TRAGEDY OF TWO YOUNG LIVES

NZ Truth, Issue 1058, 4 March 1926, Page 7

TRAGEDY OF TWO YOUNG LIVES

Girl's Pathetic Devotion to Sweetheart Who Induced Her to Take Poison

"GRUEL, COWARDLY, and CONTLMRTIBLL CRIME" ',■■■■■ ■ . ■ ' • ■■ ' ■ ' • ■ ." ■ •' • ' ■' ' :

• , ■ , '.-.•' ." «.■••■•• (From "Truth's" Hamilton Kep.) . A frail slip of a girl, she loved this callous youth so passionately that she was prepared to sacrifice her life m order that he should be free to marry, another girl and also because his affection for her had waned when a baby appeared on the scene. .

' '- -E met her, won her< II § orable man would His name was Roy Charles Dorn, merely a youth of 19, but apparently with a black streak m his nature; '•; . The story opened two years ago, when young Dorn met the girl, Muriel Tetzlaff at her parent's house at Ngaruawahia. , ' ' ..-'-. \ She was then scarcely 17 years of age and he little more. He made advances to her and they became friendly. He Avon her affection and ultimately she grew to love him. The intimacy commenced when they had, been friendy only a short time, and was carried on for about 18 months. When at last the girl learned that she was about to become a mother, she Informed Dorn of the > fact and asked him to marry her. This he gave^ho intimation of doing, and many tense scenes occurred between them froni time to time. Finally the girl went to stay with her married sister at a place called Manawaru, near Te Aroha, where he used' to visit hex regularly at weekends. • . ' When she knew that her sister must soon discover her condition, she again pressed Dorn to marry her, and, one day, he took her down to Hamilton, where he bought her a wedding ring, which he asked her, to wear and pass herself off as Mrs. Dorn.' This she did. Her parents, who were residing at . Huntly discovered the deception and pressed Dorn to marry the girl. ' Meanwhile he had left Hamilton, where he had been engaged m an auction mart, and went to work at, Taihape. PATHETIC LETTERS/ ; It was there that the girl wrote. many a letter, some of them so pathetic that they would have made the heart of any ordinary individual bleed. _ I ' , They, told \of the girl's mental and physical suffering and of the result of the efforts she had made, at his suggestion, to try and get rid of the "little unwanted." She pleaded with him not to allow her child to come into the world and go through life without' a name, and m some of them she was so distraught that she threateiied to take her life if he did not marry her. These threats, however, she made only m her mental anguish, and with a view to persuading him to save her from the terrible disgrace that' confronted': her. ; ; „' ; ; • " ';; He urged her, m return, to do what she could for herself and even went so far as to charge her with not doing her best m this direction. • ■ She wrote and told him of all the terrible suffering she was undergoing — suffering that at times was almost too hard to bear. Dorn, however, was quite unmoved by her appeals, and one day when he met her m a Hamilton boarding-house and she, after a scene, threatened to take a number, of moth balls, he merely told her not to take them while he was present. The next chapter m the story was when -.the girl's, father called on him. He was back m Hamilton again by this time, and the girl's father made him obtain a marriage form. That evening young Dorn and the girl talked over the future. He filled m th'e marriage form and got her to sign her name to it. Apparently, however, he , had a purpose m this. . . „ He then asked Jier if she. still loved him, and;' when she replied that she loved him more than life itself, he told her that -he did not love her and that the only gir^l he loved was m Gisborne. SUICIDE THREAT He then informed her that he could not go on with the. marriage. She begged him to alter his decision, when he pulled out a bottle of ammonia from his pocket and threatened to drink.it. ' He placed the bottle. to his lips, and she knocked his hand away. He then told her that if she did not allow him to drink it, she would have to do so or that they would have to do so together. She said that ratlier > than he should take his life she would . sacrifice, herself. ' Coolly telling her that the stuff would not burn her throat, but might make her cough a little, he asked her to write a letter stating that what she was about to do she was doing of her own free will. , This she did, but later on tore, the letter up. . That night Dorn stayed with her at the "Almadale" boarding-house, , when she tried m vain to win back his love. Next morning he asked her to call at the mart and told her he would give her the ammonia. When she called he handed .her the bottle and also gave her several stick's of cordite. '' • • He told' her that the .latter would "stop the heart;" that he knew men who had taken it to get out of going to the front. Jf she took them both together, he said, she would "make sure of it." / Then, casually asking her if , he could do anything for her, he shook her by the hand and thanked her for what she was about tp do for him. f - ; The girl, f broken -hearted, went away and took both the cordite and the ammonia and came very near 'to ending her life. When Dorn appeared before Mr. Justice Stringer and a jury at the Hamilton Supreme Court last week, charged with attempted murder of the girl and with counselling her to commit suicide, he pleaded "not guilty" m a firm voice. '• ■ He followed the proceedings keenly throughout. ' - ' The girl, looking frail, pale and wan, sat m the Court near her mother, and her voice rose scarcely above a whisper. : She is, as a matter of fact, still a patient,, at tlie Waikato Hospital, agdi

