WIFE MURDER ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1930, Page 8

WIFE MURDER ALLEGED

TRIAL OF A. T. MUNN BEGINS

CROWD OVERFLOWS THE COURT.

ADDRESSES OCCUPY WHOLE DAY.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Auckland, May 12.

The trial of Arthur Thomas Munn on a charge uf murdering his wife, Lillie May Munn, at Northcote on February 11, opened this morning. It is expected to last a week.

Munn, who is a furniture-maker aged 45, is represented by Messrs. E. H. Northcroft and Munro, and the Crown Prosecutor, Mr. W. J. Meredith, had. with him Mr. F. McCarthy. Mr. Justice Herdman is on the Bench.

Mr. Northcroft exhausted his right of challenging jurors and Mr. Meredith stood seven aside.

Following '.the empanelling of the jury the court adjourned for about two hours while. argument was heard in chambers on tlie admissibility of certain On the resumption Mr. Meredith opened his address. The Crown Prosecutor said the charge was that Munn poisoned his wife with strychnine. There would be no direct evidence of the administration of the poison; there could never be in such cases. It was certain that the wife died as a. result of several doses of strychnine, and there were only three explanations possible —one, that she took the poison herself for some reason; two, that she took it by accident through food or otherwise; three, that it was given her by someone else. Mr. Meredith submitted that it was not reasonably possible for a person, having once taken strychnine, to be willing to suffer the effects of another dose. • The Crown Prosecutor had not concluded when the court adjourned. Mr. Meredith dealt exhaustively with every detail of the ease as outlined in the Police Court. His address has occupied over three hours. So far the address has given no indication of fresh evidence.

Mr. Meredith intimated that he might not address the jury after the hearing of the evidence.

The Court was crowded' throughout the day, many women being present) and numbers being unable to gain admission.