WILLIAMS PLEADS GUILTY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1185, 16 December 1913, Page 3

WILLIAMS PLEADS GUILTY.

COMMITTED TO SUPREME COURT FOR TRIAD.

At the Magistrate’s Court, Palmerston N. yesterday morning before Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M., James Warren Williams on remand from Foxton was charged : (x) That on December 7 last, at Foxton, he did willully set fire to a five-roomed dwelling, the property of A. S. Patterson and Co., of Wellington, and of the value of ; (2) that on the same date he wilfully-set fire to a dwelling house of the value of the property of J. W. Williams. Sub Inspector Marsack applied for the last information to be amended to read “ the property of John Death.” This was agreed to. Mr Cooper appeared for accused, and Sub-Inspector Marsack lor the police. George Reay, butcher, of Foxton, deposed to having known accused for some time. On the 6th December accused came to his house and both went to town together. Accused had not been living with his wife, the latter living in Foxton. Witness saw accused speak to his wife. They alterwards had some liquor and went to the pictures, witness later accompanying Williams home. Williams said he would like to burn his wife’s house, but “ wouldnot like to hurt a hair of her head,” his reason being that he thought his wife might have somebody staying with her. Williams and witness parted at x 1.30, and later, at 5 in the morning, Constable Woods aroused witness and both went to where Williams house had stood the previous night, it having been burned down. Before parting .witness bad asked accused to stay the night with him, but accused refused. John Sidney Death, settler, of Moutoa, stated that he had always known accused as an honest man, and not a violent man at all. He saw accused on the Monday subsequent to the fire, and he was then a bit nervous, but not very different from his usual manner. Sub-Inspector Marsack then called Mrs Williams, and asked, prior to her entering the box, if she was the lawful wife of the accused. Accused replied that she was, and was married in 1887. This being sp, she could not give evidence against her husband. William Robinson gave evidence as to being called from his house by Mrs Williams to'extinguish the fire in her house. He found under the house a bundle of old rags which were burning. The rags Were saturated with kerosene. They were afterwards .banded to Constable Woods. Constable Woods corroborated the previous witness’s evidence as to the fire. Had it not been for Robinson’s exertions the house would have been destroyed. Eater Williams came into the station, saying; “I have come to give myself up for burning the house occupied by my wife, and also my own house, with its contents.” Witness then locked accused up, and; rode to his farm, calling for Reay on the way. The cottage occupied by Williams was then found to be almost destroyed. Eater witness saw accused, who said he desired to make a statement. Witness warned accused,

J \ who, however, said he desired to r tell the truth. The statement was r written down and read to accused, who signed each sheet. In his statement accused said - (inter alia): “I saw my wife in Main street, Foxton, on the night of the 6th. I called to her, and she said : ‘What do you want ?’ I said; ‘What would you take so as we could settle out of court?’ She walked away, and did not answer.” After outlining his movements as stated by Reay, Williams continued: “I left for home with Reay. On the way home my head seemed to be heavy, and I did not know what was coming over me. I said to Reay that it was hard to bear the trouble' I was having with my wife, and that there was something telling me to go down and burn the house she was living in, so .1 could see who was inside, but I would'not like to barm a hair of her head. I asked Reay to come home with me, but he wanted me to go to his house, but I refused. Reay came to my house, and after

a chat left. I then went back inside the house and read the / Bible till midnight, and then - drank a shilling’s worth of whisky I bad purchased, and went to bed. I could not sleep, my head became very bad, and I got up, and there was a drooping feeling on the top of my head, as if there was a load on it pressing it down. Something kept telling me to go down and bum my wife’s house, so as I could see who w,as in it. Some time after 2 o’clock I took two bags of rags belonging to my wife which were in my house, and I put some small wood and a bottle of kerosene into one of the bags, and a bottle of American tar into the other. ’ I rode to my wife’s house, and left the pony outside. I emptied the bags under the house, and set fire to it, pouring Jhe tar and kerosene over it. Before finally leaving my wife’s hohse, I made a rumbling noise on the walls. When I got outside I heard my wife calling out, and knew she was safe. I got on my pony and galloped home. My head was very bad, and on reach-

ing my house I let the pony go, t took the bridle and saddle inside, v and started a fire in the front room with paper. When the house was ablaze I went into it twice so as to be burnt with it. I thought the police were coming up for me, and I looked put. I watched for about ten minutes, and I then left to walk into Boston. I knew I

had done wrong, and came down to the police station and gave myself up to the police. I told Constable Woods all about it ; all my effects are burned, and I have nothing except my farm, partly sold to Mr Death,”

To Mr Cooper: Accused bad attempted his life in March, 1912. Since an order for maintenance against him wrr, made in August last, accused bad been very worried, and 'as brooding over the order. He bore a good character in this district.

Mr Poynton : What is his age ? —Sixty-eight. “Every time he came to pay the money he complained of a charging’order on his property, as a security for bis maintenance, and frequently said his wife was driving him mad,” stated the constable, “and it is my firm belief that he intended to burn himself in his house.” As far as he knew, the constable stated, accused’s remarks about his wife were a delusion. This concluded the case against accused.

Accused pleaded guilty to both charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.