MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2281, 15 October 1914, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE ORIENTAL BAY TRAGEDY MUM COMMITTED FOR TRIAL William Amos Mullins appeared .before Mr. D-. G. A. Cooper, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with tho attempted murder of his wife Eliza Johnson Mullins, and attempted suicide. The charges wore the sequel to +ho tragedy .which occurred in Clyde Quay on August.. 13 ast, as be result of Which Mr. and Mrs. Mullins were both admitted to the. Hospita m a critical condition suffering from bullet wounds. Neither was expected to, recover. Yesterday, however, af ier two months, they were both-able to' appear in Court. Mr. E. V. Gaulter appeared for accused, who throughout the hearing of the case sat in the dock with his eyes • closed and a pained expression on his face.

Mrs. Mullins'e Story. ' Eliza Johnson Mullins, wife of the accused, said that up to the night of the occurrence, August 13 last, she re r sided' with her family at 102 Clyde Quay. Her husband returned,home tor the day from Makara on that date, intending to leave ..for Makara again m *.he- evening. During his. stay home up to the time he 1 shot her, they had hart no quarrel or unpleasantness. About .8 p.m. her husband asked her to go into tho vard and watch for. theS.3o car. He himself went upstairs. Site felt as if something were, going to happen, later on he went-out into the yard, and she followed. He then fired ; at her Her husband had • said to her: "Fancy! We are going to parti never to see'each other again." On several occasions prior to this he had talked to her about their parting. . Continuing witness . said that, when her husband fired the bullet struck her close to the eye. She said:' ."Tlicro, vou have shot me. I will go into the house before you do any-more injury. She went into the house and ho folic wed her into tho bedroom, and shot her a'<*ain. She remembered him ly/in<r on the floor, after this, and she heard two- more shots. Her husband was .not a man who-drank to excess. ■ToiMr. Gaulter: Several, times . : .prior to the occurrence .witness bad noticed that ■' her. . husband's ma.nnor was strange. He used/to sit as if fie were asleep and speak to nobody, bhe and her husband had had no serious disagreement. He had been different altogether since they'.arrived in tlie Dominion ten months ago. Committed for Trial. William Mullins, a little boy, son of the accused, said that ho was in bed the night tho affair occurred. Ho heard ■shots and heard his mother call out. His father and mother had had a row that day in the afternoon. ■'._■. Other' evidence was' their given, on lines similar to that given on the occasion of "the tragedy. '■',-■ , Sergeant Tavlor said that,ho arrest-, od accused on September 7, at the Hospital. Accused mado no reply to either of the charges, saying merely "Yes to each. A plea of;not guilty was/entered. Mr. Gaulter said the defence would be reserved and accused .was. committed, to the Supreme Court for trial. ■ . .. ■

FORGED REQUESTS FOR MONEY.

A young married man named James Michael Be ■• Cauroy appeared on. remand to answer five charges of forging requests for tho payment of money by post office order telegrams with intent i that tho same be acted upon -as genuine.' The people alleged to be victimised resided in and about Oamaru, their names were as. folio>v:-J. Dwyer (application for £3), 1. Hart (cOs , Mrs. James Rosie (£5), P. Kelly (£5), Mrs. J.'O'Donnell (£3). Mr. H. E. O'Leary appeared for accused. After the taking of tho evidence— the charo-es wero indictable ones—defendant entered a plea of gmlty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail'was allowed m £50 and one surety of £.50. accused to report himself to the police daily. , ■

OTHER' CASES. . Angus Morrison, alias Jolin Smith, for using obscene language, was fined £3 or 21 days' gaol,.and ordered to. pay witness's expenses 4s. ,-• John O'Sullivan appeared; on remand charged with helpless druukehness. On Mr H. F. O'Learv explaining the facts of the' case to tlie Magistrate, O'Sullivan was discharged on the understanding that he paid medical expenses incurred. . ;■' •;.'.<' For ■ drunkenness. Florence Emeny and Catherine' O'Connor, the Utter, a prohibited person, were each fined.4os., or seven days: Mary Brown 20s. or three days; and Alfred John Hart and George William Jackson, each 10s. or 48 hours. ' Seven'first offenders wero dealt with. *