THE GIRL WHO SHOT HER SEDUCER.

Evening Star, Issue 3807, 7 May 1875, Page 3

THE GIRL WHO SHOT HER SEDUCER.

We recently mentioned a case which occurred in New South Wales, in which a girl shot at and wounded her seducer. Its sequel furnishes another instance of an undoubted failure of justice, according to our laws, in order to meet a worse injustice, perpetrated with impunity under the unwritten laws of society. At the Albury Circuit Court, before his Honor Mr Justice Hargrave, Phoebe Post surrendered to her bail on a charge of wounding with intent to kill one Edward Donnelly; a second count charged the prisoner with wounding with intent to do bodily harm. Prisoner pleaded not guilty, and was defended by Mr Purves, instructed by Mr Dwyer. The principal evidence was given by Edward W. Donnelly, who said : I am a squatter residing at Buckaginga. I know the prisoner, who resides six or seven miles from my station. She lives at an hotel on the main road from Albury to Wagga Waggi. I have known her for fifteen or seventeen months. We have been on friendly terms. I remember the Bth of Jannary. I passed the hotel, and saw prisoner on that day. She asked me where I was going, I said I was going to the mountains with sheep and did not know when I would be back. She said she was going away from home in two or three days. She inquired if I was going to call. I said I did not think I should have time to stay more than five minutes. This was between eleven and twelve o’clock. I then went back to the sheep. After this I called at the hotel—about twelve or half-past twelve. I saw the prisoner at the door. I said I could not stay long. We were standing just inside the parlor door. I ’ think she asked me when I would come back. I said I did net know. She arked me if I was coining back any more. I aid I did not know. I then said I must be going, She asked me to give her a kiss before I went. I did so, and then I left. I don’t remember anything more. I was abont five minutes in the room. There was a photograph on the table which prisoner wanted met© take, but I did not take it. It was a likeness of the prisoner. I had kissed the prisoner on several previous occasions. More than kissing bad taken place. At this time I had been intending to get married. I had never promised to marry the prisoner. After I bad started away from the bouse I heard the report of a revolver. I heard three shots. I was just cantering away. After the first report my horse went off very rapidly. 1 felt that I was shot in the arm. This was after the third shot. I looked at my arm, and saw blood. There was a hole in my coat. I took off my coat, and saw three holes in it. One of the holes was there be fore. There were two wounds in my arm. When I say that we were on friendly terms, I mean that we had no angry words be tween us, I mean that I met her as a friend. I mean I was not strange to hci’, nor she to me. I have had frequent intercourse with her. I used to meet her frequently. At the same time I was courting another woman for ray wife, I ! now prisoner is enceinte. I am not certain that I am the father of her child. I know she went to Sydney to try to get into the convent. I believe she was refused admission because she was enceinte. I have not told all that took place in the parlor at our last interview, I did not tell all, because I did not know that anything was required except the conversation which took place between us The defence, as far as could be gathered from the address made ta the jury by Mr Purves, seems to be that the prosecutor had sought an interview with the prisoner on the occasion in question for an improper, purpose, and that, having accomplished his object by force, the prisoner, in resentment, had fired the shot. At the close of Mr Purves’s speech, there were loud demonstrations of applause, which were promptly suppressed. The Crown Proscutor replied, and his Honor summed up. After a very brief retirement the jury returned into court with a verdict of ‘Not Guilty,’ the announcement of which was the signal for the renewal of the demonstrations of approval which greeted Mr Purves’s speech.