CHARGE OF MURDERING DUNEDIN DOCTOR

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27551, 7 January 1955, Page 10

CHARGE OF MURDERING DUNEDIN DOCTOR

Woman Colleague To Stand Trial EVIDENCE ABOUT SHOOTING IN HOSPITAL (New Zealand Press Association) , DUNEDIN, January 6. Senga Florence Whittingham, aged 27, a house surgeon at the Dunedin Public Hospital, was today committed to the Supreme Court for trial on a charge of murdering John William Saunders, aged 27, resident medical officer at the hospital, on December 12. The evidence against Whittingham was heard in the Magistrate’s Court before Mr J. D. Willis, S.M. The hearing lasted till 9.30 p.m.

At 9.30 a.m., before the hearing began, a queue of 35 or 40 persons extended along the corridor outside the renovated Courtroom.

The public seating accommodation in the Courtroom took its full quota of about 40 persons, some of whom were witnesses. When the Court doors were closed at 10 o’clock, there was a knot of people in the corridor who were unable to gain admission. Others went on their hands and knees outside the door, and attempted to listen through it. The Crown Prosecutor was Mr H. S. Adams. Counsel for Whittingham was Mr A. J. H. Jeavons, who had with him Mr R. J. Gilbert.

When Whittingham entered the Court at 10 ajn., Constable J. B. Fallow, of the Women’s Division of the Police Force, shielded the accused’s face from photographers, with a newsthree other short cases had been heard by the Court,’ SeniorSergeant J. Wilson had to call for silence, among those standing in the corridor. When Whittingham’s name was called at 10.15 a.m., she collapsed while entering the dock. Constable L. Lawrence, a policewoman, and Major J. Hannaford, women’s probation officer and Samaritan officer for the Salvation Army—who had been sitting with Whittingham, and did so through the morning—assisted Whittingham to her feet. Pf- E- F. d’Ath, professor of pathology at the Otago Medical School and a witness in the case, also went to her assistance. She was given a gUss of water, and the Magistrate adjourned the Court for a few minutes. Robert James Armstrong, a Lands and Survey Department surveyor, produced plans of the house surgeons’ quarters at the Dunedin Hospital These, he said, he had prepared after visiting the quarters on December 14 with Detective-Sergeant J. A. MarGeorge Patrick Dwan, a police photographer, said he took .a series of photographs at 2.45 a.m. 'on December 12 at tte house surgeons’ quarters. He later took photographs of the exterior building. The photographs anowed the lavatory rooms, windows, ' ETn/i* 8031 * 8 ’ doorways of the . . Ke ys» Government Analyst -at Dunedin. said clothing that Saunders had worn was brought to him *by the police. The jacket and Harris tweeo, and the trousers grey-green worsted. The shirt wa» of the cotton ■Pwts type- They were all crumpled and heavily stained with Mood. _ The produced details of scrapings taken from a wall above a lavatory in the house surgeons’ The scrapings included fibre* from Saunders’s clothes, he said. An examination showed .punctures in the coat, waistcoat, trousers, and shirt Post-mortem Examination Eric Frederick d’Ath, professor of pathology at the University of Otago, said he conducted a post-mortem examination on Sanuders’s body on December 12. The body was that of a well-built man, 6ft 2in tall. hi the lower part of the body were* characteristic bullet wounds, the witsess5 ess , s H e was the opinion that death had been caused by haemorrhage and shock as a result of a bullet passng through the lower abdomen and severing the lower right artery. The witness produced a bottle of inwb}ch he said could cause death. The bottle had been given to him bv the police. Proper treatment would .ensure a rapid recovery by a person tered Oni lnsulln had been adminis- . whole of the contents of the ' 1 bottle, in the absence of proper treat?2 nt ’ d x? rove fata1 ’ 331(1 the wit- . ness. Half the contents would probably prove fatal.

d’Ath also produced a plastic hypodermic syringe which, he aald, could be used for taking insulin from the bottle. Saunders would have been in an Upright position when the bullet traversed his body in a horizontal direction, he said. The rifle would have had to have been held on a horizontal plane, on the level of the lower abdomen. Report on Rifle Sergeant W. A. T. McGuire, of Welhngton, ballistics jmd arms expert of the New Zealand Police Department, said he received from a Dunedin police officer a short-magazine Lee-Enfield rifle.

