Desperate Attempt to Murder

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 156, 29 May 1886, Page 5

Desperate Attempt to Murder

A young man named Willian Arthur Cook, who arrived from England about a year ago, and who has been employed at Messrs. Alston and Brown's, has been arrested at Hotham, near Melbourne, on a charge of attempting to murder Fanny Tayl or, a domestic servant, in the employ of Mr Black, of Messrs. Black and Spence, confectioners, iiotham. The accused has been keeping company with Miss Taylor for some months, and there was on Thursday evening la^t some talk between the two at Mr Black's about their being married. Cook wanted her to leave Mr Black's employ and go into lodgings until they could be married, and on Taylor expressing herself averse to this arrangement, Cook, who seems to be a young man of very violent temper, left her, using strong threats. On the following evening he made his appearance at the house where Taylor was in service, and called to her to come out on the verandah. She went to the door, but would proceed no further, and the two conversed there for a short time. The girl again refused to comply with Cook's wish that she should leave the place, and he then deliberately fired at her with a revolver, which he presented, The ball missed her and struck the wall above her head. She ran screaming into the parlour, Cook following. He fired a second shot, which also missed the girl. Mr Black, the girl's employer, now appeared on the scene, and he grappled with Cook. After a struggle Black obtained the mastery, and he knocked the revolver out of Cook's hand, but the latter seized it again, and pulled the trigger, the ball passing through the window pane. Cook got up, and rnshed into the street and made off. The police then arrived at Mr Black's house, and Constable Dunlop was left at the house while another officer went to try and find Cook. About an hour afterwards the latter again made his appearance at Mr Black's, as it was thought likely he would do. A scuffle took place in the passage, as Cook tried to press forward, and Cook using a revolver, again fired at and hit a Mr King, a neighbour who had been called in, in the arm. Constable Dunlop struck away the weapon with his baton, and then after a desperate struggle, Cook was overpowered and handcuffed, and taken to the lock up. He was brought up on Saturday morning, and remanded. Mr King was not seriously .wounded.