ATTEMPTED MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1926, Page 1

ATTEMPTED MURDER

YOUNG MAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

HAMILTON, Jan. 27

Looking pale and worn, and speaking in a voice scarcely above a whisper, the girl. Muriel Tetzlaff, aged 19, slight of build and of a wistful lace, appeared at the Hamilton Court today as the chief witness in the charge of attempted murder preferred against a man. aged 19 years, Roy Charles Born, formerly an assistant at the Auction -Mart in Hamilton. Miss Tct/.laff, whom it was alleged Born had attempted to murder, is

still an inmate of the Waikato Hospital. and while at the Court site was closely attended by her mother. She was obviously far from well.

Muriel Tetzlaff gave her evidence in a very feeble voice. She said she bad been keeping company with Born for the past two years. About three months ago slie discovered she was in a certain condition and apprised Dorn of the fact. The accused made no olfer to marry her at that lime. She went to stay with a sister at Manure tv tt, near To Arolm. The accused paid a number of week-end visits, and she told him he could not icnmiii there unless he married her. lie persuaded her to come to Hamilton. where lie bought her a wedding l ing, which lie asked her to wear. She went under the name of Mrs Born. About January Oth her lather interviewed the accused, and together they went, to the Registry Office and got. a marriage consent form. Klie lillcd ill the marriage form, as it was agreed she .should he married the following Saturday at the Registry Office. I lainilton.

Billing a subsequent conversation that night. Born asked her if she still loved him. She replied she did. Me then said lie did not care for her. There was only one girl he loved. She was in Gisborne. He could not go on with th(> marriage. She tried to persuade him otherwise. Born took- a bottle of ammonia and said ho would take it. Removing the cork, lie applied the bottle to his lips. When slm thought he was really going to take it. she knocked his hand away. He then declared (hat if he didn't take it should would have to. They would have to take it together. She said she would rather lake it Ilian he should. lie then gave her the bottle. ABOUT A NOTE. Khe asked him if il would burn her throat. He replied il would not, hut. it might, make her cough. He asked her to write a note saying that what she was about to do was ol her own free will. This she did. She taler tore up (lie missive, saying she would think it over, lie told her, she said, “there was a black streak in her,” moaning that she was afraid to take if. She said site would lake it. and asked him to give her till the following day. lie showed her a larger bottle, and said ibis also contained ammonia.

Ho slaved there that night. and several times she asked him In change his mind and go on with the marriage. Flo replied that nothing would make him change his mind. He left carle the following morning, and asked her In call nitllid al I lie Auction Mart where lie worked and get the buttle. She went round about nine o’clock, when lie handed her a hoi lie if sonic small sticks of cordite. lie I old her In lake three or four sticks with the ammonia to make sure of it. Ho asked her if there was anything he could do for her. <>n her replying there was not. he asked her if she would keep her promise about taking the stuff if she did mil take the contents of the large Iml th'. He then shook hands and hanked Ivr for what she was going to do for him. TOOK THE CORDITE.

After she left her boardiiio-linn-o. sin- wrote tlie followin': note: "Mr nnrlinfC Hov.—After what you told mo lost niirlil. T on n’t, r:o on. I hive von rlonr. bettor than liie itself, nml for flint ronson I am ooinp; to Imre you free. Please sav in yours to entne llint you do not nllo'iotlior inrpet. tl’o little fool who loved yon not wisely but only too well. 1 know von would never be happy if yon married me when you loved someone else just ns mueli ns T love you. flood-bye. mid Cod bless you. dear.—Vour loving mid broken-lienrted Muriel.” In fnrtlier evidence. the stir I stud she went to Xtraruawnhin. where she took three or four slicks of cordite. She did not take nnvthiii!' else with if. Then after takinrr tlio cordil.e. she Inn a terrible headache mid dizziness, and that d:iv went to see Or Martin. Tn cnnsooiicnco of uluil il’.o doctor to < her. she returned to him in the idlernoon and obtained a proscription, which, however, was never made np. About -1.30 witness took the remains id the cordite and the remains of be ammonia in Hie bottle.. Tier throat fe t terribly burnt and she had terrible pains in her chest shortly afterwards. Witness, in answer to Deleotoe flwcenev. said she took the ammonia heeause Dorn told her if she did not he would. She Look it heeause she «h.l not want him to lake it. . M lion ti e accused gave her 11,e eordiic he sa,d it, was out of .303 oartridpes. fe anew men who had taken it to pet out o poiup to the war. The neensed had added: “Cordite stops the hem 1 T)orn was com mil ted for trml. '[’he Bench refused bail, repaidnu. I l,e olmrpe as one more serious l.im attempted murder by violence nor , was then charged will > ealini a quantity of cilery, vaned at £3. the property ot Bov am • Auction Mart, where ho wns_e."pb»od.