A WILD COURT SCENE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9498, 23 April 1921, Page 3

A WILD COURT SCENE.

WOMAN TRIES TO KILL NEGRO

A sensation was caused m a Pittsburg, U.S.A., courtroom when a young married woman tried to kill a negro whom she had identified as the man who forced his way into her house, and assaulted her.

Describing the scene, a correspondent states that it only the woman's ignorance of the working of the automatic pistol that prevented her carrying out her intention of killing the prisoner. She shouted, 'Til kill you," and springing from l the witness stand, she whipped from her skirt pocket an automatic pistol. She thrust aside her husband, who would have barred her path, and pressing the weapon against the negro, pulled the trigger. Her effort to shoot was m vain, as she had failed to release the safety lock with which the pistol was equipped. She cried hysterically as detectives pulled her away. As she was removed there was a rush of screaming women, who tried to reach the prisoner as he sheltered himself among the detectives. Mothers with babies m their arms and children tugging at their skirts urged the frantic woman to carry out her intention against the negro, shouting, "Kill him ! We'll stand by you."

People rushed m from the street, and efforts Ivere made to strike down the prisoner, but the police were able to force a passage through the crowd and get him m safety to the county gaol. The woman had told the Court that the negro beat her almost into insensibility and then carried her into the cellar, from wh&h she escaped by jumping through^ a window as he was turning to shut tlie door.