WIDOW SLAIN WITH FLAT-IRON

NZ Truth, Issue 1165, 29 March 1928, Page 7

WIDOW SLAIN WITH FLAT-IRON

♦ : Constable's Story of Dramatic Confession: "I Must Have Been Mad " YOUNG BRIDE A TRAGIC FIGURE IN COURT

THE morning of March 7 presaged a day of golden sunshine and blue sky. To pretty little Mavis Norgrove, just on the threshold of -womanhood, it was the most -wonderful day m her life. Joyously happy and excited, she was up. -with the dawn, for on 1 that day she was to be married. Her happiness was shared by her hard-working mother, Mrs. Ernestina Mary Norgrove. The day held no hint of tragedy. A few hours later, the mother lay dead, brutally murdered, and the daughter was prostrate with sorrow and grief on the very eve of becoming a bride. The girl's uncle, Allan George Norprove, gave himself up at the Ponsonby police station. Last week he stood his trial m the Auckland Magistrate's Court on a charge of murdering his sister-in-law, Ernestina Mary Norgrove. From an early hour the precincts of the Magistrate's Court were thronged with eager spectators, among tihem many women and girls. Baulked m their efforts to catch' a glimpse of Norgrove as he left the prison-van — the police took the van almost to the foot of the steps at the back of the courthouse — the crowd scrambled for positions round the door leading to the public gallery. A number of women had managed to find their way into the courtroom before the proceedings opened and were entrenched along the front railing when the rush commenced. Accompanied by friends and relatives, and escorted by her young husband, Mavis Firth, the . murdered woman's daughter, was a pathetic tig-.' nre as she entered the building. Norgrove's father and brother, to£ gether with his uncle, were present, throughout the trial and their eyes set:-, dom left the man m the dock. ■•' "Allan' George Norgrove!" The sharp, penetrating words of the court orderly cut through the murmuring voices of the crowded public gallery, bringing m their wake an intense silence. The morbid spectators packed behind the barrier shuffled restlessly fbr a second or two as the call rang out, heads were craned and a sea of curious faces turned towards the door through j which the accused man must enter. He came — with -alert step, head held

high, looking neither to right nor left. Seemingly composed, Norgrove stepped into, the dock. The only visible sign of emotion he showed during the reading of the charge was when — for a moment — his eyes closed, hiding a flickering expression of profound weariness. He was neatly and quietly attired m a blue serge suit and woollen pull-over. Norgrove'a eyes alone gave some indication of the mental stress he had undergone since his arrest; his small, regularly-moulded features showed— for the most part — a good color and were unlined. Slightly bald, he Is twenty- seven years of age, lias a broad, high forehead, shapely nose and a particularly mobile mouth. Slim and spare m appearance, with dark hair and expressive, daep blue eyes, Norgrove is slightly - below the average m build. Shortly after Crown Prosecutor V. R. Meredith had opened his address m an outline of the case, the accused was permitted to occupy a seat. The Crown Prosecutor explained that Mrs. Norgrove was a widow, living m a four- roomed oottage at New Lynn, her husband haying died some three years ago. Occupying the same house were her daughter, Mavis, aged 18, and her son, David, aged 12. There were two bedrooms m the eottage — a front bedroom and a back bedroom. The evidence would disclose, counsel stated, that" illicit relations had existed between Norgrove and the dead woman. The former had visited the New Lynn cottage every week-end arid sometimes during the week. On those occasions Mrs. Norgrove :had occupied the- back bedroom— which was ordinarily David's room — with the accused. The boy would sleep m the front- bedroom with his sister, Mavis. There were three other children — girls — m the.Manurewa Orphanage. "It would appear from the evidence that Norgrove had the children terrorized and was m the habit of quarrelling with — and assaulting — Mrs. Norgrove," said the Crown Prosecutor. "Norgrove had strong objections to Firth, the man to whom Mavis was engaged to bo married, and he opposed the marriage. "The quarrel which led up to the tragedy was over the wedding to take place that day." After reviewing the evidence up to the point where Norgrove entered the Ponsonby police station and gave himself up, Crown Prosecutor Meredith read the statement accused had made at the time to Constable Leslie. This was as follows: — "I am a single man, 27 years of age, and I reside with my parents at No. 13, Sussex Street, Grey Lynn. "I have been spending week-ends with my sister-in-law, Mrs. Ernestina, Mary Norgrove, at Cardwell Street, New Lynn, every week-end. "I have been out to New Lynn since Saturday, March 3, 1928. About 10.45 a.m. on March 7, 1928, I got a bus at Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, and went out to my sister-in-law's, Mrs. Norgrove's house.

