THE HUSBAND SHOT AT*

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 4

THE HUSBAND SHOT AT*

PUKEHINAU AFFAIR. TRIAL OF MRS. IRELAND & GUEST. FINDING OF JURY. (By Telwauh.—K nodal Oorr«Donflont.l Palmerston, August 21. Hi.s Honour tho Chief Justice and a jury were ocoupied all dtay to-day 011 tho trial of what is known as the "Pukohiiuu affair." 'J'ho accused, William Edward Clemens, and Elizabeth Ireland, wore charged jointly with (1) having attempted to murder Frederick .Inines. Ireland, the huslxuul of the latter, 011 Mho night, of August 1; (2) with having, witli intent to do grievous bodily harm, dßno actual bodily harm to him; (3) with having assaulted him, doing actual bodily harm: (4) with liaving conspired to do him bodily :harm; and (0) separately, tho woman, with, while knowing that Clemens had attempted to murder her husband, bring an. accessory after the fact. Mr. Harold Smith, Palriatun, defended Clemens, and Mr. C. 11. Cooper appeared for Mrs. Ireland. Both plwidod not guilty.

Mr. Cooper afllted that tho tost charge filiould be heard f-oparatioly, for fear of prejudicing his olionit. ! His Honour replied that it .was usual to try principal and accessory together, and he. did nevt think that tliis courso would prejudice Mrs. Ireland. Of course Elite could not bo found guilty unless tlio man wore found guilty, and also slio could not be found guilty unless something moro than mere knowledge wns shown. Ho -would carefully explain tho position to the jury. When tho prosecutor, who limped slightly as a result of the shooting, was a'bout Ito give evidence, Mr. Cooper asked that he should bo first informed by his Honour that, he was not compelled to testify against his wlfo unless ho. so desired.

Ilia Honour said that this did not apply wlicro tho offence was uno directly bv Husband against wife, or vice versa. llr. Cooper naid there was doubt 011 this point, and Mr, Justico Chapman had hold otherwise. His Honour to witness I Do you object to give ovidoneoP Witness; No. I'll toll nil tho evidence I saw. Lawyer's Addresses to Jury, Mr. Cooper nslced the Court to find that thero was no caso to go to a jury ngainst Mm Ireland. Tho only attempt to connect her with it was more surmise. Sir Hobert Stout held that tho evideuco wus sufficiently strong to go to a jury. Mr. Smith, who appeared for Clemens, said that though ho could not plead insanity, yet the absenco of motivo, ond the strange suddenness of tho attack showed that his ciiont had, for tho roomemit, completely lost possession of his reason. In faco of tlio ovideneo, howovor, and of accused's own . nduiiss : ou to tho police, they must find him guilty of shooting, but tlicro was 110 ovideneo of n preconceived plan. Mr. Cooper suggested that Mrs. Ireland had not been aware of tho shots fired, and was awaiting her husband's return. Her collapse, when charged, was tho natural result of the horrible news, and her delicate, despondont condition.' How His Honour Saw It. Tho Chief Justice, after referring to tlio conclusiveness of tho caso against Clemens, said that, in a matter of conspiracy, thero was very seldom direct proof," because tho plot was usually wade 111 secret. They must infer from tho overt acts of the parties. It was impossible to believo that, in a quiet count'ry night, tho woman had not heard tho gunshots. Instead of showing /concern over her husband's absence from 9-30 (ill 11.30, slio had remained in tho houso unconcerned with. ' fret. • husband's possible murder. Tho <liscovcry of a gun under her bed, covered by her clothes, and also her desiro to poison herself, all pointed to her association with tho crime. l Clemens Convicted. 'Tho jury retired for half all hour, and found Clemens guilty of doing griovouß bodily harm, with intent to do so. Tho jury " acquitted Mrs. Ireland. Clomenß will bo sentenced to-morrow.