THE WAY OF A WOMAN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1052, 18 January 1913, Page 4

THE WAY OF A WOMAN.

CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Auckland, Jan. 15.

At the Police Court to-day Kathleen Somerville Ryan, a young woman 25 years of age, was charged with attempting to murder William James Colwell, dentist, by shooting at him with a revolver. The proceedings lasted the greater part of the day, and were not concluded until this ingChief Detective McMahon stated that the accused was in Colwell’s employ from December, 1907, 1° July, 1908. Some time after she left she telephoned to him and arranged to meet him at his rooms in Wellesley Street East, stating she would like to see him. After that he met her occasionally at his rooms, and they became very friendly. Those relations continued till about five months’ lime, when Colwell stated that the girl became a nuisance to him in her demand for money, and continually followed him about and accosted him. He told her that their friendship must cease, and she became, according to Colwell, more aggressive. ALout four months ago, when Colwell was spending a holiday at Waiweia, she telephoned to him, and later arrived there by launch and demanded to see him. She left by steam-r next day. Shortly before Christmas he, by mutual agreement, paid to her mother, in the presence of solicitors, the sum of 10s, and the girl signed a document that she would refrain from interfering with him in future, but she became more attentive to Colwell than ever. Two days later, on Thursday last, when when he was going to his rooms in Smeeton’s Buildings, Queen Street, about 10 o’clock iu the morning, she met him on the landing of the first floor. She said s “Will you meet me to-night ?” He replied that he wished to have nothing more to do with her. Eater he received a telephone ring asking him to meet her, and he again refused. She tried to see him two or three times during the morning. About ix. 30 a.m, he received a message from his nurse that the accused would like to see him when he was disengaged. He met her at the waiting-room door, and she said she wanted him to meet her that night. He replied that he had already said that he didn’t wish to have anything more to do with her. They talked there about ten minutes, and she left, Colwell returning to the surgery. A few minutes later he received a message that Miss Somerville (the name by which accused was known) wanted an answer, “Yes’’ or “No,” from him to her request. He told the nurse to say “No.” Immediately after the nurse left he saw accused coming towards him, aud he went into his office, where she followed him aud closed the door. She was very excited, aud said, “We’ll soon settle it now.” He sat in his seat, and she stood in the middle of the office and produced a revolver, saying, “Will you meet me ? Yes or No ?” He said, “Dont’t be silly ; put it away.” She cooled down aud put the revolver inside her coat. He left the office, but returned and found her standing there. He told her if she didn’t leave the premises he would send for the police. She became excited again, and he walked towards his office chair. She must then have closed aud locked the door. Colwell sat down aud tried to persuade her to leave, and she again became excited and refused. He got up and walked towards the door, saying he would send lor the police, and was about to open the door when he felt something fly past his face aud heard a report. He looked round and saw the girl about two yards from him with the revolver iu her hand and smoke in the room. He found the door was locked, and when he opened it he found his nurse and assistants were there trying to get in. The accused left

the office by the side door and was arrested upstairs. William James Colwell, complainant, gave evidence at great length, which iu the main was a repetition of the chief detective’s narrative.

Cross-examined by Mr Grundy, witness said he had been in practice in Auckland about 11 years. He was not particularly friendly with accused when she was working with him, and it was about nine months after she left that they did become friendly. She left his employ because she did not get on well with the assistant. The moneys he had given her over the period of about two years amounted probably to about or ,£6O. The biggest amount he had ever given was £5, shortly before the holidays. Cross examined in regard to the shootiug incident, witness denied that he had locked the door of his room himself. He concluded the girl had done it because It was locked when he tried to get out. He admitted having promised to help her with money to start a business of her own, being forced to do so to keep her quiet, aud had never kept the promise. Ou one of their meetings she had asked him hysterically to part friends, aud wanted him to kiss her. This was after the signing of the document, aud it had never beeu arranged that it should be allowed to elapse between them. He denied that ou one occasion when he had arranged to meet her at home at 8 o’clock, he arrived theie a little before 10 o'clock in a drunken slate. He did not recollect auy evening particularly, because he saw her so frequently at home, but he denied having ever gone there the worse for liquor, though he might have used bad language to the girl or her mother when be was excited. He had no recollection of having asked her if she had been put with another man when she had come into the house after his arrival. He denied having every struck the girl or her mother.

Detective Hollis, Colwell’s nurse and caretaker also gave evidence.

Mr Grundy applied for bail

The Chief Detective said the principal difficulty iu the way of allowing bail was the possibility that the girl’s state of mind towards Colwell was such that it would not be safe to release her.

Mr Grundy said that if bail were allowed she would be properly looked if ter by her people, who would not allow her to see Colwell, and failing bail he asked that she should be sent to the Salvation Army Home.

The Chief Detective said that the officer in charge of the Salvation Army Rescue Home had stated that she would guarantee to look after the accused.

The Magistrate had a couversatiou with accused to satisfy himself as to the best course to pursue, and decided to commit her to the Salvation Army Home.

She was bound over iu her own bond of ,£lO, aud that of the Adjutant of the Home to the same amount, not iu any way to attempt to see Colwell, and not to leave her home unless accompanied by au officer, and the Adjutant was given authority to revoke her bond at any lime.