ALLEGED WIFE MURDER

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18024, 20 May 1930, Page 7

ALLEGED WIFE MURDER

MUNN BEFORE COURT.

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS.

EVIDENCE BY DETECTIVE.

FINDING OF POISON BOTTLE.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Monday. The murder trial was resumed this morning. Acted in Natural Manner. Mr Northcroft: When you asked Munn whether he had any strychnine in the house, he answered you quite promptly? Detective - Sergeant Doyle: Yes. And he showed you quite naturally where he expected to find it?—Yes, he rose to find it in a natural manner. And you followed him to get it. You naturally had him under suspicion?—No, I did not have him under suspicion. I had no one under suspicion. You have to have everyone under suspicion. There was, of course, a possibility that the strychnine was criminally administered? Yes, of course. Why didn’t you tell us in the Police Court about the bottle of pills?—Because I did not attach any importance to them. I did not find the bottle until March 8. I took it to the chemist, Mr Shaw, who told me the prescription was made up in 1921, and was a tonic prescription. And you tolcl no one about the discovery of the bottle? —No one except the Crown solicitor. Well, it is an amazing thing that the pills were sent off for analysis only to-day, or, in any event, only last week ? —That is for the Crown solicitor. “ Did you find any finger-prints on the bottle?” asked the foreman. Witness said there were no fingerprints on the bottle. This was not altogether unexpected as a bottle did not retain them well. The foreman said there was a feeling among the jury that the fingerprints might have been rubbed off. Corroborative evidence was given by Detective Orme Power. Chemist Gives Evidence. Charles Frederick Shaw, a chemist, said a bottle with several pills in it had been shown to him by DetectiveSergeant Doyle. There was a prescription number on the label and he had a copy of the prescription, dated early in August, 1921. The prescription was for Miss Harney, but he did not know where she was now. The prescription called for 24 pills, each containing two grains of nux vomica. There is a certain amount of strychnine in nux vomica, is there not? — Yes, about 1.25 per cent. How much strychnine would be contained in these pills?—Threefifths of a grain. So each pill would contain onefortieth of a grain? —Yes. Mr Meredith said an analysis of the pills was being made, and he anticipated that the result would be ready by to-morrow.