ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2992, 30 January 1926, Page 3

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

DORN BEFORE THE COURT,

Hamilton, Jan. 27,

Looking pale and worn and speaking in a voice scarcely above a whisper, a girl, Muriel Tetzlaff, 19 years of age, appeared in the Hamilton Court to-day as chief witness in connection with a charge of attempted murder preferred against a youth 19 years of age, Roy Charles Dorn, formerly an assistant at an auction mart at Hamilton.

Miss Tetzlaff, whom it is alleged Dorn attempted to murder, is still an inmate of the Waikato Hospital. While in court she was closely attended by her mother. In a very feeble voice she told the court she had been keeping company with Dorn for the past two years. About three months ago she found that she was in an interesting condition, and appraised Dorn of the fact. Accused made no offer to marry her at that time. She went to stay with, her sister at Manawau, near Te Aroha. Accused paid a number of week-end visits. She told him not to remain their unless he married her. lie persuaded her to come to Hamilton where he brought her a wedding ring which he asked her to wear. She did so and went under the name of Mrs Dorn. Later she filled in a marriage form, as it was agreed that they should be married the following Saturday at the registry office at Hamilton. During a conversation that night Dorn asked her if she still loved him. She replied that she did. He then said that he did not care for her. There was only one girl he loved. She was at Gisborne and he could not go on with the marriage. She tried to persuade him otherwise. Dorn took a bottle of ammonia and said he would take it. Removing the cork he applied the bottle to his lips. When she thought he was going to take it she knocked his hand away. He then declared that if he didn’t take it, she would have to, or they would have to take it together. She said she would rather take it than he should. lie then gave her the bottle. She asked him if it would burn her throat. He replied that it would not, but might make her cough. He asked her to write a note saying what was about to do was of her own free will. This she did. She later tore up the missive, saying she would think it over. He told her she had a “black streak in her,” meaning that she was afraid to take it. She said she would take it, and asked him to give her until the following day. He showed her a larger bottle, and said that that also contained ammonia. He stayed with her that night. Several times she asked him to change his mind and go on with the marriage, but lie replied that nothing would make him change his mind. "He left early the following morning, and asked her to call round to the auction mart where he worked and get the bottle. She went round about 9 o’clock, and he handed her a bottle and some small sticks of cordite. He told her to take three or four sticks with the ammonia to make sure of it. He asked her if there was anything he could de for her. On replying that there was not, he j asked her if she would keep the promise about taking the stuff. If she did not he would take the contents of the large bottle. He then shook hands with her and thanked her for what she was going to do for him. ■Before she left the boardinghouse she wrote the note to Dorn (which we pjublished in our last issue). . In further evidence the girl said she went to Ngaruawahia, where she took the three of four sticks of cordite. She did not take anything else with it. She had a teiiiblc headache and dizziness afterwards, and went to see a doctor. In consequence of what the doctor told her, she returned to him in the afternoon and obtained a prescription, which, however, was never made up. At 4.30 witness took the remains of the cordite and the iemains of the ammonia in the bottle. Her throat felt terribly burnt, and she had terrible pains in the chest shortly afterwards. Witness said that when accused gave her cordite he said it was out of cartridges. He knew men who had taken it to get out of going to the war. Accused added; Goidite stops the heart.” Dorn was committed for trial. The Bench refused bail, regarding the charge as more serious than attempted murder by violence.