HUSBAND ARRESTED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 186, 7 August 1929, Page 7

HUSBAND ARRESTED

ALLEGED WIFE MURDER ANALYST’S REPORT AWAITED t Australian Press Assn, j SYDNEY, August 6. Detectives, after closely investigating the mysterious illness of Airs Helena Pearson, a native of New Zealand, at Sydney Hospital, to-night arrested the husband, Walter Rufus Pearson, aged 55, painter on a charge of wife murder in October, 1923. The police state that Pearson had been three times married, first about ten years ago, secondly in 1923. This woman’s body was exhumed a few days ago and 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.

POLICE SEIZE FOOD PEARSON REFUSED BAIL I Australian Press Anu. 1 SYDNEY, August 6. Pearson has been 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 Mr William Minihan, whose funeral was held up on July 22 by the police, who took charge of the body. It was cabled on July 23 that detectives, acting with dramatic suddenness, held up a funeral in Rockwood Cemetery and took charge of the coffin, which was later placed in the morgue. It is stated that William Minihan died suddenly after vacination.

TRACES OF POISON [ Australian Press Assn. ] SYDNEY, August 6. The Police Prosecutor disclosed that traces of poison were found in the body of Mrs Marion Pearson, which was exhumed after it had been buried for six years, when Walter Pearson, aged 55, was remanded on a charge of having murdered his former wife.

INTERRUPTED FUNERAL. POLICE NOW SATISFIED, ( Australian Press Assn. J Received August. 6, 11 p.m. SYDNEY, Aug. 6. At the Coroner’s inquiry into the death of William Minihan, 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.