FIGHT FOR LIFE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1929, Page 2

FIGHT FOR LIFE

ESCAPE WITH COin) HOUND NECK.

LONDON, Nov. 13.

A girl’s d rnni a tic story of her fight lor life was told at Liverpool yesterday, wlkmi Joseph Reginald Clarke, aged 21: a ship’s pantryman, of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, was charged on remand with the murder of .Mrs Alice I'ontaine. a widow, aged do, and the attempted murder of her daughter, Mary Agnes Fontaine, aged It!, at their home in Northbrook street.

.Mr Digby Seymour, if or the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that Clarke was believed to have been educated at I’rincetown University, United States, where his parents resided. He met Miss Fontaine in May this year while sheltering in a doorway. He introduced himself as Reginald Kennedy. He induced them to lot him live at their house and to use one of the rooms for the manufacture of wireless sets.

Clarke’s acquaintanceship with Miss Fontaine ripened into love. He called her “Doolie,” and she and her mothei called him “ Teddy Rear.” Clarke never paid for his hoard and borrowed £2O ifrom Mrs Fontaine. Miss Fontaine also found that h~ -as in affectionate correspondence with a young woman in America who expected to marry him. She then broke off her engagement. After that Clarke’s conduct became so bad that the Fontaine’s had to call in the police. He still laid siege to Mj ss Fontaine’s heart by sending her seven letters a day. MISS FONTAINE’S EVIDENCE. Miss Fontaine, a slight, pretty girl, dressed in black, said that Clarke, after his arrest, confessed how he threw Mrs Fontaine over an armchair and slowly throttled her to death, lie was collected and actually sent somebody Tor the police, to whom lie told everything. While waiting lor them he went into a room in the Fontaine’s house and began to comb his hair. She had seen her mother take Clarke into the sitting room, and never saw her again. A few minutes later Clarke came to her (Miss Fontaine’s) room. He took her by the throat, forced her into the fireplace, and she lost consciousness. When she recovered she had a cord tighl.v round her throat and Clarke was, banging her head on the flow. Ihe next thing she remembered was Clarke cutting her throat and she struggled violently. * . Mr Digby Seymour here mentioned that the girl had fought tooth ancT nail ,o save herself from her mother’s fate. The marks of her teeth were on Clarke’s face and one rif Clarke’s hng-,,-s was almost bitten to the hone. Continuing, Miss Fontaine _ said Clarke tried to draw a file across her throat, but she wrenched it from him. He, however, pulled it from her again. “ I ran towards the bed, when be again drew a file across my throat, but T did not feel any pain. He then sat down on the bed. and said: Oh, what have I done?” Ho seemed exhausted. “ It occurred to me to try to soothe him so that 1 might get away Iroiir him. 1 got off the bed and lie walked to the door with me. I van downstairs and as I was doing so 1 tried to pull the cord from round my throat. tnun opened the front door and ran into the street.” The bearing was adjourned.