ANALYSTS' EVIDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 11

ANALYSTS' EVIDENCE

NATURE OF STRYCHNINE

POST-MORTEM EESULTS

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, 16th May

I Giving evidence in tho Supremo Court at the trial of Arthur Thomas Munn, alleged to have poisoned his wife, Kenneth Massey Griffin, Government Analyst at Auckland, described the method of analysis adopted by him to extract poison from tissues of organs given him to test. Mr. Northcroft: "What other test did you apply?" Witness: "The taste of strychnine in the residue." "It is characteristic?" —"Yes, it is very characteristic, and most extraordinarily bitter." "If strychnine were used in salts, inasmuch as they are both bitter, the draught may, be taken without the_ strychnine being detected, but if tho draught has passed to tho back of the throat, then the bitterness is distinct from the bitterness of salts and immediately noticeable?" —"Yes." x Mr. Northcote pointed out that his cross-examination was important, as the question of salts and strychnine being taken in confusion was mentioned by the Crown Prosecutor. Mr. Northcroft: "The reason that strychnine is considered by experts suitable for criminal poisoning is that one draught can bo got down before the subject is warned?" • Witness: "That is the effect of it." William Donovan, Dominion Analyst, of Wellington, said that on 2nd April he received from Griffin a sealed glass jar containing the balance of articles submitted to him by Dr. Murray. He conducted a test for strychnine. In the test strychnine deflnitedy crystallised in' one of the forms known. He could confidently say from these tests that the residue was strychnine. PERIOD OF THE POISON. A post-mortem examination which he had carried out on the body of Mrs. Munn on 13th February was described by Dr. D. N. W. Murray, of Auckland. Mr. Meredith: "I understand the examination of the organs indicated nothing that would cause death?" Witness: "There was no evidence of disease or of injury such as would cause death?" ■ ■ . ■ • "There was no sign of miscarriage and no sign of pregnancy; there was no doubt about,that?" —"None at all." Witness said ho subsequently heard that the Government Analyst had recovered strychnine from parts of the body. He had heard what Dr. Dudding and the women neighbours had said about Mrs. Munn's condition. Mr. Meredith: "Taking that with your own observation and the analyst's report, what, in your opinion, is the cause of death V —"Strychnine poisoning." • "Any doubt about it?"—" No." "Will you give an opinion as to when the poison that actually caused death was given?"—"l should say within ten hours of death." Witness said' a demonstration given by Mrs. Gill on a chair was consistent with a strychnine convulsion, and tho condition on the Tuesday morning .described by Dr. Dudding was also, a strychnine convulsion. Convulsions on the 11th and on the 4th could not emanate from the one dose of strychnine, because it was rapidly eliminated by the kidneys. If she did not die of the doso she would make a complete recovery in a few hours; authorities .were clear on that. The strychnine found in fluid from tho body must have been taken within two hours. Witness said he was definitely of the opinion that there wero separate doses of strychnine on the 4th and 11th. MORE THAN TWO DOSES. Mr. Meredith: "In your opinion, h#d Mrs. Munn had more than two doses of strychnine?"—" Yes." • ■ "What makes you say that?"—" Because on the sth she was scon by Mrs. Gill and Mrs. Brown, when she was afraid to be touched and was twitching. The same evening, it was stated, her nerves were twitching. On the 7th she ;was very ill, nervous, and Switching and unable to get out of bed. Again, on the.loth, the statement was made that when a broom fell on the back verandah Mrs. Munn nearly jumped but'of, bed." "Would you expect those conditions to have existed if no strychnine had been given after the 4th?" —"No." Witnoss. .thought that on the Friday Mrs.' Munn was in & state of exhaustion following on a convulsion. Witness said there was nothing in the post mortem to suggest blood pressure. Mr. Northcroft: "At what period after tha taking of strychnine would you expect blood pressure to return to normal?"—"I would not say." ' Witness said he could not draw any conclusion from tho circumstances that Dr. Dudding found blood-pressure high on two separate occasions. He would not in this case expect any cumulative effect of strychnine. . At the close of the cross-examination of Dr. Murray the Court adjourned until to-morrow.