THE FORTUNE-TELLER AND DRINK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 6

THE FORTUNE-TELLER AND DRINK.

BANEFUL EFFECT. THE STORY OF A BROKEN HOME. (Br Telegraph' -^ Special Oorreflrondent.) Auckland, May IG. Behind the quarrel and the shooting at the house of Edward Williams, of Newmarket,' last night, lies a story of jealousy, aroused by a visit to a fortune-teller. In the story, as related this morning by a Mrs. Williams—a woman of homely and respectable appearance—is introduced some pathetic circumstances:— "Somo timo ago," said Mrs. Williams, "my husband had his fortune told by a woman in the city. When ho returned homo on that occasion ho said that the fortune-toiler stated that his wife was unfaithful to him, and ever since ho had been throwing up that insinuation. He has been drinking a good deal of late, and when ho came home at G o'clock yesterday evening ho was tho worse for liquor. Ho wont out again, and returned at lixnit 8.30 when he again brought up tho matter tlint it ho fortilne-tcllor had said. I then told him," continued the wife, "that if ho repeated tho statement I wo-uld knock him down. lie came at me with a revolver in hi 9 hand, and I made a blow at liim. Then ho turned away to the other 6ido of tho bedroom. and, placing the revolver to his head, fired. I took tho weapon away, and got him to go to bed, while I sent for (ho police. My husband has previously threatened to do away with himself when' under tho influence of drrink." . Sergeant Dale, who reached the house at about 8.43 p.m., found Williams in bed partly dressed, with a good deal of blood about him. There was a small wound on .tho right side of his head, but the bleeding had ceased. Mrs. Williams was attending tho injured man; and a sevenchambered revolver (loaded in six chambers) lay on tho dressing table. Dr. Kinder was summoned, and Williams was removed to the hospital, being left thero undnr the supervision of a constable. "Thsro is little doubt," stated Sergeant Dale, "that Williams's rash act was caused by drink. When I readied his hou?o 110 was practically in the 'd.t.V and did not appear to realise what lio had done." Besides the bullets l in tho six chambers of the weapon, a number were found in one of the man's coat pockets, and also in one of his ,pockets there was found a crumpled and nartly-torn sheet of -writingpaper containing the following message (written with n pencil in a somewhat laboured fashion) "Alice, I don't want you to grieve over me in any way. I have been a bad man 'to you, but I won't ba any longer, as 1 am going to take my life; and, Alice, I hope that you will not wear any black for me. Forget all about me as if had never seen me, but I only wish that you will forgivo me for all. Ton will get on all right without me. You have no love or time for me, so I am better dead. May God forgive me. If I had lived I had good prospects for the future to malco plenty of money, and we would have'got on all right if other things were right. So good-bye for ever." Hero followed six crosses and somo words that had been pencilled out. The letter ended:—"l am yours, E. Williamscall mo what you like. Good-bye."