0- ' "." —7- — — — 1 all her evidence -had to be repeated ,by counsel for the Crown, as her throat was" badly burned as a result of the corrosive action of the ammonia. THE GIRL'S STORY In .opening the case for the Crown, Mr. IT. T. Gillies told the jury that they would- have to listen to the sad drama of two young lives.. On the side of the girl they would hear a tale of loving unselfishness, .and pn the side of the man of callous selfishness. . The girl, : Mm-iel Tetzlaff, told her story m whispers between sobs. Prior to leaving the boarding-house to go to the mart, she said, she wrote Dorn the following letter with the pen' and ink he had bought her: — My; Darling Roy — * "After Avhat you told me last night, I can't go on. • "I love you., dear, better than life itself,' and for this very reason I am going to leave you free. "Please, Roy, m the years to come, do not forget the little fool who loved ybu. .not wisely but only too well. ■ '"" ■ "I know you would never be happy if you married me, when you love someone else just as much as I love you. ■ • ' "So, goodbye 'and God bless you, dear. "Your broken-hearted ■ "MURIEL.." " "THE ONLY WAY" To Mrs. Dorn she wrote:— -'' "Dear Mrs. Dorn — "I promised Roy that I would not write to you again, but I think he will forgive under . the circumstances. "When you receive this I will probably be where I will be no - further bother to anyone. "I know you practically hate me, dear, but I learned to love you as dearly as if you were my own mother and you have no idea how it hurts me to know you disliked me so. ■ < "My father was going to force Roy to marry me, but I love Roy and ) "thank God my love is not selfish, so I am taking the only way out to save Roy. "So this' is good-bye and God bless you and Roy. ' ' "Your broken -.hearted friend, . , . "MURIEL,." The letter to her mother was as follows: ■.- V t : "Dear Mother: — «, ' • "When you receive this, I will probably be beyond recall. "I only hope to God I am. "Roy went with Dad yesterday and got the thing .fixed up and yesterday afternoon he got a letter- from that . girl in -Gisborne and owned tip to -me that

he had loeen down there at Christmas: so last night he canie and told me he could 170 go on with it: , "He said that he would rather die than tell her anything. "He said that' it was cither him or I that would have to do it because he would never marry me. I "So,' mum, I • can : t bear it; I told him I would. ... ',- "Mum, 1 love Roy better than life, itself, so- 1 can't go on without him and bear the shame. "As soon as it's 1 over ring him up and tell him, dear. "Give my love to all. ' "Your broken-hearted daughter, ■ "MURIEL,. HER FINAL APPEAL Mr. Gillies: Did you ever tell Dorn before that you would take your life? — Yes, m November, at the "River View" ■ boarding-house. . » : "I threatened to take a number of moth balls, but he took them from me, telling me not to take them while he was there." . Some time previously Dorn • induced her to write a letter stating that he was not the father of her ■ ; child. . ' He said he merely wanted this to relieve his .mother ; o£ worry, as she was going to Melbourne. . , - . Later on he asked her to return him ■ all the letters he had written to her and. promised to let her 'have the other one back. .•■-.■; She foolishly handed him over the letters, but he did not keep his promise to return her letter. Cross-examined by 'Mr, Tompkins, '. witness said that Dorn did on one occasion promise to marry her, but said he would be unable to do so for 12 months. „ He told her that he was not ; gettiirg a big wage, but then her brother was offering him a better job.When she handed over the letters m a bundle Dorn said he was then looking for a job and that if he C got it he would marry her. , He failed to keep .an appointment with her, however, and went over. to the Takaj^una races. Mr. Tompkins: Can you account for Dorn's change of front afteV filling m the marriage, form?— l cannot; except that later on he said that "no one would suspect him' of giving me the poison, after filling. in the marx*iage papers. Witness denied that she had told Dorn that she had tried, to take ammonia on - a previous occasion and that she was only prevented from doing so by Dr. Martin walking into the room at the moment.- -" Asked why she took the cordite alone, ; first, witness said Dorn had told her that it would stop the heart and she might not need to take the ammonia; In a further answer she said she had told Dorn that she would put herself out of the way m order to leave him free for the other girl. „ She admitted. she. lmd tried to remove j her pregnancy and had written a letter

