THE VIEWHILL MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1917, Page 5

THE VIEWHILL MURDER.

SCENE IN COURT. By Association. Christchurch, Last Night. At Oxford, North Canterbury; to-day, "1 aries Bu'l< was committed for trial f.v t e mu'i. of Henrietta Foster, at 7:iwhill statiT, on April 8. jJr. R. Bajley gave evidence to the effect that on March 13 the accused call-.-1 to see him, at Oxford, and consulted him for what he supposed was some venereal disease. Witness could find,no evidence of venereal disease, and told accused so. Accused appeared to be most erratic, and a weak-minded man. He said he would like to go to tho hospital in Christchurch, and witness told him that that was the best thing he could do. Witness wrote a. note to tho superintendent of the Christchurch hospital, in which ho said that Butler's mind appeared to dwell on certain matters. The symptoms described by the accused were not consistent with venereal disease, and witness was satisfied that it was a subject of hallucinations with the accused. Accused's brother gave »vidence that accused had been of weak intellect since his infancy, and fifteen years ago he went out of his mind and was sent to the Sunnyside mental hospital, from which he was discharged at the end of thirteen months. At one stage of the proceedings in court, Faster, father of the deceased, made a determined effort to get at the accused, and was only restrained and ejected from the court after a sharp struggle.