QUEER TEA

NZ Truth, Issue 1203, 20 December 1928, Page 8

QUEER TEA

— * Was Girl Would-be Murderess ? A STATE WARD (From' "N.Z. Truth's" Adelaide Rep.) Remarkable allegations have been made, by the police against a young Adelaide girl, a waru of the State, who appeared m the Children's Court. She was charged with having attempted to administer poison to Amelia Kennedy and Matthew Kennedy, her employers, with intent to murder. ACCORDING -to the police, the girl, *~* who is a tall blonde, looking older than her 16 years, had been employed by Matthew Kennedy and Amelia Kennedy at their home m Glen Osihond for about three weeks.. One afternoon, the girl was instructed to make a cup of tea, and while pouring- out the liquid, Kennedy noticed ita dark color. He then made an examination of the teapot, and, it is alleged, found a, green sediment at the bottom of the cup. Only a little while previously the gi* 1 had made a cup of tea herself. She did not use the same pot, but brewed a separate cup of tea. Kennedy immediately questioned the ■girl about the sediment. She happened to be wearing a .green dress at the time, and immediately gave a demonstration of iiow it could have been possible for the sediment to get into the' teapot.' The girl wet a corner of her skirt and squeezed out some dark green fluid, then making an explanation to Kennedy allegedly accounting for the presence of the sediment m the cup. Kennedy had a habit of, keeping a quantity of Paris green in' his house to kill slugs and other garden pests. When questioned by Detectives Strengways and Trestail, the girl made a statement. She gave no reason, and said that both Kennedy and his wife had been particularly good to her. A remand was granted. The 5.M.,. m directing that the girl be kept m custody at the Barton Vale Reformatory, suggested that m the interval • she be examined medically.