NOT ENOUGH MONEY

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10891, 19 July 1928, Page 5

NOT ENOUGH MONEY

WIFE ALWAYS COMPLAINING ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER Electric Telegraph —Tress Association WELLINGTON, Last Night. In the Magistrate’s Court to-day, before Mr K. Page, S.M., Marion Kcer-jin, aged 43, was charged wit-n attempted murder of her husband, Herbert Kocrbin. a chef, of Wellington. Mr A. 13. Sievwright appeared for accused and Chief Detective Ward prosecuted. Herbert Koerbin, in evidence said li© was practically o- independent means. He also said that their married life had not been happy. Hiis wife always complained. about not haying enough money. They were married in Wellington in 1912; and there were two children. He said his wife had separated on three occasions, ho; allowing her £5 2s a week, afterwards he increased it to £5 10s, which sum she was being paid at the time of her arrest. Lately they liad occupied separate rooms of the house, and while he had his meals in the kitchen she took hers to her room. The food in the house was cooked his wife. In December, Mr Koerbin said, he became ill with vomiting pains in liis head and stomach and was confined to bed for a week, losing a stone in weight. He did not call a doctor. In June last, when in the diningroom, he saw through the slide which was up. hi s wife preparing the porridge. He saw her pour out the porridge on to a plate for her son and then put the saucepan .back on the gas stove. From her attitude lie judged she was pouring something into the pot. Following this she added more salt and stirred it up. She then left it for Koerbin to pour out wliat porridge he needed. His suspicions were aroused and he took samples of the porridge and also other foods cooked for him such as tripe, chops, potatoes fish and stewed steak to an analyst’s. They reported that the foods contained barium carbonate, a- poison, a minimum dose to kill a human being being 60 grains. Ground glass was also found as a result qf the analyst’s tests. Within the last few months foments liad died on the premises or in the yard, and Koerbin and his children thought they had been poisoned by neighbours. The cats had been given the dregs of the porridge pot and before dying had been sick and vomited, the symptoms, _as the analysts explained, of barium carbonate poison. Once, it was alleged, accused liad said to her daughter: “That ought to do the rotten swine.” Koerbin denied attempting to strangle accused, but admitted twisting her wrist, and hitting her in the face, blacking her eye. Koerbin searched liis wife’s room and found a bottle of powder in a suitcase. A sample tested by analysts showed it to be barium carbonate Powdered glass was also, found.

Koerbin invited a detective in one morning and they through the dining room slide saw accused pour something into Koerbin’,s porridge. Questioned afterwards bv the Detective, wlio also gave evidence, accused said she did not knew any reason why the food should have made her husband ill. W hen the bottle was found, on her she became agitated and offered to tell all about it. but was advised by the detective she. need not do so, unless she wished to. The ca.se was adjourned till tomorrow.