A .303 British service rifle, it had been cut to sporting form, and was made up of individual accessory parts, said the witness. The length of the rifle was 44in, and the distance from muzzle to trigger 30£in. Marks on it indicated that the rifle had been sold from a Government source. '

The trigger generally had two distinct pulls, the first being light, of 21b, which was automatically taken, up when the finger was put on the trigger, said Sergeant McGuire. After the first pressure had been taken up, a second pressure of s|lb was needed to fire the rifle.

Sergeant McGuire said that in this particular rifle the finger pressure was less than sslb, and was in fact 3jlb. There was a cartridge in the breech when he received the rifle, and he also received three unfired .303 cartridges. Marks indicated they were made in 1942.

Cross-examined by Mr Jeavons, Sergeant McGuire said there were three ways of loading the rifle. Sergeant McGuire produced the rifle and demonstrated for Mr Jeavons the methods of loading and firing it. In considering unusual modes of dis-' charges, he was thinking of a possible blow on the butt plate when the first pressure was. all gone, and there was some advancement on to the second pressure, said the witness. Rifle' Sold to Accused > Bruce Allan Crosland, a sawmaker said that . before February, 1954, he owned a JQ3 rifle. He decided to sell ■it. and the only reply received to an advertisement one from a doctor, whom he now knew as Whittingham. After a telephone call, he took the weapon to the Queen Mary Hospital, where Whittingham was waiting for him on the steps. ®Se/ witness said Whittingham did not? appear to know much about the rifle, afid only . touched it. She said it Was for' her brother. He told her time had been work on the stock. and-4hat he also had 100 rounds of ammituitjon for sale. <S*osland said the rifle was paid for b^yhittingham oh another occasion. wMt they had gone to the Central

Police Station with the registration papers. She also bought 20 rounds of ammunition. Whittingham asked him to make sure there' was nothing in the rifle. The safety catch was on, but he was not sure of * the position of the cocking piece. Cross-examined by Mr Jeavons, Crosland said Whittingham had not told him for what purpose the brother would require the rifle. Constable Vernard ’Emanuel Joblin, arms officer at the Central Police Station, Dunedin, said a permit to procure a rifle was issued to Whittingham on February 19, 1954. Records showed that the rifle was first purchased from Burnham Camp by the University Defence Rifle Club. Mabel Sinclair Walden, a married woman,'of Havelock street, Riverton, said she had known Whittingham since her schooldays, and her parents for 18 , years - When she first knew wnittjngham, the accused was attendPublic school, and was in the Girl Guides.

The witness explained that she was a guide captain, and* a commissioner for Western Southland. Whittingham’s mother had been secretary-treasurer of the guides for 12 years. Mrs Walden said that during this time, she closely associated with the family. Whittingham was the only child in the family. Party at Flat •

