Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5120x7168 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail
Hide article pages Show article pages
  1. Page 1
    Page 1 thumbnail
  2. Page 3
    Page 3 thumbnail

Article text

On this Page 1
Deeply in Love
says "the other woman".
SYDNEY, Fri. — In a husky voice, a tall blonde fold
the Coroner at Qujrindi today she had fallen "deeply in
love" with a grazier, charged with his wife's murder.
The blonde. Mrs Norma Catherine
Lokkerboll, was giving evidence at the
inquest on Mrs Betty Fleming, 39, the
grazier's wife.
Mrs Lokkerboll said her own husband
suffered from war neurosis and had com
mitted suicide.
She said she formed
an intimate, friendship
with the grazier,
Thomas Langhorne
Fleming, when he
showed sympathy after
her husband's death.
She said that since her
husband's death, she had
been known as Norma
Catherine Rose.
Fleming, 42, of Mt. Parry,
Station, Willow Tree, near
Quirindi, has been charged
with having murdered Mr's
Flemin , on June 28. He
was present in court in
custody.
-The courthouse was jam
med when Mrs Lokkerboll,
who now lives at Hurlstone
Park, Sydney, entered the
witness box.
Since she arrived in
Quirindi for the inquest a
few days ago she has kept
to her hotel room, with a
policewoman as her con
stant companion. '
She left the hotel only ,
at night, for a walk.
Today she screened her
self from photographers
with a tartan umbrella as
she entered the courthouse,
escorted by police.
"Won't believe it"
She said she had worked
at Mt. Parry as lady's help,
to Mrs Fleming, from July
23,1948. until June 25,
1950. when she left because
the position had become
unbearable.
Asked, whether she
thought Fleming had mur
dered his wife. Mrs Lok-
kerboll replied: -I could
not believe it and won't
believe it."
Mrs Lokkerboll said that
just after the end of 1948
Fleming moved from his
wife's bedroom.1
- He 'had later' returned,
but about 12 months before
Mrs Lokkerboll left, he had
put his bed on a side
verandah.
Sympathy
She formed /the close
friendship, with Fleming
after 'he had'' shown her
sympanthy and understand
ing following the death of
her husband.
Sgt. Lucas (assisting the
Coroner) Eventually that
friendship had bevome inti-
mate?
Mrs Lokkerboll: Yes.
Mrs Lokkerboll said
Fleming suggested mar
riage but she "would not
have it, for the children's
sake.''
She added: "I considered
they should have made it
up."
She said Fleming visited
her in Sydney and wrote a
number of letters to her,
She identified, the letters
as the 99 produced in court
yesterday.
After she refused to
marry Fleming they had
continued at friends. They
had never discussed the
possibility of her becoming
his mistress.
She said Mrs Fleming
had displayed neither
enmity nor open friendship
to her.
Firm decision
Mrs Lokkerboll' said
when she went to Sydney
in June 1950 she had firm-
ly decided to sever herself
from Fleming.
But the association had
sprung up again.
Sgt. Lucas read part of
a letter, which Mrs. Lokker
boll allegedly wrote to
Fleming.
It said: "Darling, it's
only natural that I hate
each day I am away from
you. Don't think I am im-
patient. I will be 'here
if I am wanted."
Mrs Lokkerboll,said she
remembered Fleming had
quoted this passage in a
letter to her.in August,
1950, and had said: "The
'if' should be 'when.' Really
the rest of it is wrong, too.
To me it would sound
much better ' if it read
'when you are free. " .
Suicide
She said she (had never
intended to convey to
Fleming that she was im
patient to b' married to
him, but only, implied im
patience, for his visits to
Sydney.
To Mr J. W. Shand.KC
(for Fleming), Mrs Lok
kerboll said that when she
went to Mt. Parry her hus-
and was suffering from
war neurosis and later
committed suicide.
Continued oh Page 3.
none Help
FLEMING,, who nturdef )(|f iiA wife -(left), entering ..' .Quirindi - Court yesterday, when- the inquest on Mrs Flcminq -was re sumed. < - Help
FLEMING,, who
nturdef )(|f iiA wife -(left),
entering ..' .Quirindi - Court
yesterday, when- the inquest
on Mrs Flcminq -was re
sumed. < -

-i'iajwwj

Poison
inquest

1 Mrs Lokkerboll said she
had noticed a coolness be
tween the Flemings..
Conversation at meals

was strained. Mrs Flem
ing always presented her
cheek when Fleming kissed
her hello and goodbye.
Did housework
Fleming did his own
washing, , ironing and
mending and used to do
the housework as well.
' When . clothes were
brought back from the
laundry in Willow Tree,
Mrs Fleming took her own
off the line, when they
were dry, and left Fleming
to collect his own.
She said Fleming had
never said a word to her
in criticism of his wife.
To Mr Shand she said
that at the end of her first
year, at Mt. Parry she
spent a week at Terrigal,
a NSW seaside resort, with
the Flemings.
Two days after she ar
rived Fleming began
sleeping on a bed on the
verandah.
Mrs Lokkerboll said that
in 1949 there was a period
when Fleming occupied his
wife's bedroom. .
Mr Shand: -During the
latter period you made
many attempts to persuade
him to begin again with
his wife? '
Mrs Lokkerboll: Yes. .
He told you it was hope
less. He ' told you he had
been repulsed? — Yes.
As employer
Mrs Lokkerboll said that
about February or March
1950. she told Fleming she
intended -to treat him; as
only an ' employer- and
wanted him to m&ke every
effort to resume . a happy
life with. Mrs. .Fleming.
But . during, that -period
she saw. no, Improvement in
relations between ' the
Flemings. ' Mrs "Fleming
had .never shown by -her
attitude' that . she resented
her '..relationship with
Fleming::.- , .
Mrs Lokkerboll ?aid she
first heard ..of - Mrs Flem
ing's death when a relative
read her the Sunday paper
report.
/ Mrs Lokkerboll said that
when she- gave notice that
she : was . leaving Mount
Parry she told Mrs Flem
ing' she did not consider
herself efficient enough.
But Mrs Fleming had
told her she whs "doing
all right and : not to- be so
silly."'- '
. To Mr Harrison (for Mrs

Fleming s relatives) . Mrs
Lokkerboll said Fleming
may have done his own
laundry because he pre
ferred to.
(Proceeding.)

$