Death Chocolates

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 175, 27 July 1935, Page 4

Death Chocolates

Young Girl Faces Serious Charge

UNUSUAL FLATUHLS IN HER STATEMENT

Per Press Association. NAPIER, Last Night,

The receipt through tlic post ot' chocolates which later were proved to contain poison led to Phyllis Tui Marshall, aged 18, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Marshall, of Pikokino, bci„<r charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-day with attempting the murder of Alma" Lorraine Keith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. Keith, of Hastings, on May i"J. 'l'lie accused was represented t, v Mr. (’. (1. Marker, of Waipawu. Detec-tive-Serge:'at 11. Nu (la. 11 appeared for the police. Clara .Matilda Keith other of Alma Keith, described the receipt on May 2d of a parcel wrapped in brown paper e.u.l addressed to Iter daughter. The

parcel contained chocolates in a small paper bag, to which was attached a piece of paper bearing fha following: “Will write to-night and explain il I can. —.“ Witness though* the writing was that of Mr. Masters, a young man with wli nu her daughter was friendly. Witness’s daughter was not at home at the time and, witness put

the parcel away. Later she asked Masters if he had sent the chocolates and he said he had not.

G. E. Waterwortli. medical practitioner, gav evidence regarding the likely effee’s of v trying quantities of white arsenic, Alma Lorraine Keith said she knew Jack Masters. The writing on the parcel she said, looked like his.

A mail contractor. Bertram Christopher Hooper, said that on May 21 the accused called at his house and a.sk'-d him (o post u par ;1 for her, which ho did.

Jack William Masters said tli t while he was working at Marshall ’s he occasionally look the accused for walks. He also wrote to Miss Keith regularly. Witness also gave evidence regarding IPs being present at the Keiths’ home when Miss Keith open'd tY> parcel.

Evidence was given by William Donovan, Government Analyst, that the chocolates sent, to him for analysis

contained ursenious oxide. Two samples of powder, one said to have been taken from Phyllis Marshall arid the other from (lie farm of David Marsha,H, were later examined by the witness, who found that both were arseuiotis oxide. He recalled receiving from a constable, packets containing a bag with lon chocolate creams. An examination revealed that the creams were sprinkled with white arsenic. One chocolate had 3£. grains, a fatal dose.

Detective-Sergeant Nut (all in evidence recall d investigations leading to accused’s arrest. She gave a statement

saying she put the powder in each of the chocolates pur based by her. She said she received the powder through the post from Hugh Rochester and by the same mail received a letter from his suggesting she could get rid of Masters with the powder. She tried some on the cat which died. About Easter time she found Master keeping company with Miss Keith and was I jealous. She was determined that if | lie would not have her lie would not I have Mi.-s Keith. That’s why she post|cd the chocolates to Miss Keith, I Accused said siie did not intend to potson her but make her sick and give her I a fright. She put. only about a quar- [ ter of the amount o powder which she gave .he cat, in the chocolates. In the lust letter she said she received from Rochester, he told her it would be better for her to put Musters out of the way than him to do. so as “they would not do us much to a girl as to a man. ’■’ * 'out inn ing his eviden c, DetectiveSergeant Nuttall said lie was satisfied there was no such person as Rochester. Mr. Darker admitted the t was no such person. Detective-Sergeant Nuttall said Rochester seemed a very real person to accused. After her arrest she was laughing and joking as if going to a picnic. Mr. Marker entered a pica of not guilty on behalf of accused and called a woman farmer of Tikokino, to the box. She testified that accused was of reputable character. Some weeks after Easter she saw tlie girl who looked as if she had had a severe shock which seemed to have caused a nervous breakdown.

Accused was committed to the next session of the Supreme Court at Napier for trial. No bail was asked for.