Arthur David Gillman, a surgical > registrar at the Dunedin Public Hospi- . tai till the end of 1954, said he had , known Saunders for three years, and the accused for one year. He was ; aware that they had been engaged some tim& in 1953. Saunders w’as . known as “Bill.” : Whittingham and Saunders would , have frequent contact in the course ■ of their respective duties, but to his j knowledge they would have little contact -outside, their professional duties, said the witness. Gillman «aid that on Saturday, December attended a pasty for nurses, house surgeons, and others at a. flat in George street. He did not remember the name of the owner of the flat, but among those present were a Mr and Mrs Leus, Zoe Kearney. Dr. Perry, Mr John Walden, Nurse Griffin, Dr. Lockhart, Mr and Miss Boardman, and Miss Walker. Saunders was also there, but the witness did not know where Whittingham was. After-some time, they decided to return to the house surgeons’ quarters, and he left with Miss Boardman, Gillman said. After taking his partner to the sitting room at the quarters, he left to bring some equipment from his car. He,took it to his room. and while there, heard a loud report, followed by shouts and screams from upstairs. The witness said he ran upstairs, and found Saunders and Whittingham lying on the floor at the entrance to the vestibule which gave access to the convenience Saunders was lying on his right side, with his head on the doorstep, and Whittingham was on her left side, facing him. * He formed the impression that the .W»s trying to get closer to Saunders, but was not able to do so because his arms and his. knees had been brought up, said Gfllman. The rifle was lying on the floor, and he thought it might have been under either Saunders or Whittingham. Wound Examined He stepped between them and pulled Whittingham away, so that he could examine Saunders, Gillmah said. Fouf or five other persons had arrived before he did. He briefly examined a wound in Saunders’s abdomen. Saunders had been unconscious when he arrived, and looked shocked. Dr. Perry remained with Saunders While the witness went to telephone for emergency treatment. He also, telephoned the police. , I Gillman said he back, put Saunders on a stretcher, and had him carried to the casualty department. While they were going through a door, it was necessary to turn the stretcher. Saunders slipped from the stretcher and fell to the asphalt path. In reply to a question. Gillman said he knew a nurse named Elizabeth East, who was known as “Liz.” He knew she was one of Whittingham’s personal friends.

Derek John Perry, assistant lecturer in pathology at the University of Otago, and pathologist at the Dunedin Hospital, said he lived in the house surgeons’ quarters. On the evening of Saturday, December 11, he attended a party at the home of Miss Elliott in George street Most of the other guests were members of the hospital staff. The party continued until about midnight. Shortly after midnight, said Perry, he returned to the hospital. He took, with him in his car Miss Griffin, Miss Walker, and Dr. Lockhart. They entered the hospital at Cumberland street by what, was known as thefire escape, and immediately entered the house surgeons’ lounge. “Sound Like Shot” Five minutes, later/ fle went into the ' passage to ring the telephoneoperator and to say that he Wa® home, said Perry. While he was here, he heard a sound like a shot. His first reaction was to take little notice of it. He thought the house surgeons were perhaps letting off fireworks. Somebody

—he thought it was Mr Leus—came and told; him to come quickly. •

Perry said he then went to the scene of the shooting. “There were several people between Saunders and myself,” said Perry. “I do not recall who they were. Saunders was lying on his right side, with his head in the doorway. A woman whom I now know to be Whittingham. was lying on her left side, about 18in from, Saunders. As far as I can recall, she was lying fairly straight, with her arms towards him.” Dr. Gillman removed Whittingham said Perry. They turned Saunders on his back, and found the abdominal wound. He took a pulse from the neck. It was extremely faint and rapid. Saunders’s condition was deteriorating rapidly. Perry said the wound was on the

right side of the lower abdomen. From examination at the time, it must have been IJin in diameter, with the bowel protruding from it. There was very little blood. He did not notice the weapon. - He remained with Saunders while Dr. Gillman went to the telephone, said the witness. By this time, in about a minute, Saunders’s condition had gone from serious to almost moribund. It could easily be nothing could save him.

Later he went to the casualty department and saw Saunders's body, said Perry. Life was extinct. The witness returned to the house surgeons’ quarters with Sergeant FarquharConversation With Accused . Brian Thomas McMahon, a relieving house surgeon at the Dunedin Hospital, said he was on duty on the night of Saturday. December 11. He returned to his residential quarters between 11.45 p.m. and midnight. ' A little later, he went into the sitting room. He saw there Saunders, Misses Walker, Kearney, and Boardman, Mrs Leus, and Dr. Lockhart. He did not recall any others. “I heard a loud report,” said McMahon. “Saunders had left the sitting room. I did not know where he had gone. Within a few seconds, the report was followed by screams.” The witness said he did not immediately take any notice- It then became evident that something had happened. He moved into the passage, took a quick look, realised- something serious had happened, and endeavoured to quieten the women. He moved back into the sitting room immediately. “I caught a glimpse of Saunders through people clustered around him,” said McMahon. “He was lying in the vestibule. The accused was brought into the sitting room later, and she sat down on a couch. I sat beside her. She seemed very calm. * “She asked me was he dead,” said the . witness. “I said I did not know. She said, ‘He is.’ I made no comment “She said, "This is the first time I have felt peace for a year. Life has been hell. J loved him so.’ "She said she did not mean to do it; she only meant to frighten him,” said McMahon. “She spoke about her mother- She wqs most concerned about upsetting her family. She said would I see her mother.

