ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 August 1928, Page 4

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

CHARGE AGAINST MARRIED

WOMAN

HiHRI HUSBAND’S INVESTIG'ATIONS (By Tetegrapn— Cress Association.} WELLINGTON, July 31. A plea of not guilty to a charge of attempting to murdei- her husband. by poisoning was entered by Marion Koeroin, aged 43, in the Supreme Court today. Airis Kneribin was also charged: tnat, with intent to injure or annoy, she attempted to administer poi-son. Sir William Sim -was the presiding judge. Mr Ala-cossey prosecuted and Ate A. B. Sievwright appeared for the accused. Outlining the case fo-r the Crown, Mr Maeassey said that mi June Koenbin saw his wife interfering with his food which, on being examined by an analyst, was found to contain barium carbonate and powdered glass. The case was reported to the police, who, while secreted in the house, caught accused putting poison in Koerbin’s food. Airs Koenbin made a statement in which she said she had not used powdered glass or oxalic acid. She said she had purchased rat poison from the grocer. The Grown suggested that 'accused wanted- to get rid of her husband; in order to obtain his money. Evidence was given by Koenbin along the fines of the Grown Prosecutor’s address. He was married in 1912, but the marriage was not happy owing to his wife’s complaints that she was not receiving enough money. The' parties separated three times. Witness paid her"£s 2s a week, increased latterly.'to £5 10-s. iShe wanted £IOOO cash to get out of the ho-use.

For some time lie was in the habit of hiavjing his meals alone, his wife cooking them. He suddenly became ill with vomiting, headaches, burning pains in lias stomach, and giddiness, ana after a week in bed lost thirteen pounds in weight. Bi-s suspicions were aroused when, from the dining-room through an open slide, he s-aw his wife, after putting porridge out in a plate for their son, put the- pot on the gas ooioker again and add something to the porridge in the pot. ■Bis suspicions were aroused and he took samples of the food to- be analysed, and it wtas found; to contain barium carbonate. In some tripe was found ground glass. Searching her room he fo-und what was afterwards ascertained to be these substances. He stated that four cats had died after receiving scrapings from the porridge pot, showing the vomiting symptoms experienced by himself. . . Accused’s 'counsel', cross-examining Keen-bin, was frequently interrupted for asking irrelevant questions, the judge holding that Mr Sievwrdght was trying to excuse accused on the ground of her lmsbahd’s alleged bad treatment of her. The case is to be continued to-morroW morning.