DOMESTIC TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1669, 8 February 1913, Page 6

DOMESTIC TROUBLE

THE OTAHUHU CASE,

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

AND ASSAULT,

(By Telegraph-Press Association.)

, Auckland. February 7. ..Charles John Henry Mahon appeared at tho Polico Court this morning on charges that at Otahuhu on Saturday ho attempted to commit suicide bj- taking lysol, and that he assaulted his wife, Eva- Ellen Mahon.

Mr. Singer, who appeared for Mahon. entered a plea of guilty. Senior-Sergeant Mackinnon said that tho accused and his wife wero living at Otahuhu, and during tho night on Friday Mnhon left his room and went out of tho houso. His wife at that time went out of his bedroom also, and went into' another room. When Mahon came back he found that his wife had shifted. He went and asked her to go back to tho bedroom. Sho refused, and ho went away, but an hour or two afterwards he wont into tho Toom where she was and hit her on tho head with somo blunt instrument, lhe wife could not say what 6he was hit with, but tho man stated afterwards that it was a tomahawk. It must have been the back of tho tomahawk if that weapon were used, becauso the injuries inflicted on tho woman wero not serious. They were, in fact, very mild.' Matom then went to the kitchen and took somo lysol, and went out into a paddock, whero he was found in an unconscious 6tate later in the morning. Mahon was a man who bore a very high character, but there had for a very long time been friction between him and nis .wife. Some 'time before this she had left home and been away for somo time, but had returned homo a week prior to the assault. It was to be regretted for accused's sake that she had returned home. Mr. Singer said that it was not desired to go into sordid details, but for many years tho man had put up with conduct on the part of. his wire that not on© man in a. thousand would stand. He had frequently forgiven her and tnken her back, having dono so only just .before' this occurrence. * Dr. Maodonald, who was called in to attend Mrs. Mahon, 6aid that her injuries consisted of two small scalp wounds. There was no necessity to put in any stitches as the wounds were by no means of a serious nature. Confronted with a tomahawk of heavy pattern, which Mahon said ho had used, tho doctor stated that Mahon must havo' been very careful to have used that weapon and caused a wound so trifling. Mr. Frazer, S.M., 6aid that tho police had-indicated that tho trouble was largely of tho wifo's own making, but no matter how badly a woman failed to fulfil her wifely duties that could never justify an attempt on her life. The magistrate asked prisoner if ho would promise not to repeat the attempt at suicide, and tho promise .was readily, given. Mahon was not at first inclined, however, to give -up his work at Otahuhu and go to Hamilton where he would be under hia brother's superintendence. Whqn it was pointed out to him that plenty of work was obtainable for him at Hamilton, and that ho must of necessity stay away from whore his wife was likely to be, he agreed. Prisoner was thereupon convicted and' discharged. on the charge of; attempted suicide. On tho other chargo he was convicted and ordered to pay costs, and to enter into his own recognisance of wBIOO and obtain, surety of JiOO that he would keep tho peaco towards his wife for six months.