“I said I would. I received a rolledup piece of paper, which I put in my pocket. She brought out a handful — I do not know how many—of .303 bullets. I said, ‘You had better keep those.’ She put them back in her pocket. “I remained with the accused until the police arrived,” said McMahon. “Next morning, I opened the roll of paper. I found a plastic syringe and small needle. I took it straight to the police station in an endeavour to get rid of it.” Saunders Taken From Passage John David Reid Morgan, a bacteriologist employed by the University of Otago, said that on the evening of December 11 he attended a party at Miss Elliott’s in George “Saunders was there,” said witness. “I left the party shortly after 12 o’clock. I was in Saunders’s car, but my father came along and said to give him a ride home. I was to return. I did that. I went straight up the stairs to the main sitting room to the house surgeons’ quarters. “Everyone looked very white,” said Morgan. “I said, ‘What's wrong’ They said, ‘lt’s Bill out in the corridor.’” . Morgan said he went out and had a look. Several persons were standin" there, and Saunders was lying on the floor. His head was lying on the steps of the vestibule leading into the convenience. The witness could riot say what Saunders’s condition was then. “Later two porters arrived with a stretcher,” said Morgan, “and I helped to carry the stretcher over to the casualty department.” The witness returned with Mr Leus to the sitting room. Sergeant Farquhar was standing by the fire escape door. Whittingham, accompanied by Dr. McMahon, came out of the sitting room. “While standing at* the door with Dr. McMahon, she fainted,” said Morgan. “Dr. McMahon and I picked her up and stood supporting her.” Sergeant Farquhar asked whether someone would accompany him and Whittingham to the police station. The witness complied with the request. He went down to the police car at the ramp. “Whittingham spoke to me, and I asked her if she wanted a cigarette,” said the witness. “She replied. ‘Next to Bill,'l want my mother.’ Nothing else was said at that time, or on the way to the station. “Sergeant Farquhar asked her going towards the police car if she had anything to drink during the day. She said that she had not. Whittingham was very pale, but very calm.” . Evidence by Saunders’s Mother Jo Evelyn Saunders, of Christchurch, the mother of John William Saunders, said her son came home from Dunedin with Whittingham in June, 1953. She talked with them, and was told that they wanted to get married straight away, because Whittingham was expecting a child. The witness said she asked them whether they were quite sure they wanted to get married. If they did not, they should not make a second mistake, and she would adopt the .child; She also told them they could have all the furniture they wanted, and that everything she had would be theirs. She heard from her son a little later, said Mrs Saunders. He told her that there "had been a miscalculation, and that they need not get married right away and could wait until Whittingham’s examinations had finished. The next information she received was from Whittingham, who told her she was heartbroken because her son wanted to break off the en- 4 gagement. Whittingham suggested that she should come to see Mrs Saunders, or that Mrs Saunders should go to Dunedin.

Whittingham telephoned several times, said Mrs Saunders, so she finally asked “Billy” (her son) what to do. He left it to her. Whittingham went to Christchurch before Easter last year. The witness said she told Whit-

tingham riot to tell her anything that was not nice about Bill, because if it was not nice, she did not want to hear it. She and her sons had meant a lot to one another. She offered to help Whittingham in any way she could. Whittingham asked her to plead with Bill to marry her, said Mrs Saunders. She told the accused she could not make the boys do what they did not want to do, even for herself, . and. certainly not for Whittingham.

