POISON FOR RATS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1930, Page 10

POISON FOR RATS

MIXTURE IN READINESS

A DOSE OF SALTS

(By Tolegi. ph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, 21st May,

Continuing his story in the witness box in his trial for alleged murder of his wife, Arthur Thomas Munn said that he asked Mrs. Stuck to look after the children. She would not agree, but on tho Saturday following his wife's death she came. Ho denied that he told the detectives that he would have "no damn woman about the place." It was necessary for him to have a woman in the house to be fair to the children. Mrs. Stuck had said that she did not think she would ever get married again. He asked her to excuse him from discussing such matters while the inquest was not yet finished. They should not pursue such discussions until at least Christmas. Accused added that the subject of marriage was never mentioned between them. Eegarding the purchase of poison, Munn said it was for rats, and he described how his place was infested with rats. A POISON MIXTURE. "My wife knew all about the poison," ho continued. "She saw me mix it. I told her exactly what, it was, and she saw me put it away in the pantry. I saw it thcro a week or ten days before her illness. It was where I had left it. I first learned that the bottle had gone on the day on which it was found by the detectives in the bedroom." Mr. JSiorthcroft: "Were you surprised to find it gone?" —"Certainly." Munn then described in detail the last illness of Mrs. Munn. On the first morning Mrs. Munn became ill, Tuesday, 4th February, he said that he was alarmed. The doctor said that she must stay in bed, and said: "If you don't stay in bed it may mean six weeks in hospital." "I am positive that was said," he continued, "though I don't credit Dr. Duddirig with saying it seriously. In all probability I jnade the first mention of hospital." ' . : Munn said that the doctor said Mrs. Munn had blood pressure. In describing his wife's illness, Munn said that it was a fairly general condition that his wife would be fairly well during the day, and would become restless and ncEvous toward tho evening. His wife had a good night the night before she died. She asked him that night that he should promise her that he would not let her go to hospital. MORNING OF DEATH. Munn said that his. wife woke him about 7 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, 11th February. She said the children were already up, and Doreen had been crying. When he returned from feeding the fowls lip asked her about the salts. She asked if she would have to have them that > morning, and he said that it was according to doctor's orders. He gave he* half a teaspoonful instead of tho wholo one. He was not able to say if she took the salts. When he took the salts to her she asked if ho, had any orange juice, and he gave her some

in a cup. Shortly after that she called .to. him from the kitchen and asked him to stay with her. He asked '.er why, and told her she seemed all right. She said, "Yes, but I'm afraid I'm going to have a turn," she replied. He stayed with her, and shortly afterwards she started to tremble and had a convulsion that passed quickly. She seemed quite easy. AVhen he said he was going for a doctor she said, "I don't want a doctor." He sent a message to th.c doctor to come at once. When tho doctor came Mrs. Munn started to tremble, and the doctor asked him if" that was how his wife had gone the previous Tuesday. Witness replied "Yes." The doctor drew his attention to the arching of the back, and witness said that ho had not seen that before. After, the doctor had gone Mrs. Munn went to sleep. Later ho went to the doctor's, telling him his pulse seemed to be weakening, and he did not like the look of her. Witness went home ahead of the doctor, and when the doctor arrived he told witness his wife was dead. .' The examination of prisoner was not completed when the Court rose.