A Kitchen Scene

"I arrived at the houso shortly after 11 a.m. I had only been at the house a short while when Mrs. Norgrove's daughter, Mavis, and her son, David, went out, aged 18 and 12 years respectively, leaving me m the house alone. "When I got to the house Mrs. Norgrove was out. She came back to the house shortly after. Mavis and David had gone out. "Mrs. Norgrove and I then had some words. We were m the kitchen. One word brought on another. "Mrs. Norgrove then went into her bedroom, which is on the right-hand side of the front of the house. I followed her Into her bedroom. "I left the bedroom and went out to the bathroom and I picked up a flatiron that was m the bathroom. "I then went back into the bedroom where Mrs. Norgrove was. I had the flat-iron m my right hand. "We had some more words and I struck her on the head with the flatiron. When I struck her she fell on the floor of the bedroom. "1 struck her several times when she was on the floor. 1 do not know how many times I struck her, as I must have been mad. After I had struck Mrs. Norgrove down I left the house. • "Before I left the house I locked it up and took the back-door key on going out. "I have spent most of my week-ends with Mrs. Norgrove at her house at New Lynn for about twelve months.

1! "I had the flat-iron m my right hand .... We had some words and I struck her on the head with the (| || flat-iron. When I struck her she fell on the floor of the bedroom .... I struck her several times when she || || was on the floor. I do not know how many times I struck her, as I must have been mad . . . /' |[ II In these words, contained m a statement to, a police constable, Allan George Norgrove is alleged to have [| II described his attack on his sister-in-law, Lrnestina Mary Norgrove, a widow, who was found murdered at her || II home m New Lynn, Auckland. Norgrove has been com.mitted for trial oh the capital charge. ||

She is a widow, her husband having died about three years ago at New Lynn. "After I did what I had done I left the house and got a bus and came Into Surrey Crescent. "I left the bus there and came over to the Ponsonby police station and reported the matter to Constable Leslie, whom I know. "I only went to see Mrs. Norgrove on March 7 to see if she was going to the wedding, as her daughter was going to be married. <; It was her daughter, Mavis, that was going to be married at the registrar's office on that day. "Mrs. Norgrove told me that the wedding was going to be held at a hall \n New Lynn. "I objected to Mrs. Norgrove going to the wedding party owing to the fact that I am not friendly with the bridegroom, George Firth. "She said she was going to the wedding party and I said she was not going. When she went into the bedroom she went m to put her hat on. "Then the argument started and caused me to do what I did. I have read this statement and it is true." During the reading of the statement Norgrove showed . signs of emotion. Repeatedly^he brushed his forehead with his hand\ind occasionally glanced wearily around the court. Dr. Bertram Charles Leeper, of

