ALLEGED WIFE POISONING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21024, 13 May 1930, Page 10

ALLEGED WIFE POISONING.

MUNN STANDS HIS TRIAL CROWN PROSECUTOR’S LENGTHY ADDRESS. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND,. May 12. The trial of Arthur Thomas Munn on a charge of murdering his wife, Lillie May Munn, at Northcote, on February 11, was opened this morning, and is expected to last a w’eek. Munn, who is a furniture maker, aged 45. was represented by Messrs Northcroft and Munro, and the Crown Prosecutor (Mr Meredith) had with him Mr F, M'Carthy. Mr Justice Herdman was on the bench. Mr Northcroft exhausted his right of challenging the jurors, and Mr Meredith stood seven aside. Fallowing the empannelling of the jury the court adjourned for close on two hours while argument was heard in Chambers on the admissibility of certain evidence. On resumption Mr Meredith opened his address, the earlier part of which was devoted to remarks on the effect ot strychnine. The Qrown Proseenter said the charge was that Munn poisoned his wife with strychnine, there would be no direct evidence of the administration of the poison, but there could_ never be in such cases. It was certain that the wife died as the result of several doses of strychnine. Only three explanations were possible. One was that she took the poison herself for some > reason, _ The second was that she took it by accident through food or otherwise. The third was that it was given to •L by someone else. Mr Meredith subnutted that it was not reasonably possible for a person having once taken strychnuie to be a willing sufferer from the effects of another dose, i T bo , pF°wn Prosecutor had not concluded his address when the court adjourned, Mr Meredith dealt exhaustively with every detail of the case as outlined in the Police Court. His address, which has occupied over three hours, has so far givp no indication of fresh evidence. He intimated that he might not address the after tne hearing of the evidence. Xhe court was crowded throughout the wome ?, being present, and numbers were unable to gain admission.