THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3762, 9 April 1907, Page 4

THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

dying Woman’s Depositions.

Christchurch, April 6

Last night’s tragedy in Moorehouse avenue, when a man named James Smithejrs attempted to murder a young woman named Nellie Jackson, by cutting her throat, and then attempted to commit suicide, has not yet resulted fatally to either of them. At latest advice the woman, who was in a precarious condition last night, is still low, although she is doing as well as can be expected. It is not likely that the man will die. Last night, when it was reported that the woman was in a dying condition, her depositions were taken in open Court in the operating room, before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., in the presence of the accused, who was charged with attempted murder. Mrs Jackson said : “My lawful name is Nellie Jackson. I knew the accused by the name of James Smithers. lam a married woman, but dont know whether my husband is alive or dead. I belong to Melbourne, but have been in New Zealand for some time. I have been living with the accused as his wife since August last in Christchurch, but we separated, Igo out to work by the day. The accused does no work. He has waylaid me in the street. He comes round to where I live in Antigua street. He used to come round and annoy me. I spent the day with him at Lyttelton. We went to Sumner this evening, and returned to Christchurch just as the hotels were closing. I said ‘ Good night ’to the accused at the Crown Hotel. He knocked me down on the footpath near the Crown Hotel. He struck me with his fist first and then started to cut my throat with a razor. He said that he was going to settle me, and that he would die with me. I then saw the accused fall on his back on the footpath. My present injuries were inflicted by him- No one was present. I think he was jealous of me. We had no row previously.”

It has been ascertained that there were two witnesses of the assault, one a young man named Harry McCaw, living at Sydenham, who arrived in time to pull Smithers away from the woman, and the other an old man living in the vicinity, who arrived about the same time. McCaw states that he saw Smithers chasing the woman, and his statement is substantiated by the discovery of blood marks on the road as far out as the tram line. The actual assault seems to have occurred directly opposite the first house west of the Crown Hotel, on a little wooden culvert across the gutter where heavy bloodstains were discernible this morning.

The spot was visited by many morbidly curious persons, mostly young women and girls. Cast night half of the handle of the razor was found, and this morning Detective D. Ward discovered the blade with the other half of the handle attached, covered with dust, at the side of the road.

It was thickly coated with dry blood. The edge was not turned in any way however. When Uective Gibson spoke to Smithers he was sitting in the gutter. On the arrival of the police, Smithers said: “It’s all the fault of ’’ (a name' that was not distinguishable). The case is supposed to be one of jealousy of a third party.