PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE

NZ Truth, Issue 1174, 31 May 1928, Page 4

PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE

A Murder Charge

Woman's Elopement That Ended In Tragedy and Divorce (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland . Representative.) For a few brief moments the leases of that most interesting of all documents, dhe chronicles of a human life, mere turned retrospectively m the matter-of-fact judicial atmosphere of the Auckland Divorce Court.

•THERE echoed through the sombre 1 courtroom the poignant details of a

drama that had its origin m the illicit love of an Auckland woman and m the terrible aftermath of her trial on a charge of murdering her paramour m far-off Northern Queensland. , ..

The tragic story of Amy Wilhelmina MacPherson's association with her lover, Dennis John Moynihan, for whom she left her home at Point Chevalier, Auckland, and with whom she...travelled into the backblocks of Northern Queensland — subsequently : shooting him m self-defence — has already/been told m "N.Z. Truth." ■

It was the full account of her trial and acquittal on a charge .of murder, as published' in "Truth,"/ which Donald MacPherson, her husband,' tendered last week through his counsel,: Lawyer J. F. W. Dickson, to. Judge MacGregpr, as corroborative evidence of his wife's misconduct with Dennis ,: Moynihan, when he- petitioned for divorce. .

The learned judge perused "Truth's" exclusive account of the

trial,, accepted it as an authentic record and granted Donald Mac-

Pl.erson his freedom from the unfaithful mother of his,. two children, .. who- is, now wording- out her salr r yation — for the act she committed m self-defence — m a little outback

town of Northern Queensland

Nine years after Donald MacPherson and his wife were married, Dennis John Moynihan came into their lives.

Married m New Zealand m 1916, Amy MacPherson, who was then m the early thirties, became friendly with Moynihan m Sep- ____________

tember, 1925

She left her husband, a civil servant, and. her home at Point Chevalier, living with Moyni-

han until January, 1927. The man she had chosen m place of her husband — and for whom she abandoned her two children-— was an orchestral musician.

"He had a way of his own," was how Amy MacPherson described Moynihan during her trial.

She believed herself to he deeply m love with him — certainly she was infatuated. .

So much so, that she ) agreed to accompany him to Australia and m order to do so, sold some furniture from the rooms she occupied to pay the fares.

From Sydney, they travelled to Bundaberg and Cairns, Queensland. While her lover worked as a pastrycook, she had done ironing and washing at 14/---a day.

Disillusionment followed swiftly on the heels of romance for the woman.

At Cairns, Moynihan commenced to ill-treat her and displayed considerable jealousy if she smiled upon other men.

He refused to allow her to return to New Zealand — and the subsequent quarrels were bitter and incessant.

Then the tragedy took place, after a quarrel, which cost Dennis Moynihan his life and placed the woman m peril of conviction for murder.

Moynihan pointed a gun\ at • her, Liater-'he caught her by the throat, after which he ran into the bedroom,

Believing that her'iovep -was about to secure a cane knife- which 'he -kept under the bed, .the woman picked up a sporting gun. ■'.... . . :

The gun went off, Moynihan col -' lapsing across the bed. He did not die instantly. When ■■:she.-^vent\to him, he said: "Amy, darling, you've shot me!" -.-, ;

To the judge during her trial, Amy

Tully, Queensland

1 I have cabled and written to Mr. MacPherson since my discharge. "You know the state of affairs; it was unfortunate, but I did' not know much about Moynihan when I left my home. "I was deceived and cruelly treated and what I dkl was to defend myself. I have paid dearly for my folly. "I cannot thank the general public and police enough for their kindness shown to me during my trouble. "Mr. MacPherson wrote to Mr. McNamee, solicitor, of Innisfail; also to me. He certainly is a man . .: '. . "Will you please do me one favor? Tell me whether Mr. MacPherson secured his divorce after I left New Zealand. >' "He wrote a letter to me once telling me he was free to marry . . . I want to khow how we are both situated. . ." Lawyer Dickson tendered for his. honor's perusal an extract from "N.Z. Truth" dated November 17, 1927, containing a full account of Amy MacPherson's trial. A further document tendered m support of the petition was a cable received from Lawyer McNamee, of Innisfail, dated September 22, 1927, which said: "Mrs. McPherson, formerly of Point Chevalier, Auckland, is charged with murder of Moynihan, who took her from her home m Auckland.

"She pleads self-defence. She requires . £60. Could you communicate with her brother, Alban Bowling, 42, Duncan Street, Wangunui, and husband, Donald MacPherson, Miller Road, Pt. Chevalier, and wire me."

His honor granted a decree nisi and custody of the two children to Donald MacPherson.

MacPherson said that Moynihan had given her to understand he was a free man and had left Australia 20 years ago.

She , had rooms m Auckland, for which her husband g-ave her the furniture. '

She and her husband had been on friendly terms, though they were parted under a mutual agreement on the' understanding that ultimately there would be a divorce.

It was not until she wrote her husband from Cairns that he knew of her whereabouts— or even that she had left New Zealand. ' •,

• After she was taken into custody, she received a .letter. 'from.' her husband m which he expressed] , his willingness to j'take her back... . .

„ She. once declared that she had no chance of getting away from Moynihan; .who, m one breath would say: "G*i"--and m another breath: "Stop."

■ limy .MacPherson. admitted that althpugh'she was not jealous of Moynihan,- she resented any attentions he paid to other.women.

In the witness-box last week, Donald MacPherson said he had sent money to his wife to help her during the trial. The two children of the marriage were m his care.

Liawyer Diclcson pointed out that the woman, had deserted her husband, m January, 1927, and had subsequently lived' with Moynihan at Tully, near Innisfail, Queensland, m October .1927.

She pleaded siilf- defence when charged with wilfully murdering Moynihan and was found not guilty.

Mrs. MacPherson had acknowledged her misconduct m a letter to her husband's lawyer after the trial. This letter was as follows: "Tully P rult Esohange,