OTAHUHU TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8350, 10 February 1913, Page 3

OTAHUHU TRAGEDY

MAHON CONVICTED AND DISCHARGED. ORDERED TO GO TO HAMILTON. Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 7. Charles Jolm Henry Aiauon appealed at tne Police Court, tins morning on charges that, at Utahuuu, on Saturday, no attempted to commit suicide uy laKmg lysoi, and that he assaulted his tvuo, luva Ellen -Uuhon. . Mr Singer, who appeared for Mahon, entered a plea of guilty. Seuior-Sergeant -■mcKinnon said that the accused and his wile were living ( at Utahuhu, and during the night on Friday .Mahon left his room and went out of the house. His wife at that time went out of his bedroom also, and went into another room. IV hen siahon came back he found that his wife had shifted. Ho went and asked her to go back to the bedroom. She refused, and he went away, but an hour or two afterwards he went into the loom where she was and hit her on the head with some blunt instrument. The wife could not say what she was hit with, but the man stated afterwards that it was a tomahawk. It must have been the back of the tomahawk if that weapon was used, because the injuries inflicted on the woman were not serious; were, in fact, very mild. Mahon then went to the kitchen and took some lysoi, and went out into a paddock, where he was found in an unconscious state later in the morning. Mahon was a man who bore a very high character, but there had for a very long time been friction between him and his wife. Some time before this she had left homo, and had been away for some time, but had returned home a week prior to the assault. It was to be regretted, for accused’s sake, that she had returned home. Mr Singer said that it was not desired to go into sordid details, but for many years the man had put up w'ith conduct on the part of his wife that not one man in a thousand would stand. Ho had frequently forgiven her, and taken her back, having done so only just before this occurrence. Dr McDonald, who was called in to attend Mrs Mahon, said that her injuries consisted of two small scalp wounds. There was no necessity to put in any stitches, as the wounds were by no means of a serious nature. Confronted with a tomahawk of heavy pattern, which Mahon said he had used, the doctor stated that Mahon must have been very careful to have used that weapon and caused wounds so trifling. Mr Frazer, S.M., said that the police had indicated that the trouble was largely of the wife's own making, but no matter how badly a woman failed to fulfil her wifely duties that could never justify an attempt on her life. The magistrate asked the prisoner if he would promise not to repeat an attempt at suicide, and a promise was readily given. Mahon was not at first inclined, however, to give up his work at Ota huliu and to go to Hamilton where he would be under his brother’s superintendence. When it was pointed out to him that plenty of work was obtainable for him at Hamilton, and that he must of necessity stay away from where his wife was likely to be, he agreed. The prisoner was thereupon convicted and discharged on the charge of attempted suicide. On the other charge he was convicted and ordered to pay costs and to enter into his own recognisance of £IOO and obtain a surety of £IOO that he would keep the peace towards his wife for six months.