ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1917, Page 4

ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER.

ACCUSED TEMPORARILY IXSANE liy Telegraph.—l'ress Annotation. Auckland, Lnst Night. At the .Supremo Court to-day, Thomaf Edward Watt Skelton was charged with the r.l,tempted murder of his wife, Alio Alary Skelton, and of cunning bodilj hai in, at l'ahi. North Auckland, on Janu nry 11. Eor the defence, c\idciiee wa i\ <n thai on a I'Miing hip the licensed lay down and slept in the sun. He colli, plained of feeling unwell, and said that lie had suH'cred from insomnia, and also complained of pains in the head. Ho had one glass of brewery beer with his lurch, and later had two glasses of homemade beer. the ewdence given by four doctors va.-, to the elfeet that in their opinion Skeltou was in an abnormal menial condition when he attacked his wi.r. Accused, in a written statement, attributed the attack, of which ho had no actual knowledge, to the fact of (deeping in the sun. The \ioleneo was due solely I" i lie s"in-t lie objected vehemently to the suggestion that ho \iiis a menial dele. ui longstanding. "r. I'alwt, recalled by his Honor, stated that the symptom.-, described by Hie :ic(ii:-ed in his stilt -incut were identical with tlio.su of sunstroke, and tl«e condition of trenxy iu which the accused wus said to have been when the attack was made would not occur again, except under similar circumstances. Dr. King conlirmcd this opinion. After a retirement of 15 minutes, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, oil the ground that tile accused was temporarily insane at the time of the attack, the mental disorder being the result of sunstroke.

His Honor said lie proposed to orde. accused to ri iiiiiin in ilii- custody of the jail authorities and not send him to an asylum.- lie would remain in custody in,til the Governor's pleasure was asterti. ined.