WIFE MURDER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 85, 5 September 1914, Page 8

WIFE MURDER

HAMMOJ* SJBNTiihCJJI) TO . J DEATIi. I '■ "t[ THE WIIAN (JAM i. CA.SK. f | Per Press Asociation. jj Auckland, Last Night. In the cliargo of wife murder brought against Daniel Damonon, of VVliangarui. in the Auckland Supreme Court to-day, before Mr. Justice Cooper, il: u accused pleaded not guilty. The Crown Prosecutor (th>- Hon. A. To!e) in opening the case, briefly outlined the story of W tragedy. He described how the accused anil his Wife quarrelled on account of tile man not working, and how the disagreement's terminated in a frenzied attack upon the woman wiih an axe-in ilw \ kitchen of the boarding'-hoiifie in the early hours of Tuesday, July 21st. Wihen the accused was found by the police 0.1 the top of a timber stack, he declared that ho had committed the crime "for the children's sate." The defence raised the question of the sanity of the accused. Prior to coming to Whangarci, J l ain - mon had suffered a, series of misfortunes, following upon his Jong and dangerous illlnoss. iFirst Wsi stock, and then his farm, had 1 to be sold, and since that he had been tunable to work. This had preyed 011 his mind. Counsel enumerated the relatives of the accused who' had been mentally defective. The jury retired for about two hours, bringing in a . verdict of guilty,, wit|i strong recommendation to mercy:, : His Honor said he would forward the recommendation, to .the proper quarter, ;<nd then passed the death sentence. The case lasted until late in the evening.