under the impression that she had a secret store of spirits and was under the influence of liquor, as I had seen her many times in the past. 1 have never at any time given her any veronal tablets, in connection with the bottle marked "lodine and Aconite" which has been found in mj wife s drawer in her bedroom (private drawer), this was bought some time ago when my wife had violent toothache. I cannot sny who bought it. Offered Blood Transfusion. "Since my wife gave up, or said she gave up, alcohol, during the past fortnight she has been in the habit of having a glass of milk before retiring, and she assured me that it made her sleep like a top, and 1 noticed that the milk really did make her more calm in herself. Hie bottle handed to the police is the one that contained the veronal tablets and which I found empty where I had hidden it,. "I went with my wife to the hospital, and when a blood transfusion was suggested for my wife, I naturally volunteered and gave a test, but, after a lengthy wait, was to'd that it was too late, "In connection with the bottle containing brown liquid mentioned by me ill this statement I have a vague recollection of seeing this bottle on a shelf above the sink one morning while I was cooking breakfast recently, but I cannot say how many days ago. As far as I can remember, I cannot say if this bottle had a label and have no idea liow it came into the house. During the time the play "The Duchess of Dantzic' was running I bought my wife a bottle of brandy each day, the bulk of which she consumed herself. The play ran for ten days. 'I have read this over and found it true.—Erie Mareo, April 15, 1935."