The witness said the accused becariie upset, and threw herself at her feet. She could not remember what was said, but it all seemed to be very theatrical. Whittingham had a cup of tea, and was mote composed. Threat by Accused

As Whittingham was leaving, she told the witness that she had a gun and that she would shoot Bill, said Mrs Saunders. The accused said that if she could not have him, no-one would* They went back to the lounge, and examined some pistols which her son had. The witness and another son. drove Whittingham to her boardinghouse.

Mrs Saunders said that that was the last time she .bad seen Whittingham before today. She wrote and told Bill about the threat, but he replied that he could look after himself. She heard quite a lot from Whittingham, said Mrs Saunders. On one occasion, the accused wrote saying that she was ill, and asking her to come to Dunedin. She also wrote thanking the witness for allowing her to go to Christchurch.

Some of the letters written by the accused were produced. Mrs Saunders said she did not reply to any of them. A letter which the witness found in her son’s suit was also produced. Mr Jeavons at this stage lodged a formal objection to the production of the letters, and said that he would like to examine them later. .He also objected to the evidence of statements made by the accused to Mrs Saundets. Telephone Calls to Nurse

Frances Olga Zoe Kearney, a senior student nurse at the Dunedin Hospital, said that she had gone out quite regularly with Saunders since June. 1954. On December 11, a pre-wedding party hati been organised for one of the nurses. The party was also for the purpose of congratulating Saunders on gaining his M.D. It was at the pome ot Miss Elliott in George street, and Saunders was to call for the witness at 8 p.m.

At 6.20 p.m. she received a call from a person who said that she was interested to know whether the witness was going out with Saunders that night, said Miss Kearney. When asked who was speaking replied that it was “the mother of Bill’s child.” The witness said she then realised that it was Whittingham, and the caller admitted her identity when challenged. The witness told Whittingham that Saunders had not discussed his affair with the accused, and that she (Miss Kearney) did not want to hear about it. She told the caller that she was making a fool of herself, and that there was no point in continuing the conversation.

She went to telephone Saunders, said Miss Kearney, and received another call from Whittingham, who said that she had telephoned to apologise. The accused claimed that she had telephoned Saunders, who had told her what a “stinking thing” she had done. Whittingham said that what she really wanted was to ask Miss Kearney to go to see her.

Miss Kearney said that Whittingham then added: “You must come and see me. I’ can prove I am the mother of Bill’s child.” Whittingham asked Miss Kearney whether she wanted to see it. The witness said that she did not realise what Whittingham was talking about at the stage. When told that Miss Kearney was still going out with Saunders, Whittingham told her that she would be sorry, and again asked Miss Kearney to come to see her. The witness said she agreed to go, but before she did, Saunders telephoned, and she decided not to go. * She met Saunders at 7.30 p.m., and arrived at the party at 9.30 p.m., said Miss Kearney. She left again before midnight. They returned to the house surgeons’ quarters, and went to the sitting room: Miss Kearney said she was dancing with Mr Leus, and Saunders went out of the room. There was a loud explosion, and there were screams. She went out to the vestibule, and smelt gunpowder. Saunders was lying almost on his knees, facing her, and the accused had her arms around him, said the witness. She went back down the corridor, and said: “It’s Senga Whittingham. She’s shot Bill. I knew she would do something like this.” Saunders Lying in Vestibule Continuing her evidence When the Court resumed at 7.20 p.m. after ah adjournment, Miss Kearney said Saunders was lying on his right side at the doorway into the vestibule, with his head on the doorstep. Whittingham was lying on her left side, fairly close to Saunders.

