MURDER CHARGE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 255, 28 October 1939, Page 8

MURDER CHARGE

SUPREME COURT TRIAL CONTINUES ANATOMICAL EVIDENCE [ Ter Pros Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 27. The Crown case against Arthur John Patience (48>. labourer, charged with the murder of his wife, Harriet Jane Patience, in Claverley, on October 4. w.'4 continued before Mr. Justice Ncrthcroft in the Supreme Court to-day. Mr. A. T. Donnelly is conducting the case for the Crown. Mr. Alan Brown being with him. Mr. R. A. Young, with him Mr. T. A. Gresson, appears for Patience. Cross-examined by Mr. Gresson, Dr. Pearson said it was unusual to find a windpipe damaged in a case of strangulation. William Percy Gowland, professor of anatomy at the Otago Medical School, said he thought that after 30 years as a professional anatomist, that the indentation in the windpipe was not congenital. Gripping with the thumb during strangulation was the only way he could see that it could have been produced. Felix John Theodore Grigg. Government analyst in Christchurch, gave details of the testing of various parts of the body for poison without results. Dr. Phillip Patrick Lynch, pathologist, of Wellington, said the feet of the body had apparently been lost (through the action of sea lice. He had noticed a condition of adiposia which was a change in the fatty parts when the body was buried away from the air in a moist condition, such as in clay or pug. The process was slow in onset and might take months or years. There was no putrefaction in the body, although there was some decomposition. The marks of sacking and ligatures appeared to indicate that the body was first wrapped up and then bound with cords or something similar. The injuries to the chest could have been caused by crushing, the effusion of blood in relation to the back of the chest being so great that the heart must have been | beating to drive the blood through, and a violent pressure would have jbeen necessary. In themselves the ini juries were grave, but not necessarily ' fatal. They would have incapacitated ■the sufferer. He had never seen or ' read of such an indentation as was ' found in the windpipe. It could not have been caused by the thyroid i gland. Pathologist’s View I Dr. Lynch did not lean to the theory that the identation was caused , by a thumb, nor could he give any i theory as to what had caused it. The ' possibility of rocks or stones making jit could not be overlooked. The bruise in the neck added significance to the ■ theory of violence. If someone had knelt on the woman’s chest and ■gripped her throat injuries could be caused with the stoppage of the mouth. Death would soon follow. It was impossible to determine the mode of death. Dr. Lynch said he had formed the opinion that death was due to violence, because of the grave violence to the chest walls, the absence of organic disease and the marks nf sacking and cords, which excluded suicide or natural death. A degree of I decomposition of the brain made it i impossible to say whether or not there : had been cerebral haemorrhage, but 1 there were usually signs of that in other organs. Court Adjourns I To Mr. Gresson. Dr. Lynch said that Ithere were certain forms of brain I trouble not involving haemorrhage. * which could cause death. Such a possi- | bility could not be ruled out. He was I too uncertain to make a deduction : from the presence of an indentation tin the windpipe or to say that it was ‘caused by a thumb. Stones or rocks 'exerting pressure could not be. ex- | eluded as a possible source of injury. This ended th* Crown case and Mr. i Young indicated that he would not ‘ call evidence. The Court adjourned until Monday. Arrangements are being made for the jury to visit Claverley camp to-mor- ! row.