R.M. COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1564, 20 December 1883, Page 2

R.M. COURT.

(by telegraph.) CARTERTON.—WEDNESDAY. ATTEMPTED MURDER CASE, [Before H. S. Waudell, R.M.] Mary White deposed ; 1 was lately residing in Carterton. I know the accused. I am,not married to but have been ljving with him five years come Christmas, I was in company with prisoner on the evening of the 12ih inst,. Anderson, the child, and myself, came into Carterton on the morning d'f the 12th inst. We had some drinks together. We were in Carterton all day. Between six and aeven in the evening, we were going home, He had been acousing rae about other men, Wi I, were living at Parkvale, three miles from' Carterton, at Fairbrother's cottages. As we were passing Peters' ihop he struok me on the face. I ran oyer to Peters' shop, and ait down in a chair. He and Peters had a conversation. I was too'excited to hear what they were Baying. There wai another man in the shop. Anderson had asked me to go home. I then left the shop and started to go home, He followed with the ohild, When we had paat Moore's store and gone down Moore's line, he caught up to me, He then got hold of me with one hand round the neok, and the next instant I felt something in my neok, I saw a man on horseback and sang out to him "I am murdered, my throat is cut." I fell on tho side of the road, and the man got off his horse and tied a . handkerchief round my neck. Anderson was a little way from me at the time the man went for 'the policeman ordoctor, Anderson came

back, tore up my bat, and said " You will novel' have the pleasure of wearing this hat again," Ho then took the child by the hand and said, "Come;on sonny, she has done it herself." Witness here identified the hat which had beon found in Moore's line, Gross examined: I have known the prisoner for five yean and six months. Lately we have had some quarrels. I do not know the reason. He has never accused mo of unfaithfulness till the 12th inßt. He told me once that I had never been the earns woman since his eye was knocked out, On tho 12th inst we went to Hodgin'u hotel together. The previous day I had not been drinking much. I have not muoh recollection of what happened on the 11th instant. He brought me some brandy to drink on the Moroton road after we carac ont of Hodgin's, I then asked him to go home and he refused. This would be about one o'clock. I never went upstair in Hodgins. I was not drunk, but had been drinking. Wo left tho hotel and then went on to Carterton, I have no knowledgo of Mrs Hodgin or the barman ordering mo down stairs. Anderson, myself, and the boy went to Gardener's. We returned from Gardener's to oome home, This would be a little past 5 o'clock. In Gardener's shop he called me names and ridiculed me when I asked him to go home, [At this stage the doctor interfered with tbe cross examination bs the woman was in a low weak state.] We then went to Peter's Bhop. Before we got to Peter's ho tore my jacket off my baok in ribbons. I never recollect throwing stones at accußod. [The witness here gave the sam 6 account of the assault as she, had previously done.] 1 could not identify prisoner's knife, Prisoner stabbed me. I am sure I did not do it myself. I was not taken home drunk in Morris' brake the night before the assault. John Smith deposed: lam a surgeon, residing in Carterton, On the evening of the 12th inßlant a man named Edwards came to me, and in consequence of what he told me I went to the Moreton road, and just below Fitzgerald's gate I found a woman (last witness) Billing by the roadside supported by Willie Moore, It was dusk: someone brought a candle. The woman's face and eye were swollen, and her clothing was saturated with blood. There was a pool of blood on the grass at her feet, l'hero was a handkerchief tied round her throat, which I untied; the handkerchief was saturated with blood, I observed two wounds on the left neck; there were two distinct wounds. [The witness here described tho wounds]. I drossed the wounds, and sent the woman to the hospital. The woman was weak and faint, Tho wounds had been inflicted by some sharp instrument,

Cross-examined : There were two wounds, quite olose to the artery. The two wounds must have been inflicted by two distinct cuts, one incision could not have inflioted the two wounds, The main wound was three-quarters of an inch into her throat. Both wounds are about tbe same depth. [Diagram drawn by Dr Smith produced in Court]. A pocket knife may have been used. The woman was in a weak, fainting state, we had to givo her water. Ido not believe the wound was self-inflicted; it would have been possible, but highly improbable. Judging from tho nature of the wound, I consider it impossible that the woman could havo done it herself, I form this opinion from tho situation and nature of the wound.

William Greeks, laborer, deposed: I reside in Carterton, and was in Peters' Bhop on the evening of the 12th inst. I was standing in the shop. I saw the prisoner with a woman and child. When they got opposite Peters' shop prisoner struck the woman twice and then tore off her jacket. She came into the Bhop for protection, and prisoner followed her into tho shop. He took a common knife out of his pocket, and said he would be tho death of her, He picked up Mr Petors' shop knife and sharpened tho two together. Ho handed Peters back his knife and took up the eyelet punch, and went on sharpening his knife. He thou said, " You have not got Mick to join part now. We havo three milos to walk, I will cut your throat before you get home." Tho woman went out, and the child said, "she is gone," He sent the boy after her, and then followed himself shortly afterwa-ds. Thoy went down towards Moore's, ki'io crossed over to the school wlion priso.ijr caught her tip. They disappeared round Moore's corner,