She thought that she (Miss Kearney) went into the billiards room on the other side of the corridor, said the witness. She s'tayed there for a few moments,, and then went back with Mrs Leus into the sitting room. Miss Kearney said she told Saunders of the telephone conversations with the accused, including’the parts about being sorry. • She had known a nurse named Elizabeth East for several months, since she came to the hospital fronvOamaru, said the witness. She was a. staff nurse in the Dunedin Hospital, and she (Miss Kearney) was working in the same ward as Miss East on two occasmns; Miss East was commonly called Miss Kearney said she remembered an occasion: when Nurse East had been in Whittingham’s quarters. She thought ihey were very friendly. Nurse East, now employed at a maternity hospital in Blenheim, had written to her since Tecember 12, said the witness. Beryl Ann Ilearney, a student nurse at the Dunedin Hospital, living at the nurses’ home, said that on the evening

of December 11, she answered a telephone call at the nurses’ home between 8 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. . When Mr Adams was leading further evidence, Mr Gilbert objected, and the evidence was rilled to be inadmissible. . ■,?

Constable Jean Bernadette Fallon said she was called 1 ori duty on Siinday, December 12, shortly before 1 a.m.

“When 11 arrived at the senior-ser-geants* office I found the- accused in company with Sergeant Fell,” said the witi ess. “I remained in the seniorsergeants’ office with the accused, and Sergeant Fell until 2 a.m. I then accompanied the accused ,to 'the sub-in-spector’s office, where she was interviewed and her statement obtained by Detective-Sergeants Marshall and Lahmert.

Insulin Surrendered “When the accused was arrested at 4.10 a.m., I took her to the female quarters, wheve I informed her I was about to search her,” said Constable Fallon. “She then handed me a small Lottie of insulin. I asked her what was in ’the bottle, and she told- me it was insulin. - hich she had been taking to assist ] er appetite.”

Constable Fallon said Whittingham was wearing a loose-fitting black coat, and she had very wide, loose sleeves. She had two pockets on either side of her coat.

When she first saw Whittingham, said Constable Fallon, she looked exhausted. While the statement was being taken, she seemed to remember quite clearly - jhat had happened. “I was of the opinion that she did not realise the seriousness of what had happened,” concluded Constable Fallon. . • . -

Sergeant John David Farquhar* of Dunedin, said that in reply to a telephone message received at the •«Central Police Station at 12.29 ajn. on Sunday, December 12, he went'to the casualty department of the Dunedin Hospital. He saw the body of Saunders, who was known to him. The witness had arrived at :the hospital within five minutes of receiving the telephone message. As a result of what he was told by Dr. Perry, he was taken to the upstairs quarters of the house surgeons’ house, said Sergeant Farquhar. He was taken to the Cumberland street

frontage, where he ■ saw a group of men and women standing in the passageway. He saw a .303 rifle leaning against a doorway. He took possession of the rifle. Talk With Accused After detailing his inspection of th® lavatory and bathroom, the witness said he then went into the sitting room. “On walking into the sitting room, I noticed the accused sitting on a chesterfield z with Dr. McMahon,” he said. “I went over and sat on the arm of the chesterfield. I then asked her if she could assist me with any information about Saunders’s death.

“The accused then asked me, ‘ls he dead?’ ” said Sergeant Farquhar. “ ‘Yes, Dr. Saunders is dead,’ I replied. She then said, ‘I feel sorry for poor Bill. I don’t know what made me do it. I know what I did.’

. “The accused then put her hand into her coat pocket, and took out three

rounds of live .303 ammunition and handed it to 1 me, saying: ‘You had better take these from me.’ I then informed the accused that she Was not obliged to say anything to me about the matter at present, unless she desired to do so. She then said, ‘Yes, I will tell you all about it.’

“I told her I would ’like to search her coat pockets to which she agreed, saying, ‘You won’t find anything else,’ ” said Sergeant Farquhar. “I made a search, but found nothing. I said to her, ‘What were you going to tell me?’ “She then said, ‘There is not much. I did it to Bill.’ I asked her would she show me where, and how it happened, to which she agreed, saying, ‘I will show you.’ “Wheri we arrived at the rooms outside the toilet, the accused said nothing,” said the witness. “I asked the accused could she tell me what made the hole in the plaster wall. She said, ‘I did it. Bill was standing there with his back towards me, and I only meant to give him a fright. Poor Bill; I don’t know what made me do it.’ “The accused arid I then started to return to the door leading oUt oh to the balcony. When I asked her where she got the gun from, she replied, ‘lt’s mine.’ I asked her did she put a bullet in the gun. She replied, ‘Yes, I did.’ I asked her, did she pull the trigger. She replied, ‘Yes, I did.’ •7 asked her how many rounds of ammunition she had. She replied, Four.’ I asked her if she had been drinking that d*y. She replied, ‘No, I have had no drink today.’ - “No Rew Witt Bill”

