MAREO RETRIAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 13

MAREO RETRIAL

NO SITTING TO-DAY. JURY VISITS HOUSE. END OF HEARING NEAR. MEDICAL WITNESS ON MONDAY With one more witness only to be called for the defence, Dr. E. W. Giesen, of Wellington, the end of the retrial of the Auckland musician, Eric Mareo; aged 45, charged with the murder of his wife, Thelnia Clarice Mareo, aged; 29, by the administration of the hypnotic drug veronal, is in sight. Xo sitting of the Court was held to-day. When the Court rose shortly before five o'clock last evening, it was announced by the trial judge, Mr. Justice Callan, that counsel thought it desirable that the jury should visit the house in Tenterden Avenue, Mount Eden, where Mrs. Msjreo had her fatal illness. Arrangements were therefore made for an officer of the Court to accompany the jury on their inspection of the house this morning. Defence evidence yesterday afternoon was brought to prove the automatic taking of veronal, and two witnesses outlined their experiences under the influence of the drug, while the husband of one of the witnesses recounted his observations. The case for the Crown is being conducted by Mr. V. R. Meredith and Mr. F. McCarthy, and Mareo is being defended by Mr. Humphrey O'Leary, K.C., of Wellington, Mr. Trevor Henry and Mr. K. C. Aekins. It is expected that most of Monday's hearing will be taken up with the evidence and cross-examination of the chief medical witness for the defence. Counsel's addresses to the jury and his Honors summing-up are not expected to be completed in one day, so that it is anticipated that the trial will not conclude until Wednesday.

His Honor's Questions. When the Court resumed., yesterday afternoon the witness Beattie, recalled, told his Honor that at the time he had taken the 12 veronal tablets Mrs. Beattie was in the same bed with him. In the usual course, he washed tlie tablets down with water in the bathroom. Since taking the twelve, he had not taken veronal. He was certain that his wife had not got rid of the eight tablets herself, although witness admitted that was a possibility. He had been asked to bring his wife to rrive evidence also, but it was not considered advisable on account of her poor state of health. * Moira Esme Meissner, a married woman, of Havelock North, said that in September, 1930, she had collapsed. She had been sleeping badly for six months before. Barbitone was prescribed for her by a doctor and pills were obtained. Witness described taking the pills. During the night she remembered waking up as though in a dream, and feeling for the pills, which she thought were on a pedestal by the bed. She remembered getting up and searching the room. The next she remembered was bumping into the telephone, and then she found herself in the bathroom. She remembered getting on a high stool to reach the medicine chest. She opened the cupboard and searched for the pills which she eventually found. She did not know that the pills had been shifted to the bathroom. Witness could remember taking them, brit could not remember how many. Tlie next thing she remembered was being in bed. She went off to sleep and she awoke to hear her husband playing the piano. She vaguely remembered the doctor being in the room, but she could not say when that was. Her first consciousness "was about seven in the evening. She looked in the mirror and her face was swollen and bluish.

Witness said her husband had asked her whether she had taken the barbitone, but she denied it. Later in the evening she remembered telling him that she had taken some tablets. Asleep For Three Days. Re-examined by Mr'. Meredith, Mrs. Meissner said her sjeep, after taking the tablets in the bathroom, lasted into the third day. She had no recollection of being given anything to eat in that period. Franz Meissner, an orchardist, husband of the last witness, said he" was horn in Bohemia, but was a, naturalised British subject. When he got the pills from the chemist for his wife there were about eight or nine. He gave liis wife one when he got home and she went to sleep. The doctor called and Mrs. Meissner talked a bit after being awakened. That evening witness gave his wife another pill and she went to sleep again. Next day she was fast asleep. He looked at the box of pills and three were missing. He had given his wife only two, so he put the pills away in the bathroom cupboard. He had a suspicion that his wife might have taken one. Empty Box Found. On the third day, said witness, his wife was still sleeping soundly. _ Witness woke her about 10 o'clock in the morning and offered her a cup of tea. She said something which witness took to be "Yes," but when he went back "with the tea she was asleep again. He woke her again and asked her if she would like some scrambled eggs. He thought she said "Yes," and went away to prepare some. When he brought the food in witness had to awaken his wife again, and he fed her slowly, his wife bwallowing automatically. Then his wife went to sleep again. She was still asleep when he got up next morning, the fourth day. Witness looked in the cupboard in the bathroom and found that the box which had contained the barbitone was empty. Witness said his wife had been asleep about four days. He had not noticed her colour because the blinds were drawn. He had since discovered that the pills were 5-grain Karbitone tablets. Fears Groundless. The assistant wardrobe mistress during "The Duchess of Dantzic," Mrs. Alice Frances Smith, said that on the last Monday of the season Mrs. Mareo did not seem well, and witness asked her if she was well euough to on to the stage. She smelt strongly of liquor, but said she was quite all right. Witness thought she was under the influence of liquor, and just wondered whether she was well enough to go on. When witness took a dress into Mrs. Mareo's dressing room one evening, there was u bottle of brandy on the table. Mr. Meredith: Mrs. Mareo was a brilliant actress ? Witness: Yes. And on the night you speak of, she played brilliantly? —Yes. His Honor: Well, that proves your fears were groundless. The Court was adjourned until Monday morning.