Doctors 9 Evidence

Avondale, was the first witness called. He went to the New Lynn cottage with Constable Horam' on March 7. They found the doors locked and the blinds drawn. The constable forced an entry by breaking: the fanlight m the front dooi. . "I found the body of a woman lying m a pool of blood on the floor of the front bedroom m the corner of the room by the chest of drawers," Dr. Leeper said. "She was fully dressed and her hat was on the floor beside her. The head was facing 1 towards the right-hand side of the wall as one entered the room and her feet were towards the door. "The bed was made, but not disarranged. There was no sign of a struggle. • "There were splashes of blood on the walls and on tjie curtains on the opposite side of the room to that where the body was. "Both sets of false teeth were on the floor a foot from the dead woman's head. "The woman was dead and I am of the opinion that she had been dead a couple of hours." As the witness told what he had seen m the New Lynn bedroom. Norgrove — leaning forward m his chair — covered his face with his hands. His father and brother, who were seated along the Avail opposite the side of the dock, watfehed him anxiously. ' Describing the woman's injuries, Dr. keeper stated that there was a large bruise on the back of the right hand. The right upper Jaw was broken, as well as the bridge of the nose, and there was a facial wound extending from the right eyebrow to the left cheek, exposing the bone and stretching across the nose. The bridge of the nose was broken. There was a large wound at the back of the right ear. During the recital of the Injuries, Norgrpve remained bent forward m his seat, but with his hands clasped behind his head, his arms resting on his knees. As Dr. Leeper continued his evidence, Norgrove suddenly sat erect. Looking towards his father and brother,

Sensational Story

he gave them a very tired, but encour aging, smile.

There was no sign of bruising on the body, the doctor stated. He had assisted at the post-mortem, when it was found that parts of the skull- bone had been driven into the brain. Death had been caused by laceration of the brain.

Dr. Donald N. Murray corroborated the evidence of the previous witness regarding the injuries.

At this stage Norgrove asked for a drink of water and seemed morei composed.

Dr. Murray said death was due to multiple fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain.

There was evidence of four distinct blows, which, m his opinion, would be caused by the small flat-iron produced for his inspection.

As Dr. Murray concluded his evidence, Nqrgrove.'s father left the court.

A flat-iron, a cinnamon-colored dress, shirt, collar and tie and a silk handkerchief were placed before Dr. Robert E. Brown, acting . director of the pathological department of the Auckland Hospital. v ,

He testified to having 'made an examination of the articles and .was satisfied that the marks on them (were human blood.

Giving his address as Middleton Road, Remuera, Edward Buchanan, a monumental mason, said he identified a body at the morgue as that of his sister-in-law.

Francis May Pirrit/was then called. She said she was married and lived at No. 2, Cardwell Street, directly opposite the cottage occupied by the Norgroves. ,

Mrs. Norgrove, she said, had arrived at her place at 6.30 a.m. to do the washing on the morning of March V. About 10 a.m. Mrs. Pirrit left the house to go to the city.

The night before a cinnamon-colored dress had come to her house for Mrs.

Norgrove. The latter had pressed it, but did not take it away. The girl, Mavis, had been across to the house two or three times that; morning. When Miss Olive White's name was called there was a stir m the crowd at the back of the court. A number of women who held prominent places m front — and who were pressed closely against the rail by the packed mass of meh and women behind — craned forward to see the slender figure m the witness-box. The Crown Prosecutor had given some inkling of what this witness would say. A fair girl, somewhat pale, Miss White was quite composed as she looked across the court. She was attired m a black coat, trimmed with white fur about the neck and sleeves, and was wearing a biscuit-colored dress. A large white hat, trimmed with blue ribbon and small artificial flowers, somewhat concealed her features from the eager gaze of the spectators. Heir home, where Hhe lived with her parents, she said, was No, 1, Cardwell Street, next door to the house occupied by the Norgroves.

