SON POISONED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21359, 7 December 1932, Page 11

SON POISONED

WOMAN FOUND GUILTY SENSATIONAL AFRICAN TRIAL CAPETOWN, Dec. 1 Probably the longest murder trial in the history of South Africa ended in Pretoria, when Mrs. Daisy Louisa de Melker, wife of a well-known South African Rugby player, was sentenced to death for the murder of her 20-year-old son, Rhodes Cecil Cowle. Mrs. de Melker had! been charged also with the murder of h'er two former husbands, William Alfred Cowle and Robert Sproat, her motive, it was alleged, being to collect their insurance money. The whole tangled case contained amazing features and is likely to become a classic in poisoning problems. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. C. C. Jarvis, alleged that Mrs. de Melker had committed the crimes during the past 10 years, poisoning both her husbands with strychnine, after they had made wills in her favour, and her son with arsenic, for the sake of an insurance policy for £IOO. For 33 days evidence was taken, and then Mr. Justice Greenberg, who sat with two assessors, found that the murder charges in connection with the deaths of the two husbands had not been proven. He convicted accused on the charge relating to the son. Accused Astounded at Verdict The evidence mainly turned on technical points relating to the effects of the administration of strychnine and arsenic. In each case exhumation of the bodies had been ordered, and important questions relating to the retention of poisons in a body long after interment were discussed. There were many dramatic incidents in the course of the trial, which, however, mainly centred on medical interpretations of the symptoms of accused's three alleged victims. Mrs. de Melker, aged about 50, appeared astounded at the verdict. She had given evidence on her own behalf with the most complete composure. The Judge's decision undoubtedly satisfies public opinion. On January 1, 1926, accused married Sproat, who died on November 6, 1927. There were five children of the marriage with Cowle, all of whom died early, with the exception of Rhodes Cecil Cowle. -Nlis. de Melker's brother said she was previously engaged to a man in Rhodesia, who died and left her some money. Benefits from Insurance and Wills There was other evidence that while accused was in Rhodesia poison could be obtained with great ease and without registration or restriction, and that strychnine sold there had a pinkish colouration to distinguish it from other substances. Cowle, a plumber, was employed by the Johannesburg Municipal Council, and worked up to the day before his death without an illness. His wife benefited by over £l5O from a. municipal provident fund. There was also a will, leaving her a further £1245. Sproat was also a municipal council plumber, and was employed until the day before his death, on November 6, 1927. The wife again benefited from municipal funds to the extent of £550. Under a will Sproat al>o left her £4174. In the case of Rhodes Cowle, the son, there was a will in favour of Mrs. de Melker, but the estate was of no account, except for an insurance policy of £ICO, for which accused paid the premiums, this £IOO was paid to her after her son's .leat h. When the body of William Cowle was .whumed traces of strychnine were found, iccording to tho evidence. 'lbis was also found when tho other bodies weie exhumed.