ASSAULT CHARGE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20176, 3 March 1931, Page 7

ASSAULT CHARGE.

WIFE WOUNDED WITH HATCHET. HUSBAND ON TRIAL, (razss 4SSOCUTIOK tsusobau.) HAMILTON, March 2. Having allegedly-attacked his wife with a hatchet, William Barrett Browning, aged 58, "a Camp cook, was charged before his Honour, Mr Justice Smith, and a jury, at Hamilton to-day,, with assault so as to cause actual bodily harm. The charge originally was one of attempted murder; but it was reduced by the grand jury: In presenting the case for" the Crown, Mr H. D. Gillies, said that in January last year the prisoner met his present wife. They were married in April.' Things were not as happy as the/ might have been, partly- owing to the fact that the prisoner had represented himself to be a Public Works overseer, whereas he was only a camp cook; He took his wife back to tho Public Works camp at Tikapuitu On 'the night of November 6th, the prisoner, his wife, her daughter, and a young man named Dobree, were playing a game, of earda in prisoner's bouse. A dispute arose oyer alleged misdealing of cards. The wife rose and threatened to throw .a lamp at her husband. She ended by frying, her things to the «snt where he daughter slept. She had been there only a few minutes, when she was at* ticked by her husband with a tomahawk, suffering fairly severe injuries to the head. Mr Gillies read letters which the t prisoner , had written previous to and after the assault, in which he charged ,his wife, with unchastity. Complainant's Evidence. Lucy Ann Browning, wife M the ■ prisoner, said she married him 'on April ' 19th. , She went down to the' camp '.in ' .May, along with her. daughter, and f her '?. husband, andshe sleptin ; a. tent at . first* and her daughter in the codkhouse., Lafer, 'they occupied a" house. H Describing, the incidents' that * took places on .the night of November 6th, . the witness , said that she, her husband, i / her daughter, and a young man, Johnny Dobree were playing -cards. Followmg an argument-,'she gathered up her beloggings, and wont to her,- daughters ~tent< Her followed her to the tent, and she tried to push him out. . ,She also tried to push her way out of the tent." Her husband struck her wj.tn - something/ and ,bloo(f began to flow ■ from her, chin. She "managed to breaK. • away from him, but tripped and fell, and as she did so she saw her husband standing over her with a tomabawK. Hfe struck at her face with the but she took the blow, on one arm. He > then pulled her hand away from her , face,and she; received a further-blow on the other arm. . . ... • Questioned as to her drinking habits, witness denied that she was 1 to drink. She denied that men had been ■' accustomed: td drink at her house,. Injuries Described. Dr. B. B. Campbell, Ohura, gave evi--3 dence as to Mrs frowning's .injuries. J There were six wounds, the largest bef tng six inches long, on the left forearm. One of the cuts was on the chin, and " one on the back of the head. The in- ? jury to. the back of the head was more - likely to have been caused by a fall » than by an axe. 0 In answer to the foreman of tne . jury, the doctor Baid the wounds were all superficial, the deepest one (that £ on the chin) penetrating about half an inch, mm "ter VI In opening for the defence, Mr Tioble ' said'the prisoner came to New Zealand r 16 years ago from Scotland as .a home 1 missioner of , the Presbyterian Churea, "® in which he was. ordained a minister. a He had ministered in various rural disi , . . .. . ,1. TaloTi/1 nnd :Inter at

trictß in the South Island, ana later a* Whangamomona for 14 y^® rß » an ? a half years ago hiß wife diedj-ana becoming despondent, 'he left the Church and took a job in a PubHo Works catop. In answer to a matrimonial advertisement he went to Auckland, where he was introduced to his present, wife-, at a matrimonial agency. They had known each other a very short while, when they were married at his former parish of Eewa., was held in high respect there, and practically the whole of his former parishioners, attended the wedding. They spent a happy fortnight together, and then Browning had to return to the camp. .The woman.remained in Auckland. The prisoner would say that when be went to enter the ten* she pushed him And he fell over a bench. His wife attacking him, he .seized something without noticing .that it was an axe, and .in the_ struggle that ensued the' wounds were inflicted. ■ The 'jury ' retired to consider tho