THE FOXTON MURDER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9577, 25 August 1909, Page 5

THE FOXTON MURDER.

VERDICT OF INSANITY. By Telegraph—Press .Association PALMERSTON N., August 24.

The Foxton murder ca*e, in which Hedley Nye, a deaf mute, was charged with shojting his father, Thomas Nye, at Foxton, on July sth, came on before Mr Justice Cooper and a jury, this morning. Mr C. A. Loughnan appeared for the Crown, and Mr T,- M. Wilford for the defenc?. The alternative count of manslaughter wa3 also preferred. Evidsnce was called to show that accused had been a deaf mute all his life, and tha iary without leaving the box found accused t) ba mut3 by the visitation of God. Mr Wilford said he woulu bring evidence to show that accused was the victim of delusions. He believed his father was still alive and in the house. Another delusion was that of th; sense of grandeur and that ha couU see'in the dark. Counsel haci tried to question accused, .but his anwerswere wild and unintelligible. Dr. Crosby, medical superintendent at Mount View Asylum, gave it as his opinion that accused was a lunatic. an 3 unable to plead. Dr. Gilmer, of Wellington, gave corroborative evidence, stating that the boy behaved like a wild animal. Dr. Martin, of Palmeraton North, said he had had two hours with accused on the previous night, and found that the delusions men:ioned by other witnesses were quite fixej. Accused was a degenerate physically. Other evidence went to show that tha accused was of unsound mind. After the Judge's charge the jury, without-leaving the box, brought in a verdict of lunacy, and accused was ordered to be placed in the Porirua Mental Asylum durhg the pleasure of the Minister for Internal Affairs.