GIRL'S THRILLING FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 332, 20 June 1911, Page 7

GIRL'S THRILLING FIGHT.

BATTLES WITH A MAN. DEATH SENTENCE RECORDED. The feature of the proceedings in the Sydney Central Criminal Court on June 1 was the story of a girl's bravery in defending herself and her mother against the attacks of a man armed at different time during the struggle with a boat s heaving line, a stick, and an axe. The case was heard before Mr. Justice Pring, and was one in which Alexander Johnson was charged with having, on April 13, 1011, at Wallis Lake, feloniously wounded Lily Emily Gogerly, with intent to murder her.

Lily Emily Gogerly said that on the evening of April 13, accused called at her mother's house and asked to be put up for the night. Her brothers had gone away that morning, and in conversation she told accused this. She told him he could sleep in their room, and then went to prepare supper for him. Subsequently he came into the dining-room, and sat down. Her mother was present, and witness left to prepare a bed for him. A few minutes later she heard two screams, and saw Johnson standing outside the house with both hands apove his head, grasping what appeared to be a sandbag. She called out, "What are you doing to mother?" and he struck her mother across the face with the sandbag. She was falling, and witness ran to her. Accused struck them both while witness was supporting her. Witness hit accused in the face, and appealed tohiin to have mercy on her mother. He retorted, "Ah, old girl, you are mine at last!" and struck her, knocking her to the ground. She rose again, and he picked up a stick with which he struck Tier mother on the head. Throwing the stick down, he seized an axe with a short piece oi handle. Witness started screaming, and he said, "Shut up, or I'll split you down." Witness said to her mother, "Get me the gun," and he remarked, "You needn't bother. I'm not afraid of it. , I have a Dottle of poison in my pocket. This is my last night on earth." Accused then struck ner mother with the axe, felling her. Witness was also knocked down, but she did not know what with. As sue regained her feet Johnson went into the dining-room. Witness picked up a piece of galvanised spouting, and as Johnson returned still carrying the axe, she struck him with it, but he knocked it out of her hand. She caught hold of tne axe, but he twisted it in her hands, and struck her between the eyes with it. As he went towards her mother with the upraised axe, witness ran away and he followed, striking her twice. Witness then became unconscious. During the struggle her sister-in-law came on the scene. In cross-examination, witness said that she had known accused for some time, and prior to -this occurrence, he had acted in a gentlemanly way. He looked strange wnen he entered the house. Usually'a powerful man, he seemed to her in the struggle as being weak, though he was wild-looking." Accused, in a rambling .statement, said that he had the heaving line (described by witness as, a sand-bag) in'his possession, as he was going to use it in fixing up a wing at Mr. Harry Gogerley's. It was not his intention to go to Mrs. Gogerley's. A squall on the lake forced him to land. There was no premeditation on his part. "I'm sorry," he remarked, "for what I have done. I may have seemed callous sitting there in the dock, but if a man does wrong I think he is contemptible to cringe. I don't know why I did it. I was not the man that I am ,now—l couldn't have been."

Counsel for the defence set up the plea of temporary insanity at the time of the occurrence. The man was in such a mental condition that intent could not be urged against him.

The jury, after a retirement lasting half an hour, recorded a verdict of guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy! His Honor directed sentence of death to be recorded.