SERIOUS CHARGE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 27 November 1930, Page 6

SERIOUS CHARGE.

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED j MURDER. j i SEQUEL TO DOMESTIC j SQUABBLE. I ("?RESB ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) TAUM-fIJtUNUI, November 26. At Ohura yesterday, before Justicea of the Peace, William Barrett Browning, aged 51, was charged with attempting to murder Lucy Ann Browning at To Kapuiti on November 6th. Detective Walsh prosecuted, and Mr J. N. McKenzie, Taumarunui, appeared for accused. Lucy Ann Browning, aged 41, wife of accused, said that she married accused at Rewa on April 19th, 1930. Her husband described himself as an overseer in the Public Works Department. Aftor marriage she joined her husband at a camp at Te Kapuiti. She met him first at Auckland on January Bth. On the evening of November 6th elic and her daughter, Lucy, accused, and John Dobree were playing cards in tho kitchen. A dispute arose, and she asked Browning to light the lamp. The accused did not speak, nor did ho light the lamp. She said she would throw him and the lamp through the window. She v.-as angry. They did not resume playing cards. Later the accused ■ forced his way into her bedroom. She | was near the doorway, and tho accused | moved towards her. She pushed him, 1 and he stumbled against a box in the j porch. ' Use of Tomahawk Alleged. Accused then struck her on the chin and blood streamed from the cut, and she ran outside, screaming, added witness. She could not say what tho accused struck her with. She then ran towards the garden, where she slipped or overbalanced and fell on hor back. The accused was then at hor side with a tomahawk in his hand. The accused attempted to strike her on the face, and she put her left hand in front of her face. She received a blow on the left forearm, but she coul<* not say what part of the axe struck her. The wound was six inches in length and one inch deep. She received another cut on tho right wrist. She received that while the accused had tho axe. She succeeded in getting the axe from accused while she v.-as still on the ground, but the accused kept on hitting her. Her eye, her arm, and her face were bruised. The wounds bled freely. She also sustained a wound on the back of her head, but she may have received that when oho fell. She screamed, and John Dobree came along and helped her to her feet. She held tha axe while Dobree went for assistance.

Evidence was given by Lucy Browning and John Dobrco that they heard screams and ran towards the house, where they found Mrs Browning lying on the ground tind accused standing ovp" her. Browning fainted. Police Evidence. Constable libbett said that in response to a telephone message on November Cth he went to Te Kapuiti with Dr. Turnbull. They went to llrowning's house, and Dr. Turnbull dressed Mrs Browning's wounds, which comprised a cut six inches long on the loft forearm, a cut on the right forearm, a cut on tli chin, and a cut on the back of the head. She had bruises on her face and h-r left hand. Accused told witness that he would make a statement showing that he had provocation. Accused said ho could not control himself, and complained about men who vinited the house being in positions and places they had no right to be. His wire had told him to get out of tho house and gi to a tent. He caught hold of the axe and his wife fell, but he did not know what he had done. There had been one long quarrel over men, and if he was jealous he had reason to be. Accused also told him that there had been a party, and all had had more drink than was good for them. Ilis wife got "silly drunk.'' Accused also stated that of his six months' married life his wife had spent two months in Auckland having a good time, and when she returned she told him to go to Hell.

Accused pleaded not guilty, and reserved his defence. He wjis committed for trial at Hamilton.