“I artea her,, if ,he had had a row with Dr. Saunders that day,” said .Sergeant Farquhar. ‘She replied, ‘No, I have had no row with Sill today.’ The accused and I then started to walk along the passage towards the sitting room, when she stopped and said, ‘You know I did love Bill very much. I don’t know what made me do it. Poor BUI.’ “I then informed her that she had committed a serious offence, for which she would probably be later charged, and that she would have to accompany me to the police station,” said the witness. “She replied, ‘Yes, I understand. “I said again she was not obliged to say anything further unless she decided to do so. She replied, ‘You J' 1 ”™'ail there is to know, and I don’t feel like saying any more.’ ” Sergeant Farquhar said he left Whittingham at the sitting room -door with the previous witness Morgan and others while he Went out of the room to get his helmet. He had moved only a few paces when he heard a noise, and, looking round, saw she had collapsed on the floor. She was immediately assisted to her feet by Morgan and others. She appeared to recover at once.

The accused, Morgan, arid he then went to the main, entrance of the hospital, where the police car was Sergeant Farquhar said. He left Whittingham in the senior-

sergeants’; office while he returned immediately to the hospital, j “Throughout my conversation with the accused, she appeared to be in full possession of her faculties, was composed, and spoke naturally,” said the witness. He was present at the accused’s quarters at the Queen Mary Hospital shortly after 5- a.m. on December 12, when he took possession of a letter and other writing material which he found lying on a shelf on the south side of the fireplace. The letter and pad were produced as exhibits.

At the end of Sergeant Farquhar’s evidence, Mr Jeavons lodged a formal objection to the method of questioning after Whittingham had been warneji. Detective-Sergeant J. A. Marshall said that, in company with DetectiveSergeant A. J. Lahmert, he interviewed Whittingham in the subinspectbr’s office at the Central Police Station at 2 o’clock pn the morning of December 12. Whittingham said she had just returned from Balclutha and heard that Saunders was going out on the Saturday night with a girl whom she did not wish to name. After making a verbal statements Whittingham agreed to have it taken down in writing.

Statement By Accused VZhittingham’s statement was as follows:

“I am a single woman, and I am a house surgeon on the staff of the Dunedin Public Hospital. I reside at the Queen Mary Hospital. “I am being interviewed by the police concerning the events which led to the death of Dr. J. W. Saunders at the Dunedin Public Hospital about midnight on Saturday, December 1 11. I have been informed that I am not obliged to make a. statement concerning this matter, and that what I now say may be taken down and used in evidence.

“I wish to state that I have known Dr- Saundera jtor about two years. I became engaged to be married to Dr. Saunders, if I remember rightly, about May. 1953, and the engagement was broken off, against my wishes, about September, 1953. I have since been fairly closely associated socially ✓ with Dr. Saunders. I have remained deeply attached to Dr. Saunders. “On Friday, December 10. Dr. Saunders, when in conversation, told me that he was going out on Saturday evening. I knew that he would be going out with another female person whom I do not wish to name. Consequently, early in the evening of December 11, I telephoned that person, when she confirmed that she and Dr. Saunders were going out together. Following this, I went out and tried to find Dr. Saunders and his partner, but was Unable to' locate them. “I returned to my room about 10 p.m., and spent some time there. During this time, I went' across to the nouse surgeons’ quarters twice. Cta my second visit, Dr. Saunders came

ln ' bat broom when I SSh voices of a party of males K 15 ,nal f B <J et^ r a in < to the home - I looked, out the bathroom window and B P Is an £ beard his voice. I did not wait for them to come up, but to the Q’ ucen Mary Hospital and to my room. I formed the ° f getting a 3 °3 rifle which W room, and frightening hiin with it. My things had -been packed away, and the rjfle was in a itnlS? clothes cupboard where I had stored my effects. 1 -I 1 ye? l to this cupboard and unand took out the riflealso took °Ui a case ’ an <i took it to mv ’J 161 '® J opened the case a™d took out a chocolate box in which I amihunition for the rifle I turned “''to'’ ro, J nds ’ and ‘hen requarters. the house surgeons’

