A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 114, 23 May 1901, Page 4

A SERIOUS CHARGE.

HUSBAND AND WIFE. The following is the wife’s evidence in the charge against Walter Smith of intent to do her grievous bodily harm, the parties being residents of Napier:— Mary Smith, wife of the accused, deposed that on the 27th of last month she came to the Courthouse to take proceedings against her husband because he had threatened to take her life. She took out a summons for a summary separation. On her way home she met her husband at Hannah’s corner, Hastings street. He asked her what was the matter, and she said, “What did you tell me this morning?” Ho replied, “What did I say ? ” She told him ho had bought her a brooch, and accused her of having got it from somebody. He said he had been only joking, adding “ Make it up again.” She replied that she had made it up too often, and he said he knew it. He said “ You have been to take out a separation order,” and she replied in the affirmative, whereupon he said, “ A separation between you and me will mean the grave.” Subsequently they both went home in the same ’bus, getting out in front of their house in Shakespeare road. He wanted her to go inside, but she would not go. He tried to get her inside, but she would not go because slieVknew that if she did so her body would ebme out in a coffin. He tried force, getting holding of her, and when he found he could not get her. in he struck her several times with a stick, trying to hit her on the head. He did not say why he was striking her. Afterwards he drew a knife from liis side. She stooped down to save herself from the knife, whereupon he raised his stick to hit her, and when she lifted herself he stabbed her. The knife produced (a sheath knife) was the one he' used. It was while she was rising up that the knife went in. ,It was a deliberate thrust, and the knife entered between two of the left ribs. She identified the upper garments produced as those she had on at the time. She bled a lot. When wounded she did hot say anything, but ran to the Shakespeare Hotel, where she remained. Her husband did not follow her. Two of her children were with her afj, the time of the occurrence. In the morning, before she went up town, accused came to her and asked her what she had lost. She said she had lost nothing. -He went away, came back again, and repeated the question, she replying to the same effect. He then said, “ You have, and if you don’t tell me an end will be put to your life.” They sat down to breakfast, when he said “ I will let you finish your breakfast and then I will go for you.” Shortly afterwards he said, “ I want to know what you have lost, and if you don’t tell me true the children will be left without father or mother, the sameas Mr Walker’s.” Witness said nothing, but went into the bedroom. Accused called the eldest girl into the kitchen saying he had something to give her, and witness followed the child. Accused held a brooch in his hand, with something like “ V.R.” upon it, and asked who had given it to her. She told him she had found the brooch in the street, but he replied, “ No ; I found it out near the washhouse and sink.” Witness went back to her bedroom, and accused followed her about three minutes afterwards, sitting down on the bed. He again demanded to know who had given her the brooch, and she replied that she had never seen it before. He said, “If you don’t tell me true I am going to put an end to you.” She got some clothing, slipped away, and came up to town. At several other times he had threatened her with a revolver. The first time he had threatened To take her life was' before she had married him, ten years ago. Someone had told him she was going to clear out, and he kicked up a row. Threats of the - same kind had been repeated from time to time ever since. Shortly after they married he saw another woman with a similar dress to witness’s,, walking with a young man, and when he came home, although he had then found that the woman was not witness, he threatened to shoot her with a revolvfer. On another occasion, in the bedroom, he threatened to cut her throat with a razor.

By accused: She did not give him a bad answer at Hannah’s corner, nor say she had got him “by the wool.” When they got to the house on the morning in question witness’s little girl met her and said the photo man had been with photos, and witness replied “Has he been?” She caught hold of the fence when he was trying to force her in, and she looked towards the hotel to see if a policeman was coming. After the accused stabbed her the photo man came up. She did not first strike accused with her hand : she had never hit him in her life. The children wished to prevent her going insidej because before accused went to town' he had been sharpening his kpives and had told the boy that he (accused) was going to kill his mother. There was no knife on the footpath at the time of the struggle. After he stabbed her she cried but, " I'm stabbed.”