THE NICHOLSON CASE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 55, 5 November 1913, Page 6

THE NICHOLSON CASE.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL [Peii Press Association.] Auckland, November 5. The sequel to the shooting incident at tne Auckland 1 rained A urges’ institute m InverpooJ Street, a fortnight ago, occurred at the Police Court tins morning, before Mr F. V. Fraser, S.M., when Arthur Aicholson, aged 30, was charged that on Saturday, Uctuber 25, lie attempted to liuliVler lus wife ivy Nicholson. v Ivy Nicholson, wife of the accused, stated that she. was employed at the nursing institution. At i 0.45 p.m. on October 2(i, when on hei way' home' to the institute, she met her husband, from whom she was living apart. He said: ‘‘l say, Ivy,” but she did not reply, and walked on, She went tojjed about 11.15 p.m., the bedroom window being open. After she had blown the candle out, she heard a sound and saw her husband at the window. He pulled the blind to one side and put his head in. There was something shining in his hands. Sl»a struck a match and saw that it was a revolver, whereon she pushed his arm out of the window and screamed. He said ‘‘.Don’t call out, don’t make a noise.” Finding she was not able to take the revolver out of bis hands, she screamed

and got under the bed. Just then a shot was fired. Hie bullet grazed tno knob on the chest of drawers, struck the wall and rebounded on to the bed. Soon after the shot had been fired, Miss Wyatt, who occupied a rOoin on the same flat as the wit-

less, came to the door accompanied

by Miss Milne and Miss Lee. Witness saw nothing more’ of the revolver or of her husband.

Elizabeth Wyatt, matron of the Nurses’ Institute, said that Mrs Nicholson was employed as a maid in the institute. On the evening in question, witness was awakened by a| scream, and looked out of her window. When her eyes became accustomed to the dark, she noticed a man standing about fifteen feet back from the window of Mrs Nicholson’s room, and asked 'him what he was doing there. Ho made no reply,’ but began striking matches, then without speaking, walked away towards the backyard. Witness then went to Mrs Nicholson’s room and rang up the police. Witness went back to her I own room, where she was joined by I three of the nurses. A few minutes | later she heard the sound of footsteps outside the window, and said “Is that you constable?” There was no reply, and witness repeated the question, whereupon somebody said “Yes” and pulled the blind of the window aside. Then the accused pointed a revolver at witness and said “1 want my missus.” Nurse Milne made a grab at the revolver, but the man pulled it away and went away. The police arrived shortly afterwards and searched the place but could not find the accused. When witness went to fasten Mrs Nicholson’s window a few minutes later, a bullet fell from the bedclothes of the bed on to the floor.

Constable llriggs stated that on Labor Day he arrested the accused. Nicholson 'had on him the revolver produced, loaded in two chambers. Ho was then under the influence of liquor. When charged ho made no reply, except that he supposed that he would lie sent to gaol over it. When asked if ho had anything to say Nicholson replied, “I don’t know anything about that night.” He pleaded' “not guilty,” and was committed to the Supreme Court lor trial.