MRS. HEARN ON TRIAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17502, 26 February 1931, Page 7

MRS. HEARN ON TRIAL

CORNWALL SENSATION DOUBLE MURDER CHARGE CROWN’S THEORY OUTLINED Kim:. Tet. Copyright—Tbiltert Prenn Asen.) LONDON, Feb. 25. Mrs. Annie Hearn was charged at the Police Court at Launceston, Cornwall, with murdering her sister, Miss Mary Fverard, 52, also a friend, Mrs. Alice Thomas.

Mr. Devlin, prosecuting, said that Dr. Lynch, a Home .Office expert, was of opinion that Miss Fverard was slowly poisoned during the seven months bean- her death, when Mrs. Hearn was nursing and feeding her. He pointed out that Mrs. Hearn and 1 Mrs. Fverard in 1925 went to live at Lewannick, near Mis. Thomas’ farm. - Mr. Thomas frequently. visited and took them out for drives. ,Uis wife was Mrs. Hearn’s friend. Sue had not visited her often, mt she did not object to the friendship. Mrs Hearn in 1926 bought a tin of weedkiller containing 4000 grains of arsenic.

Mr. Devlin read extracts from Miss Everard’s diary beginning at January 1930, and detailing her sufferings until she died in Inly. There .were repeated peferemes to sypiptoins which He said suggested repented doses of •u-senic. . Referring to the .date, May 8, Mr. j Devlin said that Miss FVerard bo- : nine suddenly> ill -at night. Mrs. (learn railed in a...neighbor and Miss Fr'Crm-d said to her that the medicine was overslrong and that it was poison. She added; “I have had a full dose and can feel it creeping over niy hands md feet, which are numbed." * I’reviv.isly she had onlv had part doses. Mrs. 'learn had said that it was an •*mergenc-y medicine to relieve the extreme suffering. Doctors would give evidence that, they would not have given uirh a mediu’ne.

A. post-mortem revealed .76 grains of lrsenie in the body. It was aTso prerent- in the hair, nails, and skin showng that it had been administered over i long period A post-mortem had dso t-cvealed that Mrs. Thomas’ body uid ,8e grains of arsenic in it. Mr. Devlin said that Mrs. Thomas Had attended a picnic along with Mrs. Hearn and Mr. Thomas. She. was offer'd sandwiches and took the top one, as .vou'd 99 persons out of 100, whereafter she became ill bit recovered subsequently. Mrs. Hearn had cooked n, meal of mutton for Mrs. Thomas, who afterwards died. Mrs. Hearn subsequently lisappeared arid went to Torquay seeking a situation, and wearing spectacles which she had not before worn. The hearing was adjourned.