WIFE SENT FOR TRIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 410, 19 July 1928, Page 15

WIFE SENT FOR TRIAL

Attempted Murder Charge

STORY OF POISON AND GROUND GLASS

THAT his wife frequently placed poison in his porridge was the remarkable storjr told by Herbert Koerbin in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when the woman appeared on a charge of attempted murder. The husband said he gave the porridge to cats, which died.

At the conclusion of the hearing of evidence this morning, Mrs. Marion Koerbin was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

WELLINGTON, To-day. ( Charged with having attempted to murder her husband, Herbert Koer- l bin on Juno 26, Marion Koerbin up- ; peared before the Magistrate’s Court J yesterday. Koerbin said he was a chef, practically of independent means, and for the last IS months had not followed his occupation. He married accused in 3 912, and there were two children, a girl of fifteen and a boy of thirteen. Their married life h«Vi never been happy, and he had been Hiving apart from his wife on three occasion/?- The last time they were separated was in January, 1925, and they had lived together from about IS months ago. He was paying her £5 10s a week until she was arrested on the present charge. She always appeared to be discontented and was continually complaining that he did not give her sufficient money. Several times she said that if he would give her a thousand she would leave the house, or lie could put the house in her name and he v himself could leave. Witness said he was worth between £3,000 and £4,000. She often told people that lie had an income of at least £IOO a week and was rolling in wealth. His life was insured for £I,OOO, and his wife was aware of that. About December he became ill and vomited, but did not attach any importance to it. Two or three months ago he became ill again and was confined to his bed for a week. He was ill on several other occasions. WATCHED HIS WIFE Witness got up early one morning and on looking through a slide into the kitchen he saw accused pour out some porrdige for the boy. She Djren took the saucepan back to the stove and appeared to add something to it from her pocket. She then added more salt to the porridge, which she stirred and left for witness. He became suspicious, but said nothing to liis wife, but did not eat the porridge. He poured out a cupful and put the rest into a newspaper. He took both to the police station and later, by advice, gave the porridge to an analyst. By smearing a plate he gave his wife the impression that he had eaten the porridge. Witness watched the accused on subsequent mornings and she went through the same operation. SAMPLES FOR ANALYST Witness went on to speak of subsequently finding a bottle of thick white liquid in a suitcase, .also a paper bag containing some white flour. He took samples and gave both to the analyst. On a later occasion of alleged attempted poisoning he heard his wife say to the little girl, “That ought to do for the swine.” On the morning of June 26 he admitted Detective-Sergeant Holmes and Thompson to the house and all three watched her prepare the porridge. Scrapings of the pots in the mornings were given to cats, four of which witness said had died during the past seven or eight months. Each time a cat was found dead witness would sympathise with the children, and accused would say, “It should have been that swine of a father who should be dead, not the cats.” Asked whether he had tried to strangle his wife in the presence of her daughter five or six weeks ago, witness entered an emphatic denial. He admitted catching hold of her wrists in an endeavour to keep her quiet, and admitted that he had given her a hit with the open hand, as the result of which she got a black eye. He also admitted threatening to “knock her flat” if she persisted in making a certain remark in front of the daughter. “I put it to you that the only reason that this matter is being brought before the court is that you can get grounds for a divorce?” said counsel. Witness: There is no truth in that. Counsel: You know that you were the offending party prior to this matter, and every time you came to the court you failed? Witness: No. Counsel: Did you not make out that butt for £5,000 merely to inflame your wife ? Witness: That is imagination. ANALYSTS’ EVIDENCE Andrew Izatt, analyst, stated that as the result of tests made on the porridge sent to him he discovered that it contained barium carbonate, a poisonous substance, the minimum known fatal dose being 60 grains. In some tripe he found barium carbonate and ground glass. The symptoms of barium poisoning, continued witness, were severe pains, general nervous disorder, and headaches. Barium mixed with flour was often used as a rat poison. Gilbert Alexander Lawrence, analyst, said he had checked and agreed with Izatt’s tests. The bottle of white liquid sent by Koerbin was found to contain water and white powder, later found to be a mixture of barium carbonate and flour. The crystals received were powdered glass. Evidence was given by DetectiveSergeant Holmes, who said he and Detective-Sergeant Thompson went to accused’s home. He described how they saw Mrs. Koerbin preparing porridge. It was stated that she took

a bottle from the pocket of her apron and then poured something from the bottle into the porridge. She looked at the bottle, and then put some more in the porridge. Witness spoke to accused later, and told her that her husband blamed the food for his illness. He asked her if she could say why it should do so. To this she said “No.” * BOTTLE IN APRON POCKET Asked if she had anything in her pocket which would affect her husband’s food, she said: “Certainly not.” She admitted there had been trouble between herself and her husband, but said the only poison in the house was oxalic acid, which she used for cleaning the copper kettle. The police matron was sent for, and on her arrival accused was told that witness had a search warrant and that they intended to search for poison. Witness said accused agreed to being searched, and when she stood up the neck of a bottle protruded from her apron pocket. Accused was very agitated when Detective-Sergeant Thompson took the bottle from the pocket. The matron then felt in the pocket, and found a brown paper packet containing a white powder. Accused then said: “Shall I tell you all about: it?” But she was told that she was not obliged to say anything unless she wished to.

Accused denied having used oxalic acid, and said she had only used the rat poison, which she said was purchased at a grocer’s in Courtenay Place.

Witness then said that among the contents of a suitcase in- accused’s room was found a small quantity of white powder in brown paper. Particles of what appeared to be ground glass were found in a small face-cream jar. “POWDERED GLASS NOT USED” The hearing of the evidence charge was continued to-day. DetectiveSergeant Holmes, continuing his evidence, said that he took a statement from the accused in which she said that the powdered glass found in a locked box tinder her bed had been there for a long time. She had not used it nor the oxalic acid in her husband’s food. The powder in the bottle found in her pocket •was not poison. Accused showed no signs of mental trouble. She stated that her husband was worth £50,000, and that his meanness was the cause of all the trouble in the home.

After evidence by the Dominion analyst had been given accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.