SAVAGE ONSET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1664, 3 February 1913, Page 5

SAVAGE ONSET.

HUSBAND BATTERS WIFE. AND ATTEMPTB 6UICIDE. 1 (By Telegraph—Prosa Association.) Auckland, February 2. A sensational occurrence took placo at Otahuhu, nine miles from Auckland, early yesterday morning, as a result of which a railway worker named Charles John. Mahon, aged 50 years, lies poisoned with lysol beyond liopo of recovery, while his wife is suffering from serious head wounds, said to have been'inflicted by Mahon with a hammer.

I ho couple had been living apart for six mouths, and Mrs. Mahon had only returned to her homo on Friday, after being with her widowed mother at Takapuna. The Mahon family included five children; From investigations made by ft representative of tho "Star," it seems that in July last some ill-feeling crept into the relations existing between tho man and his wife, the former beimj moved to resent frequent visits to tho home by a certain young man. Mrs. Mahon is un-' derstood to liavo resented her huslxind's reproof so much that she immediately left him, and went to live with her mother; She states that upon returning her husband received her Kindly.. According to the further statements of the injured woman she' retired at tho usual time on Friday. A littlo later her husband joined her, but he was Testloss. and. getting out again he partly diessed himself. Then leaving tho house, he went into an adjoining paddook. As'lie did not return, Mrs. Mahon went to sleep with her littlo son in another bedroom. After being asleep for some time, Mrs. 'Mahon became aware that her husband was entering tlio bedroom. Ho was without a light, and so sho remained in passivo anticipation of any remarks he might desire to make, but no word was spoken. Instead, four-violent blows were levelled at her head with some heavy instrument, which Mrs. Mahon took to be a hammer, and of such brutal forco were tho blows that the unfortunate woman lapsed into a state of unconsciousness. When she revived Mahon was striking a maicli, and ■she supposed that ho must have seen blood on the bed, for he exclaimed, "Oh, Eva," and then rushed out.

After rushing from the presence of his battered wife, Mahon must have gone into the kitchen and 'gulped down a quantity of lysol'from a bottle which had been taken to the house. Ho was found in a serious state of collapse by his wife when she had recovered sufficiently to leave her room in an endeavour to do something for tho wounds on either sido of her head, 1 which were bleeding profusely. , It was still early morning, hnd to thai best of Mrs. Mahon's. belief the : assault must, have occured between two and' three o'clock.

Dr. Macdonald was called in later, and a stomach' pump was used on Mahon, and a restorative appliel, but the man is not expected to live.

Mahon, who is being attended by Dr. Macdonald and Dr. Barber, benrs a good character. The residents of Otahuhu state that they have' always regarded him as a hard working and inoffensive man.