The window of her sewing-room at the back of the house faced the kitchen of No. 3, where Mrs. Norgrove lived. Miss White then narrated the events of the morning of March 7, as seen and heard from her sewing-room window. "While sewing m my room," sho said, "I saw, from my window, Mrs. Norgrove come across the road, go up the side of her home and into the house through the back door. "She was wearing a cinnamoncolored dress and carrying a small hat m her hand." Immediately afterwards witness heard voices coming from the Norgrove house. "Then I heard the kitchen window being opened hurriedly and , this attracted my attention. . . ." Norgrove (from the dock): "It's a lie!" Lawyer Moody, counsel for accused, spoke to him m an undertone for a moment. Resuming her story, Miss White said: "I saw Mrs. Norgrove at the window. She was crying and looked to me as though she

I were going to jump out. "She placed her hands on .the window ledge, and from the motion of her

body it seemed to me as though . she was trying to get out of the window. "She looked up and saw me, then put her hand up to her head and brushed it across her forehead. I looked away. "I had seen Norgrove standing behind Mrs. Norgrove m the kitchen. Mrs. Norgrove said: 'I will! I will!' and then I heard Norgrove say: 'Then I am going, too.' " Miss White added that when she looked back at the house the window was closed. "I heard a sound as though a chair was being pushed oh the floor and this was followed by six bumps m succession. "They were not. exactly bumps," witness explained, "they were more like muffled thuds." She saw Norgrove come out of the house. Crown Prosecutor: How long after you heard the thuds? — I could not say. Well, approximately? — It might have been a quarter of an hour; it might have been twenty minutes. Continuing, Miss White stated .that accused had his hands m his ' pockets and walked down the side, of the house between Mrs. Norgrove's. place and-her own. liater fine heard of the tragedy.

What She Heard

"David came round for me once," said Francis William Postleweight, of Binstead Road, New Lynn, who explained that he had known Mrs. Norgrove and her late husband when they were living m Ward Street.

On that visit he saw Mavis leaning out of the front-bedroom window ant? heard sounds coming from the house "as though somebody were getting a hiding."

"I looke.d through the window and saw Mrs. Norgrove just rising from the floor. Norgrove was m the room and he was trying to bash down the door and get into the room where Mavis was.

"I went round to the back of the house and entered through the back door.

"Norgrove came towards me," continued witness, "and he was chasing David and calling out: 'I

will kill you, you — — !' "T. asked him what was the matter and he told me it was none of my business.

"He tried to go after the bO5 r , but I caught hold of him and held him.

"Again I asked him what was the matter and he said he did not wish to

' tell me — that It had nothing- to do with me." Postleweight added that he tried to reason with Norgrove and to calm him, asking him "not to fill the neighbors' mouths." NorgTove seemed inclined to go after the boy. "He turned round to Mrs. Norgrove and asked her 'was she not his woman'," continued witness. "She was rather disinclined to answer him." Crown Prosecutor Meredith: "Was anything said' by him then about doing anything to her? — Not at that time. Well, was anything said at any other time? — Not that I know of. "Mavis Firth!" There was a tense silence as the tragic, girlish figure made her way to the witness-box. Norgrove's eyes rested on her as she passed the dock. Small, but well-proportioned, Mavis Martha Firth, daughter of the dead woman, appeared to be exercising a rigid control over herself as she faced the battery of eyes directed at her by officials and curious spectators at the back of the court.

She looked much younger than her age, though her deep mourning 1 accentuated the paleness of her attractive features. Her eyes were

arresting m their revelation of the tragedy that lay beneath the seemingly calm exterior. A band of plain gold gleamed brightly agains,t the whiteness of her hand as it rested against the sombre background of her dress. Mavis spoke clearly and unemotionally as she stated that she lived at Craigbank Avenue, New Lynn, and that she had been married on March S. Norgrove's gaze seldom left the witness-box while she was giving her evidence. Mavis told how she rose on the morning of March 7 to prepare for' her wedding, as she was to have been married m the afternoon. While she was at home that morning her mother, who had gone across early m the morning to Mrs. Pirrit's came home to clean her shoes and to get some clothes. She had then gone back to Mrs. Pirrit's, where she intended to change her dress. After her mother left the house, Mavis and her brother, David, sat down to lunch. ' Then Norgrove came m. His first words were to ask Mavis where she was going to live after her marriagt>.