Prisoner Committed

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1917, Page 3

Prisoner Committed

CHRIST CHURCH April 20. At -Oxford North Canterbury, to-day Charles Butler was committed for trial for the murder of Henrietta Foster, at View Hill Station, on April Bth.

Dr. R. Ragley gave evidence that on March 13th. the accused called to see him at Oxford and consulted him for some voneral disease. Witness could find no evidence of any veneral diseasi and told accusod so. Accused appeared to be most erratic and was* a very weak minded man. He said ho would like to go to the hospital in Christchurch, and witness told him that that was the best- thing lie could do. Witness wrote a note to the Superintendent of the Christchurch Hospital in which In said that Butler’s mind appeared to dwell unduly on certain matters. The syrntoms described by the accusod were not consistent with veneral disease. Witness* was satisfied (hat the subject was,' an hallucination with accused. ~i Accused's brother gave evidence that accused had been of weak intellect. since infancy and fifteen years ago lie wont out of bis mind and was sent to Sunnyside Mental Hospital, from which lie was discharged at the end of

At one stage of tho proceedings in Omu-t, Foster (father of tho deceased young lady) made a determined effort to get at accused and was only restrain" f.-l ;U id ejected from the Court after a sharp struggle.

Cruelty Alleged.

Dunedin, April 17

At a meeting of the Sooiety for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a letter was received from Mr Miller, a veterinary surgeon describing a case of alleged cruelty at Riverton races by fixing straps tightly round the tongues of two horses. It wa9 decided to refer the matter to iho Southland Sooiety, with an expression of opinion that the treatment described was very cruel.

Scarcity of Doctor?.

Wanganui, April 17

The fact of the sc-ircity of doctor.? was stressed at a meeting of the Pfttea County Council. It was asserted that there is only inc doctor stationed between Wang?«ncsi and H-jwera. Up till a few week? ago there was a dootor stationed at Waverley, but as tbe Pataa hospital doolor proceeded oa active servioe, the Waverley doctor took up his residence at Patca to be in close attendance at the Lcapital. Waverley, apparently, is cut off from telephone comm nniost ion with the ouhiido world after five o’rio'k cvr/

evening, and in view of the importance of the town and district it wae decided to communicate with the Minister of Public Heilth an! and tbs Post and Telegraph Depaitment, asking for a telephone line to be erected between Waverley and Patea, 30 that the doctor could be communicated with at night in the event of emergency.

WOMENS’ LIVELY MEETING

Loyalists Carry a Motion

Christchurch April 21

-A meeting of Christchurch women, called by the Canterbury. branch of the Women’s Nation *1 Reserve, was held to-day to appeal to the miners’ wives particularly. and to women-folk generally, to u;e their influence to end the miners’ strike. There.was an attendance cf about @na hundred. The meeting commenced in an orderly manner, but a seotiou of the anti-oousoriptionists submitted a hostile motion, and at one time feeling ran high.

The President of the Bcacoh moved ; —“That the members of the Christchurch Branch of the Women’s National Reserve wish to express their sinesre sympathy with tho wives of the miners nn the strike. Only women know, in such a crisis it is the wives and children that suffer most. They venture to hops also that the wives of the miners will use their influence with their husbands to persuade them to reconsider their decision and to remind them that this ip, in a large measure, a wer to vindicate the rights of women and children. Tho brutalities of the Germans to ths women of Belgium would alone, apart from other horrors, justify this war, and the cause of the Allies should appeal to the chivalry of the moo, as well as to their love of justice and freedom. Iu striking at this time, when the war ia all but ore, the men are helping tho enemy aud in their loyalty to their leaders they forget another and higher loyally to their own hearths and homes,” One of the anti-mTitarists moved the following amendment : “ That this meeting of Christchurch women sends greetings to the wives, mothers and sisters of the West Coast miners. We wish yon success in your noble aud disinterested fight against military absolutism, and we invite you to enter into arrangements by which you shall with your children enjoy the hospitality of our homes throughout the duration of this struggle.”

After angry protests from ths back of the hall the motion was carried by a huge majority, During the singing of the National Anthem at the close of the meeting the disaffeoted portion of the audience remained seated.

Sudden Death Auckland, April 19 John Mohr, aged seventy-five yeats, a recent arrival from Ngarnawabte, died seddt niy after leaving ihe duuur table at tho Metropolitan Hotel. Conscription of Doctors. Wellington, April 20 In reference to tbo cablegram ffem Sydney stating that the British Medic->1 Association there is discussing a proposal to conscript doctors for service abroad, it is report!d here that though conditions in New Zealand are. different, proposals are under consideration for the mobilisation of the rrelioal profession in tbe Dominion, ei her voiamarily or by compulsion.