THE DAY'S BAY AFFAIR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8110, 3 April 1906, Page 3

THE DAY'S BAY AFFAIR.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

At the Wellington Police Court, yesterday, Henri Francis F. E. Bocquet was charged with attempting to murder James Reille, at Day!s Bay, on the 27th March. Mr Wilford appeared for accused, who pleaded Not Guilty. Detective Broberg conducted the prosecution. Accused is about thirty years of age. Annie Reille, wife of James Reille, deposed: 1 was married to James Reille on 26th March last, and we went to live at Rons Bay. On the folloing day I saw accused at Rona Bay, about 4 o'clock. He was intoxicated. Ho asked me what I was doing there. I Baid 1 was married. He asked me to go back to Wellington with him. 1 replied that I could not. I walked along the road towards the Bay, and he was attempting to persuade me to go baok with him. I told him I was married, and he would not believe ine. When I pot round a bend in the road he said he would phoot me if I did not go bank with him. He pulled a revolver our of his pocket, but it waa not loaded. 1 was afraid of him, and then told him 1 was married and would go on to the boat if he would give me the revolver. He put the revolver back in his ov.'rcoat pocket. After further evidence, the witness stated: When J saw my Husband coming along the road, I called to him to cone quickly. When ucoused took the revolver out of his overcoat pocket 1 tried to hold his arm. lie tried to pull his arm away. We struggled and we both fell. 1 got up first , and ran towards Mr Reille. Acoustd still had the revolver in his hand. My husband then ran up, and after . a short struggle knocked Bocquet down. During the struggle' I took • the revolver out of accused's hand, . and gave it ta Mr SSoiJlo. Cross examinad: When were you married to Reille?—Last' Monday, pt the Registry Office. Were you living with Bocquet on the 25th, the day before you were married to Reille?—Yes, 1 could not get rid of him; he would not leave me. With all his faults, did Bocquet love you?— Yes. Did Booquet ever write letters to you?-—Yes, he often wrote letters to me and left them on the bedroom table and other places. 1 used to burn them. Were the letters he wrote to you respectfully worded?— Yes. Were they not the letters of a ,man tu a woman he loved? —Yes. Did Booquet nave an opportunity ,to shoot Reille as Reille approached? • —Yes. Did Bocquet fire or attempt to .i.fire?— No. if Bocquet desired to shoot Reille he could have done so?—Yeß. By: Detective Broberg: When you Bocquet did not attempt to shoot Reille, you mean that the revolver did not go off? Witness: Yes. You do not know whether he pulled the trigger?—l do not know. Why did jou live with 'Bocquet? —Because he promised to marry me as soon as be was in a position to do so. 1 left Booquet to marry Reille because Bocquet could not keep me. James Reille, a labourer, deposed that during the struggle accused got his arm round the back of witness's neck. Witness continued: "I lelt the revolver touch my hair. 1 heard the hammer fall, I managed to throw him to the .ground and secured the hand with rthe revolver 1 wreDOhed the revolver from accused and handed it to «riay wife. We all three walked towards the Day's Bay wharf, and on t£frival there I asked someone to j ►telephone for the police. David John Dick, carter, Muritai, •and Hugh Downes, wharfinger at Day's Bay, gave evidenoe. Downes 'deposed that the revolver was loaded in every chamber when it was handed ?to,him. On examining the cartridges with Detective Lewis he notioed that the hammer had apparently fallen on four cartridges. Detective Lewis deposed to arresting accused. He found the* letter and photograph produoed in accused's bedroom. On the baok of the photograph of Mrs Reille was the.'foillowing writing:—"Life without you is not worth living. In spite of your faults I love you still. May you be Uapsy. Write home to my brother and sister. You have their address. Good l-ye, Annie.—Yours ®ntil death—(Signed) H.fi.' W. H. Tisdall, gunsmith deposed that be examined the revolver and cartridge's. All the chambers of the revolver were loaded. There had been' a mias-fire in the casdof four cartridges. The miss fire was-caused by a defeat in the revolver. The cartridges were not defective. The mainspring of the revolver was very light. It was quite possible for the hammer to fall and not explode the cartridges. On being .asked if he had anythliig to say, accused (on the advice of Mr 'Wilford) said: "The charge is ridiculous and absurd." Accused was committed for trial. He was admitted to bail, himself in £2OO and two sureties of £IOO each.