The rifle was one I had boueht about a year ago. Bill and I used togo shooting together, and he had a shotthe' rifl J bough . t a rifl e- I had u«d the, rifle on only .one occasion, and Ind* h' aS Wh?n 1 went out with Bill the me r l ome instruction in ’t- J.had intended using r '^ e ,? r wallaby shooting, but had not actually done so. “On reaching the house surgeons’ quarters, I entered' up a fire escane on the Cumberland street frontage There is a door at the top of the fire escape which leads to a passage It ' , lnside this do °r that I put of the d rifle ammUnit ‘ On into the br€ “ h

... U ‘' To * l ®t Full Of Smoke” I heard voices in the sitting room ? nd was moving in that direction when lnto e tifo h=to e ° ne aoming ’ and backed .?»?JLX? atb K2£ m ’ said tb ® accused's There, was no light in thS b ? a J d looking out, I saw the t »iJn«^s Dr ' Sa " nd ®rs going past to but h?TS'T u 1 ca,led out to him. but he did not hear me. I followed Th? Sa 7.„ h “? .1°. lnto the toil*tof the.toilet was open, and 1 spolce to him. “I « not remember ifrhat I said ? e loo ? ed round and I showed him the rifle. I was sure I had it pointing down towards the floor. thL" I S.nJ? ext th J n £ Lknew was that the toilet was full ot smoke, and he was coming out the ddor towards me He grasped me round the neck, and fell to the floor together. “I had not intended to do anything more than frighten him with the gun. A ? I wanted was foY us-to be happy. There was no-one else there when it happened, but the Others came almost immeefiately. The rounds of ammunition I gave to the police sergeant was the rest of what I took from my room. °He had turned his head when I qpoke to him, and looked out at me dyer his shoulder. I think he still had ms back ,to. me when the rifle Went off. \

“I cannot remember what I said to him in the toilet He replied, and there was some further conversation, but I cannot remember it, either. After the rifle went off. he turned round and came towards me, talking all the time, but I cannot remember what he After he grasped me, we went down the passage to near the door that leads to the porch, and it was there we fell. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Gillman came and picked me up. “Then I got frightened, and went

into the toilet, locking the door after me. I stayed there for some time, until someone called-out to me to open the* door. I unlocked the door and came out. Bill was lying on the floor, and I could see that he was unconscious. * _ “The rifle now in the possession of the police is the one I had. with me, and is my property. , . “I have read this statement, which I make voluntarily. The statement sets out to the best of my recollection the events of last night and this morning. The statement was signed by Whittingham and dated December 12. Ammunition Seized Detective-Sergeant Marshall said that, with Detective-Sergeant Lahmert and Sergeant Farquhar, he visited the house surgeons’ quarters at 4.40 a.m. on December 12. Shortly after 5 a.m., they took possession of a suitcase from the accused’s room. This contained a box with 16 rounds of .303 ammunition in it.

The witness said he was present When a letter which had been taken from Whittingham’s room was shown to her on December 20. She acknowledged that she had written it. At 4.10 a.m. on December 12, the witness told Whittingham that he had been instructed to arrest her and charge her • with the murder of Saunders. Whittingham, immediately burst into tears, and said: “I didn’t kill

him. I love him. It wasn’t murder.” She had nothing else to say. Detective-Sergeant A. J. Lahmert corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. The taking of the evidence was completed at 9.25 p.m’. The Magistrate then committed Whittingham for trial at the February sessions of the Supreme Court. An inquest into Saunders’s death will be held