WIFE MURDER ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1929, Page 9

WIFE MURDER ALLEGED

EXTRAORDINARY FEATURES

SYDNEY PAINTER ARRESTED NEW ZEALAND WOMAN ILL — By Telegraph—Press Assu.—Copyright. • Australian Press Association. Sydney, Aug. 5. Detectives are closely investigating the mysterious illness of Mrs. Helena Pearson, a native of New Zealand, who is in the Sydney Hospital. To-night they arrested her husband, Walter Rufus Pearson, aged 5'5, a painter, on a charge of wife murder in October. 1923.

. The police state that Pearson had been married three times; first about ten years ago, secondly in 1923. This woman’s body was exhumed a few days ago. A report from the analyst is awaited.

Pearson is further charged with having administered chloride of zinc to his present wife between April and August 5, with intent to murder her. Pearson was refused bail. All the food taken to his present wife in hospital was seized and analysed. An extraordinary feature is that Pearson lives next >door to Mrs. William Minahan, -whose husband’s funeral was held up on July 22 by the police, who took charge of the body. It was stated that Minahan died suddenly after being vaccinated, Minahan recently came from New Zealand with his wife and family. He intended to go to New Guinea, and decided to be vaccinated against typhoid. The authorities took possession of the body in order to be able to test the serum used.

At the coroner’s inquiry this afternoon into the death of Minahan medical evidence was that the vaccination showed no reaction whatever, the cause of death being heart disease. The authorities took charge of the body at the graveside in order to discover whether inoculation directly or indirectly caused death as in the Bundaberg (Queensland) cases last year.

The coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.