3 . _^ — — € to Dorn while he was m Taihape threatening to take the "white lollies" unless ho. assured her that he intended to, give her baby a name. Di\ Douglas Martin, Ngahuawahia, said that when he was called m to see Miss Tetzlaff she was vomiting violently and was .m immediate danger of death. Her face was of a purple-black hue and she was delirious with occasional lucid intervals. When questioned as to* what had happened she stated that she had taken some ammonia. / LIFE IN DANGER v Her; condition was consistent with ammonia poisoning. Several witnesses gave evidence relative to Dorn procuring ammonia. .Kenneth ,-Massy Griffen, Government analyst at Auckland, gave evidence relative to the contents of certain bottles, taken from the stomach of Miss Tetzlaff after the stomach pump had. been used. ■ One of the three bottles contained a quantity of free" ammonia. The effect of cordite was to raise the blood pressure, causing headache and a pulsation of the whole body. Ammonia was a corrosive poison affecting the lining of the stomach. Assuming thatj no antidotes werje given after taking 1 the amount of ammonia m the bottle produced death would probably ensue. DETECTIVE 'S'DISCOVERY Detective F. Cu'lloty said he interviewed the accused at the "Hazelwood" boarding-house, Hamilton, on the night of the girl's, illness and told him of the girl's condition.' ■''.'. ■He took accused .to ?Ngai'uawahia, where later he • was arrested and charged with attempted murder. The detective read out a statement made to him by- Dorn, m which the latter said he was 19 years of age. He had been keeping company with Muriel Tetzlaff for the past. two years and first got to know her when she was' living at Ngaruawahia with her people. About three months before, he learned that she was pregnant and she told, him that he was the father of her unborn child. About December, 1925, she informed him that he was not responsible for her condition, and handed him a note to that 'effect. About a week later her mother and brother called on him and asked him what he was going to do about Muriel. He showed them' the note which she had sent to him stating that he was not responsible for her condition. Neither her mother nor brother would

believe that she had written the note, because she had already informed her mother that D,orn was the father. He' admitted .that he had rolatkms with her on several occasions' and did not know of any other man. who would, be responsible for her condition I.'1 .' •He had not induced her to 'write thd note that he was not responsible for her. condition. " : He saw Miss Tetzlaff ■ at 'Fow'., and Co.'s auction mart the . morning, when she called to see him about the bottle of ammonia 'which she said she wanted to. drink. - ■ ' ■ . . - He. told her, he said, not to -take it, and she replied that it was the only way , out as they would not be happy together. , He gave her a bottle of ammonia similar to the one produced, .which was. three-quarters full. •-, When leaving she shook' hands arid said good-bye. '-..-■ ■* DORN 'S STATEMENT When discussing their proposed marriage, which it was arranged, should take place on- the following Saturday, Dorn said he asked her if she thought they would be happy together, . She replied that she did not know ' whether they would or not, b"ecause he did not really love her. ' : . '■'He 'replied*- that he liked her all right, but did not really love her. ' .'■■'. She said she knew that, and that was why she tried to do away with "herse'.li before. , She told him that she was just about to take ammonia when Dr.' Martin walked into her room and that she wished Dr. Martin had not saved her. She then asked him if he knew of anything that would poison her and he replied that he had some ammonia at the mart. He told her, however, that he did not want her to poison herself. She said it. would , be no good her living without him when she was going to have a 1 '.child and no one to look after it and give it a name.. He. told her not to do it but she, said it was the only way out and she would come down and see him m the morning She asked him if he would stop the night with her : as it would,' be their, last night together. He said he would stop with her to please her. . Dorn added that, ho left her at .6 o.,' clock m the morning and she told him she would call arid see him at the auction mart. - He denied that he told her that - if she did not take the poison he would take it himself. " v , What he did say was that he would sooner take it himself than that she should. . ' '.'.'■ - ' : . ' When he gave 'her the bottle he did not think she' would take it,- but that she would change her mind. , .Ib ;wa» not true that he gave the bottle to take. inkstains out of her dress but because she asked him for it. : ■ She said that if he' did not give it to her she would •'"-.get it some- - where else. .

