WAS IT MURDER?

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10737, 7 November 1928, Page 9

WAS IT MURDER?

WIFE DIES OF SLOW POISON-

ING. EXTRAORDINARY ALLEGATIONS SYDNEY, Oct. 26. Sydney is still talking about the extraordinary parallel to the recent Gow poisoning case, which was provided this week by the arrest of a young m’an on a charge of murdering his wife. In the Gow case it was claimed by police that Gow’s wife and the young man Trapman had together been responsible lor poisoning the old'man, so that they could be married after his death. And in the most recent case, police allegations are that a man murdered his wife by slowly poosoning her with arsenic, in order that he would be able to marry a young woman with whom he lived while his wife was in hospital, dying. The story was outlined in court on Tuesday, when Allister Jenner Clark, aged 24 years, described as an agent-, was charged with having murdered his wife, Ellen Mary Clark, on October 12. “The dead woman,” said the police prosecutor, “showed every symptom of slow arsenical poisoning,”. Immediately the charge had been read out in court, counsel for accused applied for bail. He pointed out“tha this client had been in custody for more* than- 24 hours, during which he. had no opportunity of obtaining legal advice. .

In opposing bail, the prosecutor said: “I wouffi like to place certain, facts before the Bench. The accused was married in 1925. and soon afterwards an order was made against him for the maintenance of an illegitimate child. His wife, the deceased, was taken ill on July 19, suffering from supposed food poisoning.- She was attended by a local medical man at Stanmore, and when her condition did not improve in 10 days, she was sent to the Coast Hospital. Her health was bad, and she showed symptoms of arsenical poisoning. On Octeber 12 she died, ana Dr. McMasters, assistant medical superintendent of the Coast Hospital, not satisfied with the cause of her death, held a post-mortem examination. j “Portion of the woman’s anatomy was forwarded to the Government Analyst; hut before the result of the analysis was known, the deceased wa3 buried The accused often visited liis wife in the hospital, taking her fruit, cake and chocolates. Her condition in hospital was such that her hands -were paralysed, and her husband used to feed the things he brought her directly into her mouth. On his visits to the hospital he was accompanied by a woman. with whom he lived while his wife was in the institution. While he visited his wife, tlis woman used to wait outside. Eight days aftei his wife died in hospital, accuser was married to the woman witl whom lie had beep living. Two Gov eminent medical officers, -when he

body was exhumed, held a post mortem and established that death was due to slow arsenical poisoning. On these facts the magistrate refused bail. '