MUSICIAN ON TRIAL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21710, 18 February 1936, Page 7

MUSICIAN ON TRIAL

% %* , i • ALLEGED MURDER OF. $ WIFE CASE FOR THE jpROWN OUTLINED (PUBS ASSOCIATION TSMOSAK.) AUCKLAND, February 17. . . Eric Mareo, aged, 4L, a musician, was placed on trial In the Supreme Court to-day before Mr Fair, charge that on April 15,1935, at AuckVmd. he murdered' Thelma Clarice Mareo, his:; wife, • The-jury, was empanelled after seven challenges’ by the Crpwn and six by the defence. Mareo pleaded not guiltyThe Crown case is being conducted toy Mr A. H. Johnstone, K.C., of Auckland, assisted by Mr V. N. Hubble, and the defence is being conducted by mr HF. O’Leary, K.C.. of Wellmgton, assisted by Mr Trevor Henry and Mr K. C. Aekins. ‘ . Keen public interest was shovm, many women waiting in a queue at tne side door of the court, which was crowded when Mareo’s name was called. Six jurymen applied for exemption and four were allowed to go. The court was adjourned for half an hour to enable the jurymen to make business and domestic arrangements his Honour remarking that it . was necessary to keep them together during : thri hearing. . Among tne many police officers in court were Sub-Inspector Sweeney, Sub-Inspector Scott, and the two detectives who arrested Mareo. Sergeant Meiklejohn and Detective Hamilton. ' Case For Crown In opening the Crown’s case, Mr Johnstone said that the, charge was that accused murdered his wife by administering poison. The law knew no graver charge, and the jury must give constant attention to the evidence which, for the most part, was circumstantial. The Crown, as in most poisoning cases, was unable to put forward a witness who had; seen accused give his wife: poison or even anyone who had seen him adulterate her food with it. As the result of previous proceedings a certain amount of publicity had already been given, but the jury must endeavour to rid their minds of all they may have read or heard. Accused was an accomplished musical composer and director, said Mr Johnstone. He was married in England to a woman named Mrs Grey, and by that marriage had one son, but that Mrs Mareo had a daughter by a former marriage, who was generally known in the family as Betty. This Mrs Mareo died in. England in 1928. In 1931 accused left England for Sydney, where he was employed as conductor of an orchestra until 1933 with the Ernest Rolls Revue Company. . Among the members of that company was a young woman, Thelma Clarice Trott, aged 27, who had graduated B.A. at Queensland University. Apparently she sang and acted well, for she was a semi-principal. Accused and Miss Trott were married at Wellington and then left the company and came to Auckland to reside. They lived in a ■ boarding-house in the city and then kept house at Buckland’s Beach, where Betty and Graham, his son, joined them. ' ' ' , . A few months later they returned to the city and took up housekeeping at No. X Tenderden avenue, Mount 'Eaen, where Mrs Mareo carried out all the duties of housewife until her last illness. She took a leading part m the light opera, “The Duchess of Danzig,’ at His Majesty’s, where accused was { conducting the orchestra. Later he conducted the orchestra at a city theatre until the end of March last, after which he had no regular employment and no assured source of income* Friends of the Family Among the acquaintances of the Mareo family was Miss Freda Stork, formerly a member of the Ernest Rolls Revue Company, and Mrs Mareo’s, closest friend, said Mr Johnstone. There was also Miss Eleanor Brownlee, a pupil and a member of Mareo’s orchestra, who became pianist in his theatre orchestra arid private secretary, at a salary of about ids a week. There seemed to have been a considerable degree of Intimacy. They went out in the car together, and she spent week-ends at the Marcos’ house, it was saicr to help him with ’ his work in writing scenarios. She also did up his shirts arid ties, and.it was the Crown’s submission that the married life of the accused and his wife was very unhappy. Mareo said in a statement to the police that they never lived as mhn and wife. He also said she drank two bottles of sherry every day, and two weeks befpre her death suffered severely from appendicitis, but a post-mortem examination showed no signs of it. ‘ Quarrels between Mareo and his wife were referred to by Mr Johnstone, and the use of objectionable terms by accused. He also mentioned a scene one Saturday night, when Mareo returned home intoxicated, and Miss Brownlee was making up a bed to stop the night. Counsel also referred to various purchases of veronal by accused from different chemists, stating that within a fortnight he bought a mixture and pills for his wife, and also 57 other tablets of barbitorie or veronal Mrs Mareo was insured for £35, but no claim had been made for the money. Mr Johnstone said witnesses would testify to Mrs Mareo’s good health , up to April 11. Counsel described'the fatal illness, and Miss Stork’s efforts to induce Mareo to send for a doctor. Mr Johnstone then dealt with the post-mortem findings, and said the medical evidence would be that there was a clear indication that Mrs Mareo had taken a fatal dose of veronal. Dr. W. ■ GUmour, a pathologist, would say there were no signs of alcohol. That - did not prove that she did not take : alcohol hut there were no signs of what one would expect from a person who consumed ' two bottles' a day.' “These, medical witnesses will tell you that Mrs Mareo died ‘6f veronal poisoning,’’ declared Mr Johnstone. “She may. have bad, according to the story told to Miss Bransgrove and Miss Evans, a dose on the Friday night, and one on the Saturday morning, from which shO awoke on Saturday night, another , dose on * Saturday night, and possibly another. We say that Saturday night’s dose was" administered by accused.' He had veronal in his possession in large quantities, and he had the opportunity to, give it to her. , We submit that when you. have heard the evidence you will have no difficulty- in finding that he .gave her all the doses." Daughter’s Evidence Elizabeth Patricia Mareo. aged 21, described how she came to Auckland at the request of her father, the acj cused. She did not get on very well with Mrs Mareo. and some weeks before Mrs Mareo’s death witness left. Witness visited the Tenterden avenue house a week after Mrs Mareo died. Witness took the labels off two bottles, and threw the labels away or burnt them. She thought one of the labels had “barbitone” on it. Witness threw the bottles out, too, because - she thought that no one was to purchase veronal, and that the chemists would get into.trouble. Witness remembered Mrs mareo being in, bed,for about three, weeks ion one occasion. She thought Mrs Mared . had been, drinking. ~.Mrs Mareo had a dead set* against, doctors, and when one had been suggested- by < witness, Mrs Mareo , objected, but : would not/give a^efe<m.^w*tnessi said. , she had on. occasions discussed things with 'Mrs' Mareo, .who had-said Stoat • if she ever thought she wasgomg to have', a -baby:*she would ki|l herself. Witness said- this appeared; hector obsession* on-MrS Mareo’s^wrt • Witness had seen Mrs Mareo under I tbe^iriffu^ 1 oj;f,Equ<^pmOrn:>than • once; J \Wl4ness? * had discussed this I. drinking-.with- Miss Ster^., ....Witness £ had seen.; Mrm Mareo ipiguclfc, B state

( . . ’ . ■' 1 . Jt. ’ some brandy.. Witness w«fc commisi vgioned to get it.-,.•' •> ii; • When witness fast met Miss Brownlee. the latter was studying music i|‘ iMth):<witneßs*s.father. ; lee was a pianist in* an orchestra. •Miss' Brownlee v was Very good toihem s all-when she:, visited them. Witness i had.neverseen any sign <tf affection t 'between Miss Brownlee and accused, t |r';rThe bearing was adjourned.