Oroas'oamined: The knife was a common shilling pocket knife. They were a little the worse for liquor. Thenuarrel was about" Mick." Henry Edwards deposed: I am a farmer living at East Taratahi. I saw accused and his wife and child in Carterton when I wad saddling my horse opposite Peters' shop, about six p.m. on the 12th instant. I saw the man strike the woman in the face. They then went into Peters' shop and I rode on to Moore's store. _ Coming out of Moore's, as I was mounting my horse, I saw the'man strike the woman again in tho Moroton road, As I rode down the Moreton road I passed the couple, Tho woman said " How far are you going, will you see me safe down the line ?" I did not reply but rode on past them, The woman tried to follow me, but Anderson held her back and told her to tako the child home, After I had gone about forty yards I heard a scuffle, and looking back I saw the man as I thought attempting to strangle the woman, I jumped off my horso and ran back, when I got up to the woman she cried out" My God, he has cut my throat," I could see blood streaming from her throat, She had no knife in her band. I tied up the wound with my handkerchief. I ran into Fitz« gerald's for assistance, telling tiiem a man had cut his wife's throat, I started to fetch the constable and doctor, but the constable was away, and I fetched tho dootor and mid young Moore. When I returned the man was gone. Cross-examined : I did not aoe any knife, 1 was mi horseback about forty yards away. The man stated that the woman had dono it herself, and volunteered to fetch the policeman. Cpnstablo Darby: I am a constable stationed at Carterton, From information I received, I proceeded to Parkvale, and from there along White's lino to the old Pioneer where I arrested prisoner on a charge of attempt to murder his wifo in the Moreton road. Prisoner said he knew nothing about it, He was innocent. She had once got him into trouble, and was doing it again. I took him to the lock up and searched him. Prisoner reserved his defence, His Worship committed the prisoner for trial on the serious chargo of attempted murder. J. Peters v. J, Robinson, jun., claim Ids. Judgment for plaintiff with costs.

MASTERTON.—THURSDAY. BEFOUE H. S. Wardell, R,M, E. CoUon v. W. Colton—This case WS3 an application for a protection order by the wife against the husband. After a good deal of evidence had been heard a judicial separation between the parties was agreed on. • Richard Grotty was charged by Sergeant McArdle with permitting the billiard room at the Empire Hotel, to be used for gaming purposes. Richard McKenzie, a laborer, resid-

ing at Mnstorton, deposed that oil Friday, November 23, he was in tho billiard room of tho Empire Hotel, fie saw a pound deposited on a game of billiards. The game was betweeu the defendant and Hamuera for a pound a side, The marker held the money, and gave it to the man who won. Witness backed Karaitiana for a pound. Karaitiana won;the game, and the money was .paid. A second bet was made on another game. Karaitiana won again. Two pounds were deposited, but the defendant only returned one as he said witness had won enough, Defendant gavo ten shillings of the balance to Karaitiana. Defendant' was marker in the' billiard room, To Mr Beard: Had not often frequented the room, A native raSrkfid for tho game. Karaitiana , was to havo ten shillings its player. George Boss, a laborer residing at Matahiwi, remembered the game of billiards. He laid his pound on Crotty the marker and lost, He also laid a pound on the second game. To Mr Beard: Did not remember MoKenzie allowing Karaitiana to have half the stakes.

The Sergeant reported at this stage, that Mr Tattersall, an important witness who had been subpoened, was in Wellington, and that two other , witnesses were not in attendance, The court remanded the case till the next usual sitting in order to obtain the necessary witnesses. ASSAULT. h . William Neill charged Cookery with an assault. Mr i appeared for the informant, andW defendant pleaded not guilty. y The defendant admitted that he had shoved the piaintiff on one side. He chucked him over because Neill stood in front of the bus in his charge to take away his passengers. Mr Board said there were two stauds at the station. One was allotted to Neill and the other to Dixon k Jaques. William Neill, called, deposed that on Wednesday, the 12th of December, ho went to the station on the stand allotted to him, and for which he paid a license. There were three stands: Ist. tho Empire, 2nd. his own, and 3rd, the Club 'bus. 'His own was right opposite the gate-way. The door of his 'bus pointed to the Empire stand. On this occasion he was standing close to the Empire side. When the train came in he sang out " this is the 'bus" and Oockery came and knocked him ovor on to the Empire stand. He was not hurt. Cockery knocked him over a second time, Yincent Hooper: A passenger by the , train paused to consider/what 'bus he should get in. He saw Cookery strike Neill, and considered that a blow was struck. Did not hear Neill speak to Cookery. Neill was in front of his own 'bus. Cookery: Are you certain I struck Neill? Witness: It looked like a strike; you hit him a sort of back-hand slap, Samuel Chandler, of the Opaki, saw Cockory knock Neill over with his fist, A. Carroll, called for the defence, confirmed the evidence of the previous witness. The Court: Havo you got any more witnesses of this kind Cockory ? (A laugh), M, Cronin, called, gave similar testimony, The Court said that this sort of thing must be stopped. P. Cockery : I can't stand by aud see the bread of my employers taken out of their mouths. The Court said the assault was not of a serious character. Along string of witnesses would have to bo paid for. It did not think it necessary to bind over Cockery to keep tho peaco, but would inflict a penalty of twenty shillings and costs.