MAREO RETRIAL CONTINUED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21802, 6 June 1936, Page 13

MAREO RETRIAL CONTINUED

Charge Of Murder At Auckland

MISS ELEANOR BROWNLEE GIVES EVIDENCE (PStBSS ASSOCIATION TBIBOEAM;) AUCKLAND, June 5. Her association with Eric Mareo in her capacity of secretary was described by Eleanor Brownlee, when the Mareo murder trial entered its fifth day to-day. Mr Justice Callan -presided. The Crown case was conducted by Mr V. R. Meredith. With him was Mr F. McCarthy. The defence was conducted by Mr H. F. O’Leary, K.C., of Weilington, Mr Trevor Henry and Mr K. C. Aekins. Miss Brownlee said that she was pianist in Mareo’s orchestra at the St. James’ Theatre, receiving £2 weekly. For her secretarial work, Mareo paid her 10s a week, and also gave her free lessons in orchestration. On March 28, 1935, Mareo lost his position as conductor of the orchestra, but her work continued on the scenario, “Plume of tho Arawac.” The witness described her last Tenterden avenue visit before Mrs Mareo died. That was in the middle of February, and there was a quarrel between Mareo and his wife that night in the bathroom, resulting in Mrs Mareo and Freda Stark leaving the house. During the incident in the bathroom Mareo was sitting on the floor, and Mrs Mareo was sitting in a corner. She was in a very hysterical condition and seemed to be half drunk. She was -sobbing and calling for Graham. She said that she would not remain in the house with Mareo in that condition. After the others left, witness tried to persuade Mareo to go to bed. When she was acting in a secretarial capacity in the presence of others she called the accused Mr Mareo and he called her Miss Brownlee, but when working alone they used their Christian names. “I did not have a chance to dissuade Mrs Mareo from leaving the house that night,” said witness. “I stayed in the house, spending the night in Thelma’s bedrocm. Mareo slept in the sittingroom, Graham in his own room, and Betty in her room.” Later Mareo wantetj her to apologise, but witness considered that she had done nothing that demanded an apology. However, Mareo was so insistent that witness wrote a letter of apology to Mrs Mareo. She did not go to the house again. She never liked going unless it was absolutely necessary, and did not spend more than five or six nights there. Miss Brownlee said that on the Saturday evening before Mrs Mareo’s death she went to the house and took Mareo for a drive. She' did not remember what had been said, but knew that 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 the Sunday, but believed that she saw Mareo again that day and they went out somewhere, either to see Judge Achoson or to discuss a business letter. On the Monday morning she waited in Balmoral road for Mareo, but he did not come. Graham Mareo instead, and witness went to'the house.

"Mareo was there, and said he wanted to get a doctor for his wife,” witness proceeded. “I saw Mrs Mareo in bed. I stayed a couple of minutes in the room. She was asleep and breathing through her mouth. She had a faint sort of bluish look and was breathing heavily, as if she had a cold in her head. I asked Mareo if there was anything wrong with her, or whether she had been taking anything to make her ill. He said that she had been taking some medicine, and I think he mentioned something about pills. This was about 10.30 a.m. “Graham rang up a doctor, but could not make the people at the other end understand, so I rang again. The doctor was out, and would not be back till 1.30. The doctor was Freda Stark’s doctor, Dr, Murphy. Mareo asked me whether he had better await his return or get another doctor. I suggested Dr. Dreadon, but I didn’t think there was any immediate necessity. Thelma looked to me as I had seen her look on other occasions.” Cross-examined by Mr O’Leary, Miss Brownlee said she was a Master of Arts, with honours in English. When she met Mareo in 1934, she was proceeding with the degree of Bachelor of Music. She was also a pianist, and she could type and write shorthand. Judge Acheson, writer of “Plume of the Arawas,” was very insistent on Mrs Mareo having a leading part in the film. Mareo had a project to get J. C. Williamson, Ltd., to finance “The Duchess of Dantzig” company for an opera tour, Mrs Mareo to be the leading lady. Miss Brownlee said she saw Mrs Mareo frequently at the theatre, and there was rib difference in their relationships. She would not class herself at any time as a friend of Mrs Mareo. It did not occur to her jn the Monday morning that Mrs Mareo was desperately ill. It was Mareo who had suggested that a doctor bo called. There had been no improper relations between herself and Mareo. Medical Evidence Dr. John Dreadon said he found Mrs Mareo deeply unconscious and obviously very seriously ill. Her skin had a bluish tinge, her lips were purplish, and she was breathing very noisily. He thought these conditions might have obtained for quite a long time. When he saw her, her chances of recovery were practically nil. Mareo told him he did not know what she had taken, but he produced two tablets from his pocket, and said he thought she had taken some similar td them.

“None of the drugs taken to destroy pregnancy, taken in average doses, would produce the condition she was in,” Dr. Deardon said, “I suspected lhat she had had an overdose of veronal. Her condition indicated a large dose. I mentioned to Mareo that it looked like veronal poisoning. I asked him whether she was in the habit of taking ‘dope’ of any sort, and he said ‘No.’ I then said: I think she has had an overdose of veronal. Have you any in the house?’ He said he had and that he took it himself occasionally for insomnia. I asked him if I could see his supply He left the room and returned with an empty bottle a couple of minutes later. Hq said he was surprised to find it was empty. When he had last seen it, he said, it contained quite a number of tablets.” Questions About Automatism Answering Mr O’Leary, the witness Ciid he had read about automatism in the taking of veronal. That meant that a person under the influence of veronal might get up (while not unconscious, but still under its influence), find a store of veronal, and take all that was available. It meant that such a person might get out of bsd, walk about, and seek out a store of veronal. The witness had not had actual experience of such cases, but he had read of them. Re-examined by Mr Meredith, Dr. Dreadon said persons in such cases would have to have the use of their muscles. He had not studied this automatism fully, he said. Mrs Mareo’s condition was such as to -give a laycdarm as a doctor, cause for The hearing was adjourned