CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 147, 24 June 1887, Page 8

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

(Before Mr Justice Ward.) After we went to press yesterday afternoon the following business took place. Manslaughter. —In the caso Henry O'Neil charged with nob adminiatering assistance to *his wife iii sickrieisSi and so occasioning her death. Mr Glover appearing for the Crown and Mr O'Meagher for the defence. —Mary Ann Rafferty said she lived close to Mrs O'Noil's house. She said that the prisoner on the Wednesday told her his wife had taken "Rough on Rats."—John Pierce, boatman, saidhe had seen O'Neil " hammering his wife. — By Mr O'Meagher : The police asked him if ho had ever seen O'Neil assault wife. — Charles For teous Simmons saw the deceased on Wednesday night. She might have been drunk. Was the worse for liquor himself. —By Mr O'Meagher: There were empty brandy and soda bottles near her. — James Fitzpatrick, chemist at Onelvunga, in answer to Mr O'Meagher, said he sold some white precipitate to the deceased. She said it was for the children's heads. It would have caused death if taken internally.— Sarah Maria Haynes, housekeeper to Dr. Erson, Elizabeth Nixon, Sergeant Greene, and Elizabeth Turner, also gave evidence. — Dr. R. W. Erson deposed to attending Mrs O'Neil on Monday, 14th March, when he found her in a state of collapse. She told him that she had taken some rat poison by accident, which had beon mixed with milk in a saucer Took the usual steps immediately to counteract the effect of the same. On Tuesday, aboub 9 or 10 o'clock, when he found her rather better, ho ordered certain other remedies. Told her husband what to do. On the Saturday evening he visited the deceased. He received a messago on Saturday afternoon calling him to see deceased, but this was countermanded directly afterwards. He, however, called all the same. Deceased had been moved to a back room. She was lying half in and half out of the bed, which was covered with filth. Told O'Neil to get his wife washed. No one was in attendance upon his wife that ho could see. The deceased was not a healthy woman and was of intemperate habits.