LEARY'S WEIRD IMPULSE

NZ Truth, Issue 1184, 9 August 1928, Page 5

LEARY'S WEIRD IMPULSE

A Sudden C^ Sblicitbr's 7 !^ . : '

. ' (From;. ? "N;?s. Tr.uth's" . New; Plymouth Representative;) Fairies, angpls aiidr— detectives, have a. traditional penchant for appearing at the- famous "psychological moment," but N. P. has a real} live possessor ' oj [the rare gift till to herself .

HE; ..is* Fred- Sutcliffe.. Had he not come to., read^ the electric meter, at Ronald Henry : Quilliam ',s house on. the, morning of. July 6, there is no knowing, what might - have .happened. He was, m a way, "a: saviour; ' '/',"■ ■ It- was 10;30. ' He rari'g the -front 'bell' and then: stepped inside the bpe'n door. Through the hall curtainsihe saw Mrs-, Quilliam : approach. , .But ..; she 1 'was covered m blood!," ]''..'■',:■'■'■'■' ? ',"..'■.'■' ■■■ She'had b'eeri : brutally, .attacked , by. iWHliam Patrick. :Leary, a .young man employe/Tin the, household 'as^ a. 's,er-. vanti Her head..', and' , face, had , been battered and deeply woundftd' with " a; scrubbirig .brush and there,; were other wounds and; bruisee. on her body.; : \ "I'm guilty— well ' \ guilty," almost, sobbed , Leary when asked to plead: be-, fore. Magistrate 'R.Wi-Tate last >veek. Periodically throughout the : hearing; of 1 the evidence he had succumbed to fits of weeping. H e was committed .to the Supreme. Court for sentence. • ! Leary was' serving' a .term Of . probation "for breaking . and -.entering arid' theft. ■ On May^ls. he was licensed to the service of Rpnalc Henry; Quilliam,, a r solicitbr, who lives m Ronald Street,, St'randon. ; On' July 6/ he . wasengaged' m cleaning the kitchen -ffopr when ; Mrs.. Quilliam : came , in' and spoke to hlrii before turning away go on with her owr household duties. .. ' ... ' : , . No sooner was her back turned, -than he rushed at • \ her yvith the scrubbing brush. A minute- or so later, , Sutcliffe providentially: appeared, but Leary made his escape. I "The man, the man; "the beastly man !'"■ was all Mrs. Quilliam could say. The meter-reader did not see the assailant, but he heard [ someone moving elsewhere m. the house. ' o". ' '.' The telephone was knocked over, at Mrs. Quilliam's request, ;he picked it up and. rang up her. husband; ; • Lawyer Quilliam was conducting a 'case m: court when.-the 'message was received, but \he naturally , lost 'no /time m making/ his exit. . ''.... When ;he;. reache.d his home, at 10.45 a.m.. his wife was being attended by Dr. E.,;A. • Eyerything, m .'.the! kitchen, the hall and; a small .study, opposite w.as. m disorder and there was a trail of. blood markk v ; . . The desk pad m the; study and other thi'hg'4*', on the' table had been - swept on to ;the* floor, arid ?in the kitchen he found a, broken, scrubbing brijsh.f . ; 'no . cause' for complaint against Mrs. Q'uiUiam.the lawyer husband: told ;the' court. -> ;■ "..-':;. ■''■. »■'■';• ■•'.. In fact, on< more than one, oc.ca- " sion, he^had expressed 'gratitude : for.'what she was doing for him and- • had - said ' that ■he "'■ was., very contented and happy. , ■/. '. ' - Earlier 'that morning, lie had : seemed quite normal and' contented. r '„ • '{He iold me it: was th%best;pipsitipn; he had ieyer held," said: |\Viiiiam : Dineeh, probation officer. ''■Ha':ha;d'-?al^|s eXr j)ressed; gratitude i.-.fpr"; tKelkin^he^s the Quiilianisvhad; showji^liiflak:; ; i: '/ - r "^ '■%

; When he was admitted. to the prison 4ffer- .'the off fence, he averred that he could give no /reason for., 'his action arid ;that Mr, and Mrs. Quilliam had been the best .friends, he had' ever. had. ; "I ; have ■ killed , a :-. womani" sobbed Leary as he voluntarily: entered the police', station . at • New Plymouth about 11 am. oh the morning of the assault. i 'Constable Butler told the s'tdry. to the: court:'. Xieary was very distressed, the-lower 'part of 'his clothing: was wet as though he had 'been through- a stream, and his face and shirt were qo.vere'd' with blood. ; •'• ' " , '■'■_■. He; asked several times ; how Mrs. Quilliam was and whether he would hang for It. : s•' - ';'-■'■ ', ': : His niihd • had? suddenly become a blank while he was talking to Mrs. Quilliam, he had ; ; said. .-,'■' : He hit her/,' on .the 'head several times' ' with ■ the 'brush and then cleared out. His mind was a blank until he - arrived at the station arid he could not say how the blood came on , ... . his face. • ' ; Mrs. Quilliam, was. m .a .private ho s.pita'l, said! Dr. Walker. Though, everything 'considered, she had made., very good- progress, she was still m a weak an;d nervous condition. . ! Leary was originally; admitted toprobation .for breaking and • . entering the premises of H. Ward and Co., ironmongers.' ,He broke a. window with his hand and .latesr. left well-marked blood trails ■wherever, his •• wandering took- him. ■; . „ , . , iNdw, he- awaits the pleasure' of the Supreme Court judge.

Ledryfe Distress