NEARING THE END

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 156, 17 June 1936, Page 7

NEARING THE END

Retrial of Eric Marco On Murder Charge PROSECUTOR’S ADDRESS (By loletfrapli—Press Assuvialiuii.) AUCKLAND, Juuu 17. Lengthy queues of mon and women awaited tho opening of the court doors when the Mareo rolriul entered what is expected to bo the lust day. Mr Meredith, resuming his address, said that the case was clearly one of veronal poisoning. If Mrs Mareo took it herself it was either suicide or misadventure. If on the other hand it was administered intentionally by someone else then tho act involved that person in the crime of murder, The Marco’s bud been married only 18 months and tho bride had £5OO, of which her husband had dissipated £lOO. It was idle to say it was a happy marriage. Three bitter quarrels were known of. There was the occasion wneu Mareo came heme from Dixieland drunk. After indulgence in liquor restraint was lifted and the real state of mind indicated. Mareo abused his wife that night and she replied that she would go out into the street if he would give tier buck her £5OO. Then there was tho mental altitude of the accused on the night lie was driven home in a drunken condition by Eleanor Brownlee. It was clear that Miss Brownlee came that night with the intention of stopping, for she was equipped with her pyjamas, She must have come at Mareo’s invitation, Later Mareo, iu a semi-dressed condition, had ordered his wife out and said “Eleanor will look after me.’’ Then there was Mareo’s accusation against his wife of perversion. By this time he had BO social relations w'ith his wife, who had been entirely supplanted by Miss Brownlee, MORBID LETTER. Mr Meredith referred to Mrs Mareo's brightness with Freda Stark on the Friday night and tho request to come early next day. That was a picture of Mrs Mareo, but what of Mareo? Counsel then outlined tho incident of the writing and handing of the morbid letter to Betty concerning her parentage. Mr Meredith described at length the incidents of the fatal week-end, and, touching on the incident of the giving of milk, said that Dr. Giesen agreed that Mareo’s subsequent sleepiness, together with the fact that he could not bo roused, was consistent with Mareo having had a dose of veronal before the time Mrs Mareo was taken to the lavatory. Dr. Giesen had agreed also that the condition of Mrs Mareo wan consistent with a dose of veronal bei’i’ taken just before she went to the lavatory. “Now, gentlemen,’’ said Mr Meredith, “you get this startling position. Just before the milk was prepared they were apparently both free from the influence of veronal. So y,,,, i.ave it tliui at the same time two different people were both showing signs of veronal. If Mrs Mareo got it nt that time she got it only one way—it definitely mi.se have been in the milk. Who hud veronal in his possession at that time* Marco, who was out in tho kitchen preparing tho milk. Taking the evidence that Mareo was going under the in fluence, wnal possiolc i.iierencc can y 0 draw but that when Marco prepared the milk he put peroual in it, took some himself and gave his wife u fatal dose?”