A WOMAN'S DEATH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 31 March 1930, Page 2

A WOMAN'S DEATH

MURDER CHARGE AGAINST HUSBAND HEARING COMMENCED (Uy Telegraph—PrcHs Association) AUCKLAND, This Day.

Tlio hearing of the charge against Ai'tjmr Thomas Mann (45), ;i furniture worker, of Nortlicotc, for the murder of his wifo Lillic May Munn, at Northr.'oto, on 11th February, commenced before I lie magistrate, Mr Hunt, to-day. i!. M. Riddle, Public Works draughtsman, produced plans of the interior of (iccuscd's house.

Mrs Sinai: Campbell, of Wellington, mollior of the deceased, stated in evidence that deceased first married W. VVestorby in November, 1917. Westerby wen! to the war and died of pneumonia in England. There were n 6 children of that marriage. On 12th March, 19.20. deceased married accused at (Jreytown. A short- time later they removed to Nortlicotc. Thcro were two children of (he marriage, girls, aged 5 years and 9 years. Deceased corresponded with witness regularly every week. In. her last, letter, dated' 9th February, deceased wrote: "I can only write a note to you lying in bed. I came over very queer- on Tuesday morning.- Arthur got a doctor and he was here a long time, lie stuck a ncedfu in myfarm and took away some blood—to test, I think. It is blood pressure and nervous, trouble. Arthur is just goodness itself, mum, and is looking after me well. Don't worry, I'm getting well." Witness said the writing on the inside of the letter card was deceased's, written in pencil. The outside was addressed in. ink. Witness thought this was accused's writing. Witness said her daughter had £IOO when she married Munn. She understood deceased afterwards put it into the house at Nortlicotc. She said that deceased had a lovely disposition, was cheerful and bright, and not at all despondent. Oliver Arthur Herbert Munn (21) said ho had seen his father strike and push his stepmother many times. She was always meek and. mild, trying to keep the peace for the children's sake. Accused ran the home. Witness was living at home until a year ago. Robert Rowan Bell, solicitor, deposed to receiving a letter from Mrs Munn on 24th December last instructing him to make a will leaving everything to Munn;, This was signed on 15th January, with Munn the sole legatee. " " Dorothy Ida Munn (19), said she was at present residing with, her mother, who was divorced from accused. Witness until three years ago lived with her father at Northcote.

Answering a question by counsel, witness replied that accused was very cruel to Mrs Munn in many ways. She had seen accused strike his wife on two occasions. Once his blow was hard and severe, with his clenched hand, und it made her fall. On another occasion acci'Sed went to the fireplace where deceased was stirring some jam. He took the jam stick from her and struck her shoulder with it.

"What was her attitude towards accused?" asked Mr Meredith, Crown Prosecutor.

Witness: "She was always doing all she possibly coul 1 for him." Witness said she left home because accused was so cruel to her. Accused told her she would have to come home every week-end she had off or he would put the police on to her. She afterwards refused to go home, advertised for her own mother, and went to live with her. Mr Meredith : "Who got your wages?" Witness: "I kept them myself, but he wanted to take them." Mavis Leoriie Munn, another daughter of accused living with her mother, said she left her father's home about two months after her sister Dorothy left. "Up to the time I left," she added, "my father never treated deceased with any respect and always spoke to her roughly. I have never seen him strike her, but I have seen him chasing her into the bedroom. She then barricaded the door, when he kept pushing on it." Accused's behaviour to her stepmother had not altered up to the time when witness left 'home.