A STRANGE CASE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1060, 24 February 1911, Page 5

A STRANGE CASE.

PRISONER THE MAINS'W OF-THE FAMILY. ■Tho caso has excited much interest in Melbourne, and.is-a mast unusual oue. Olivo Hoodie, aged 28 years,, was arrested on November 29 on tho charge of having wilfully murdered her mother, Elizabeth Moodio, between November 12 and 23. After the death of : her h&band at Avoaa five years,ago, Mrs.'Moodie, her four daughters, and her son .'went to livo at l'unt lioad. Prahran,' where Mrs. Moodio kept,, a . bßardinghousc.-:, Olive obtained employment ■ at •a' whitieworker's shop, aud, being a businesslike and thrifty woman, in December last found herself able to purchase the business. Tho banrdingljouso did not nay, and at Olivo's suggestion was disposed of. Two of her sisters, 'Annie and A|mn, joined her in the business, and from its proceeds the whole family lived. ' On Saturday, November 12, the family lunched at tho. shop with Olive, eating siimo tinned tonsuo aud • cucumber. At the theatro in tlie evening Mrs. Moodie and her daughter Lily, aged fourteen, ' were seized with violent headaches, aud on returning home the mother became- very ill, and began to vomit. The sisters Annie and Alma also became ill in the evening in the samo way. On tho Tuesday Dr. Altmann was called'in to attend Mrs. Moodie, and next day Annie and Alma, who had temporarily recovered, becaino ill again, and their medical attendant. Dr. Tucker, was called in. On tho Thursday. Annio suddenly collapsed and died. Alma was'then removed to tho Alfred Hospital, whore, sho died on the following Saturday, At the inquests gastritis' )ras given as tho causo of death in both cases. i On Monday, November 21. Mrs. Moodio was declared, to bo out of danger by Dr. Altmann. At I o'clock the next afternoon he was called in and found his patient in a very, bad state. Sho sank rapidly, and died at lialf-past soven tho same evening. Olivo had been tho, solo nurse of her mother aud sisters in their private dwellings; and also visited her sister in Alfred Hospital. Those who saw her formed the opinion (hat she was much affected b.v tho serious illness of tho members of the family. ' Tho circumstances of' Mrs, : Moodie's sudden attack wero so extraordinary that Dr. Altmann railed in Dr. Wilkinson in ! consultation.A post-mortem and subsequent analytical examination showed that arsenic had 'been swallowed. The police were communicated with, and it was ascertained that the accused woman had purchased arsenic. The bodies of tho two sisters were exhumed, and in each ease oonsiderablo quantities of arsonio were found in the intestines. Tho police in January also .decided to. exhume the body of the father, Stephen Moodie, who died suddenly fivo years ago. .