CHARGE OF MURDER.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17983, 31 March 1930, Page 7

CHARGE OF MURDER.

NORTHCOTE SENSATION. ACCUSED IN COURT. EVIDENCE OF DECEASED’S MOTHER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Monday. The hearing of the . charge against Arthur Thomas Munn, £5, furniture worker, of Northcote, for the murder of his wife, Lillie May Munn, at Northcote, in February, was commenced before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., to-day. Mr. R. M. Riddle, public works draughtsman, produced plans of the interior of accused’s house. ' Mrs. Sarah Campbell, of Wellington, molher of deceased, stated in evidence that the deceased first married W. Westerby in November, 1917. Westerby went to the war ,ancl died of pneumonia in England. There were no children of that marriage. On ’March ’ 12, 1920, deceased married accused at Greytown. A little time later they removed to Northcote, where two children of the marriage were horn, girls aged five and nine. Deceased corre- ' sponded with witness regularly every week. In her last letter dated February 9, deceased wrote: “ I can only write a Wnote to you lying in bed. I came over very queer on Tuesday morning; Arthur got a doctor and he was here a long time. He stuck a needle in my arm and took away some blood to test. I think it is blood "pressure and nervous trouble. Arthur is just goodness itself, Mum, and is-looking after nje well. Don’t worry, I’m getting well.” Mrs. Campbell said the writing on the inside of the letter-card was deceased’s, written in pencil, the outside was addressed in ink. Witness thought this was accused’s writing. Mrs. Campbell said lice daughter had £IOO when she married Munn; she j understood deceased afterwards put it into the house at Northcote. The mother said deceased had a lovely disposition, was cheerful and bright and not at all despondent. Daughters Allege Cruelty. Dorothy Ida Munn, aged 19, said that she is residing with her mother, who was divorced from accused. Witness said that until three years ago* she lived with her father at Northcote. Answering a question by counsel, witness replied that acoused was very cruel to Mrs Munn in many ways. She had seen accused strike his wife on two occasions.. Once his blow was hard and severe, with his clenched hand, and it made her fall.' On another occasion accused went to the fireplace, where deceased was stirring some jam. 'He took the jam i stick from her and struck her shoulwith it. t “What was her attitude towards * accused?” asked Mr Meredith, Crown fiProsecutor. j "Witness: “She was always doing all jshe possibly could for him.” K . Witness said she left home because sie accused was so cruel to her. Accused told her that she would have to come home every week-end she had off, or he would put the police on to her. She afterwards refused to go home, and advertised for her own mother and went to live with her. Mr Meredith: “Who got your teases?” Witness: “I kept them myself, as he wanted to take them.” Mavis Leonie Munn, another daughter of accused, living with her mother, said she left her father’s house about two months after her sister Dorothy left “Up to the time I left,” she added, “my father never treated deceased with any respect, and always spoke to her roughly. I have never seen him strike her, but I have seen him chasing her into the bedroom. She then barricaded the door, when he kept pushing on it.” Accused s behaviour to her stepmother had not altered up to the time witness left home. Accused Sole Legatee Under Will. Oliver Arthur Herbert Munn, aged 21, said he had. seen his father strike and push his stepmother many times. She teas always meek and mild, trying to keep peace for the children’s sake. Accused ran the house. Witness was living at home until a year Robert Rowan Bell, solicitor, deposed to receiving a letter from airs Munn on December 24, instructing him to make a will leaving everything to Munn. It was signed on January 15, with Munn the sole legatee. A Matrimonial Advertisement. k An advertising clerk from 'the Auckp"]and Star gave evidence that in Octo- " ber 1929 a matrimonial advertisement was handed to her over the counter by a man. The words “view to matrimony" were not in it, but the man at her request wrote in those words. The advertisement was published as follows: “Gent, 40, lonely, wishes to meet companionable woman, without means preferable, view to matrimony. Write H 6218, Star.” She had Risked the man to sign his name on the back of the advertisement. The name on the back was Munn, Norlhcote. The original advertisement was produced.