ALLEGES WIFE MURDER

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1930, Page 11

ALLEGES WIFE MURDER

TRIAL OF MUNN CONTINUED

DOCTOR IN THE BOX WHOLE DAY.

TREATMENT OF THE PATIENT.

STRUCK BY MANNER OF ACCUSED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night.

The hearing of the charge against Alfred Thomas Munn of murdering his wife was continued this morning.

| At the request of counsel for the dei fence Mrs. Lydia Gill, who fainted yesterday, was recalled She said that Mrs. Munn did not tell her she had drunk anything bitter or that Minin' had given her' anything bitter. ’ ,/’ The medical men called as witnesses closely followed the evidence of Dr. Budding, who attended Mrs. Munn. He .said that he w as first informed on February 4 that the woman had had a seizure. On his arrival at the house j Munn said his wife had started trembling. Witness thought the woman might he going to have a stroke owing to high blood pressure, After prescribing for her he left. His-uiext visit was on February 6. The patient seemed comfortable and happy; he did not think her seriously ill. Ho-revisit-ed her again or February 8 and- lOr (Monday). On Tuesday the; doctor, received a message that the patient had had a very bad-turn. He. found her “played out,” and presently; she had a convulsive attack lasting,.,fo.ur , minutes. He had never seen or. near<£, of 7 any such condition before. ;He . said - nothing to Munn of his suspicions.,' Late.r he. was' called and was surprised . r tb find. the woman dead, condition of the body he had concluded‘that she had had another convulsipn. and died iji it., Dr. Dudding said lie was then' almost sure the woman had died ,of strychnine. On the table at the/bedside was a cup containing liquid and ai fluffy brown deposit siicTi as was often in saltswhen allowed to stand. Mr. Northeroft protested ' that this I was new evidence. Witness said lie had mentioned it to the police. The rest of his evidence was concerning the steps he took to test the fluid found in the cup, following the lines of his evidence in the lower court. QUESTIONING OF DOCTOR. In cross-examination Dr. Dudding said he gave Munn blood drawn from Mrs. Munn’s arm to dispose of. Mr. Northcroft: So Munn had no need to entertain suspicion that you had drawn the blood to take it away for a test?—That is so. Would it not be inappropriate to say that if she did not lie quiet she might be sent to hospital ?—That would often be said in such cases. I did not say that in. this case. Answering further questions the doc- - tor said he thought Munn was worried L about hie wife’s condition. Mrs. Munn had not complained to him of loss of power in her legs, though she said she had cramp in her legs. The day before her death Mrs. Munn did not make any complaints. She was bright and cheerful. Mr. Northcroft: What time' did you recognise it was a strychnine convulsion? —It took some moments for my mind to work. How long did that take? —The whole business was so dramatic that I can’t gives times. This is a good deal more important to my client than to you. —I recognised it was a strychnine convulsion later. When did you recognise it? —I was highly suspicious when I saw the arching of the back. If your suspicions of-strychnine convulsions were justified was not the woman in imminent danger of death? — She had been in danger during the previous seven days. The doctor said he was certain the convulsion was caused by' poisoning after he had returned to his rooms and consulted books Counsel submitted the standard work of poisons prescribed the application of, chloroform and the use of a stomach ; pump where poisoning was suspected. Witness agreed that this method of treatment was' the orthodox pne and he said he had not carried this out.. He admitted that patients suffering .from strychnine poisoning died either from asphyxia or exhaustion, and the danger of suffocation during a convulsion was ever present. Mrs. Munn would have been well enough to be taken out of bed between the Thursday and the'Monday, said the doctor. She was physically able to get out of bed and return to bed. Mr. Meredith, referring to the suggestion that it might have been possible for Mrs. Munn to get out of bed, asked, whether in the light of his subsequent knowledge witness still held that opinion. Witness said he had never really put the matter to test. Regarding Munn’s manner over ■ his wife’s death, witness said he was struck by Munn’s manner. Munn 'had seemed very “matter of fact” and did not seem at all worried. He was also struck by Munn’s manner during the illness, At this stage the hearing was adjourned till to-morrow, . The. Crown has a further 15 witnesses, to call, many of whom are medical mqn; and . the trial will extend well into mex;t