RETRIAL OF MAREO

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 146, 5 June 1936, Page 5

RETRIAL OF MAREO

Eleanor Brownlee Describes Visit to House

ROW IN BATHROOM

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, Juno 5. Her association with Mateo in her capacity as secretary was described by Eleanor Brownlee when the retrial of Erio Mareo on a charge of murdering his wife entered the fifth day. Miss Brownlee said she was pianist in Mareo’s orchestra at St. James’s Theatre, receiving £2 a week for her secretartial work. Mareo paid 10/« a week also for free lessons in orchestration. On March 28, 1935, Mareo lost his job as conductor of tho orchestra, but her work continued on tho scenario of “Tho Plume of tho Arawas. ” Witness described her last ivsit to Tenderden Avenue before Mrs. Marco died. That was tho middle of February, and there was a row between Mareo and h's wife that night in the bathroom, resulting io Thclira and lieda Stark having the house. During tho incident in tilt bathroom Ma-eo was sitting c.n the floor in his shirt and underpants. Mrs. Marco was sitting in the corner in a very hysterical condition. She seemed half drunk, and was sobbing and calling for Graham. After tho others left witness tried to persuade Mareo to go to bed. When she was acting in her secretarial capacity in tho presence of others she called tho accused “Mr. Marco,” ho calling her “Miss Brownlee,” but when working alone they used their Christian names.

“I did not have a chance to dissuade Mrs. Mareo from leaving ( tlie house that night,” said witness. “I stayed in the house, spending tho night in Thelma’s bedroom. Mareo slept in the. sitting-room. Graham. was in his own room, and Betty in her room.”

Later Mareo wanted her to apologise, lint witness considered she had done nothing Hint demanded an apology. However, Mareo was so insistent that witness wrote a letter of apology to Mrs. Mareo. She. did not go to the house again. She never liked going unless it was absolutely necessary. She would not have spent more than five or six nights there.