3. ' ' — - — ; — — He said he had a lady friend m Gisborne, but was not keeping company with her and did not wish to divulge her name. - Amongst accused's property the de» tective found a large number of letters written by Muriel Tetzlaff to accused and by Dorn to the girl. There was also a cartridge with some of the cordite missing, a bottle of benzine, a writing pad, with, an unfinished letter addressed to his mother, m which he said he had been to Gisborne for his holidays and had had a good time, but he did- not want Muriel to know, as . she might cause trouble. , "WITHOUT A NAME" He told his mother not to worry as he would not let Muriel do with him as she liked. - . • . He expected the whole matter to be . ended soon and would let her know. - One lettei% which was torn m pieces was apparently that written by the girl at "Almadale" on the' night before she took tho poison, and which she tore up m Dorn's presence. This letter read as follows: . . "I, the undersigned,, write this m my sound mind! "I cannot ruin the life of the man I love better than life. itself, so I intend to leave him free. ■ . . "I know he does hot love me and I could not bear to let^him marry me "knowing that he loves someone else, and I could not let . our baby be born without a name. "So I cannot let Roy Dorn sacrifice his life for me. ■ ■ "Muriel Tetzlaff." CHARGE REDUCED After hearing Mr. Tompkins his Honor agreed that the attempted murder charge should be withdrawn. The case would proceed, there- . . fore, on the charge of counselling the. girl to commit suicide. Prisoner, Roy Charles Dorn, gave his evidence m a loud, firm voice!. \ He considered that as the girl was apparently determined to commit suicide it was better for her to take the weakened ammonia"' ! than that she should obtain some at full strength. He did not think,, however, that sho would really commit suicide, as she had threatened to do so on many occasions before. . Mr. Gillies asked Dorn how, m ' his statement to the detective on '. the night the girl took the poison, he had not made one single statement coinciding with his present story. Prisoner said he could only state facts. '-. . ' Mr. Gillies: "Why did you not make these statements of acting the good Samaritan to this girl to the detective? : Dorn: At the time I was reserving my defence. , . Mr. Gillies: Why did you not let her have the ammonia on the night at the boarding-house?- — I thought I would give her the cordite first to try and make her realize what she, was trying to do. Did you ever intend to marry the girl?— Yes. ■-. Then why did you write to your mother on- the date of the occurrence, telling her that you did not intend .to let-, Muriel do as she liked with you and that you quite expected the matter to be settled soon and further that you would let your mother know what happened. Dorn said he meant that he did not intend Muriel to do what she " liked with him after they were married. This answer evoked laughter m Court which was promptly suppressed. His, Honor: You speak' in this letter to your -mother of going down to the marriage of a. friend, of yours, .yet you say nothing of your own marriage, which wa sto take place on the following Saturday and which one would suppose was of more immediate interest. However, Aye will leave, the matter to the jury. Mr. Gillies asked leave to test Dorn*s credibility whiqh was granted.. Mr. G illies : Were you on March 2 1, 1923, sentenced to .two years' , probation for breaking, entering and theft at Gisborne?— Yes. * • Did you on February 1. of this year, plead guilty of theft at Hamilton? —Yes. ■■.-.■.■■ ■ ' : Mr. Tompkins: The theft at Hamilton was of a' suitcase and" blankets, which you- took up to Muriel at High-crbft?--Yes. . : This concluded the evidence for the defence. • . . "COWARDLY CRIME" Both counsel addressed the jury and the Judge, summed up against prisoner. After a retirement of 15 minutes, the jury returned a verdicj^ of guilty. V .'.'..-' ', Mr. Tompkins, lit speaking, on prisoner's behalf;- pointed out his youth and the fact that the idea of doing away with the girl came from the girl herself. /. ■• . ' ■ . '. Addressing, prisoner, his Honor said Dorri had been convicted on the clearest possible evidence of a cruel, cowardly and contemptible crime. He had enlisted this young girl's affection, taken advantage of it, got her into trouble* and was content to be rid of what trouble it might have caused him by allowing herein d even providing her. with the means ~ of making away with her life. .... His Honor believed that prisoner, thought that the means he supplied the girl with were sufficient for the purpose, all this being done purely for the purpose of relieving him of some pos-. sible responsibility. . ■.. • "It is almost incredible," added his Honor, "that any person with a spark of h>anhoo,d m him could. - have committed so despicable an offence-. . • . "It is very fortunate for you that owing to the difference, m the law of this country and that of England, /that you are charged with this i niinor offence. , . "Had it been possible to have charged you with the major one, I "-would, have passed a much, more severe, sentence, than the law allows me- at present. . "The- maximum punishment on the present charge is two yearsimprisonment. •■.■■' .'■■ "I see not the slightest reason why you should not receive the maximum punishment.; . . . . "1 therefore sentence ypu to t\ro years' imprisonment." - I