OTAHUHU SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 28, 1 February 1913, Page 5

OTAHUHU SENSATION.

HUSBAND'S JEALOUS ACT.

BATTERS HIS WIFE XN BED

AND THEN FLIES TO EYSOE.

A sensational occurrence took place at Otahuhu, nine miles out from Auckland, in the early hours of this morning, as tlie result of .which a railway worker named Charles John Mahon, aged 50 years, lies poisoned with lysol beyond hope oi recovery, while his wife is suffering from serious head wounds, said to have been inflicted by Mahon with a hammer. The couple have been living apart for six months, and .Mrs. Mahon had only returned to her home yesterday after being with her widowed mother at Takapuna. The Mahon family included five children. DRIVEN APART. From investigations made by a representative of the "Star" it seems that in July last some ill-feeling crept into the relations existing between man and wife, the former being moved to resent frequent visits to the home 'by a certain young man. Mrs. Mahon is understood to have resented her husband's reproof so much that she immediately left him, and went to live with her mother. She states that upon returning yesterday her husband received her kindly. A RESTLESS HUSBAND. According to the further statement of the injured woman, she retired at the usual time. A little later her husband joined her, but he was restless, and getting out again he partly dressed himself. Then, leaving the house, he went into an adjoining paddock. As he did not return Mrs. Mahon went to sleep with a little son in another bedroom. FOUR BLOWS ON THE HEAD. After being asleep for some time, Mrs. Mahon became, aware that her husband was entering the bedroom. He was without a light, and so she remained in passive anticipation of any remarks he might desire to make. But no word was spoken. Instead, four violent blows were levelled at her head with some 'heavy instrument, which Mrs. Mahon took to be a hammer, and of such brutal force were the blows that the unfortunate woman lapsed into a stats of unconsciousness. When she revived, Mahon was striking a match, and she supposed that he must have seen the blood on the. bed, for he exclaimed, " Oh, Eva,'' and then rushed out. The extent to which the bed clothes were stained with blood luridly depicts the horrifying nature of the occurrence. HUSBAND ATTEMPTS HIS LIFE. After rushing from the presence of his battered wife, Mahon must have gone into the kitchen, and gulped down a quantity of lysol from a bottle which had been taken to the house. He was found in a serious state of collapse by his wife when she had recovered sufficiently to leave her room in an endeavour to do something for the wounds 0:1 either side of her head, which were Weeding profusely. It was still early morning, for, to the best of Mrs. Mahon's belief the assault must have occurred between two and three o'clock. Dr. Macdonal.l was called in later. The stomach pump was used, and restoratives applied, but the man is not expected to live. A MAN OF GOOD CHARACTER. Mahon. who is being attended by Dr. Macdonald and Dr. Barber, bears a" food character. Residents of Otahuhu state that they have always regarded him as a hardworking and inoffensive man.