MURDER CHARGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23489, 28 October 1939, Page 15

MURDER CHARGE

CLAVERLEY MYSTERY CROWN'S CASE ENDS •JURY TO VISIT* THE CAMP YDJOUENMENT TO MONDAY [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] CHRISTCHURCH, Friday Evidence for the Crown at the trial >f 'Arthur John Patience, aged 48, •abourer, charged with the murder of 'lis wife, Harriet Jane Patience, at Claverley on October 4, 1938. was concluded before Mr. Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court to-day. Arrangements are being made for the iiiry to visit the Claverley camp tomorrow, and addresses by counsel will bo delivered on Monday. Mr. A. T. Donnelly, with him Mr. Alan Brown, is conducting the case for the Crown. Mr. R. A. Young, with him Mr. T. A. Gresson, appears for Patience. Dr. W. P. Gowland, professor of anatomy at the Otago Medical School, said he thought, after 30 years as a professional anatomist, that indentation in a windpipe was not congenital. Gripping with the thumb during strangulation was the orily way ho could see that it could have been produced. No Evidence of Poison Felix John Theodore Grigg, Government analyst at Cliristchurch. gave details of testing various parts of the body for poison without results. Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist, of Wellington, said marks of sacking and ligatures appeared to indicate that the body was first wrapped up and then bound with cords or something similar. The injuries to the chest could have been caused by crushing. In themselves the injuries were grave, but not necessarily fatal. They would hjivo completely incapacitated the sufferer. Witness said he had never seen or read of such an indentation as was found in the windpipe. It could not have been caused by the thyroid gland. Dr. Lynch did not lean to the theory that the indentation was caused by a thumb, nor could ho give any theory as to what caused it. The possibility of rocks or stones making it could not be overlooked. The bruise in the neck added significance to the theory of violence. If someone had knelt on the womay's chest and gripped her throat the injuries could bo caused. With a stoppage of the mouth death Would soon follow. It was impossible to determine tlio mode of death. Pathologist's Conclusions Witness said he had formed the opinion death was due to violence, because of the grave violence to the chest walls, the absence of organic disease and the marks of sacking and cords, which excluded suicide or natural death. The degree of decomposition of the brain made it im--siossible to say whether or not there lad been cerebral hemorrhage, but there were usually signs of that in other organs. To Mr. Gresson Dr. Lynch said there were certain forms of brain trouble not involving hemorrhage which could cause death. Such, a possibility could not bo ruled out. He was too uncertain to make deductions from the presence of the indentation in the windpipe. or to say it was caused by a thumb. Stones or rocks exerting pressure could not be excluded as a possible source of the injury. This ended the Crown case and Mr. Young indicated ho would not call evidence.