THE OTAHUHU SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 33, 7 February 1913, Page 5

THE OTAHUHU SENSATION.

MBS. MAHOJPS WOUWDS TBHXIKG. HUSBAXD TO KEEP XBE PEACE. Charles John Henry Mahon appeared st the Police Court bhie morning on charges that at Otabuira on Saturday he attempted to commit suicide by taking lyool, and that lie assaulted hie wife Eva Ellen Mahon.

Mr Singer, who appeared for Mahon, entered a plea of "guilty." Senior-Sergt. MacKinnon eaid that the accused and hie wife were living at Otahuhu, and during the night on Friday, Ma-hon left hie room and went out of the house. Hie wife- at thai time went out of hie bedroom aleo, and went into another room. When Mahon came back and found thai &*» wife had ehifted, he went and aeked her to go back to the bedroom. She r«fOMi and he went away, but an hour or two cftsrmrds he went into the roen where ehe wae and hit her on the heed wifo some Nnnt instrument. The wife codtt not cay what s.he was hit with, hat the men stated afterwards that it wt » tomahawk. It must have been the bsok of the tomahawk, if that weapon were used, because the injuries inflicted on the woman were not eeriens l —were in fact, very mild. Mahon then went to the kitchen and took some Ijwol, and went out into a paddock, where he Ta found in an unconscious elate later in the morning. Mahon wa* a mm who bore a very high character, but ttwste had for a very long time been fzjctaoa between him and hie wife. Some time before thie she had left borne and been away for some time, but had retained home a week prior to the aauaulfc. R wae to be regretted, for acooMd'e. eafce, that she had returned home.

BROODED OVER HIS WBOKGS. Mr. Singer eaid t&at it was not desired to go into sordid detaiW, bat for many years the man had pot up with conduct on the part of his. wife that not cue man in a tbonaand -would «tamL He) had frequently forgiven, her Tt taken l>er back, 'having done co oniyi just before this occurrence. After sh* had declined to go to her bedroom en Friday night, the man- bad groe to the room by himself, and brooded for a kmg time over h« years of m*rrted nesery, until his feelinge mastered him, end he went and committed the assault, wliicb had been prea.tly over-painted by the. wife. He then rushed into the kiVjien, an<i on the impulse took the ryaoL Though the man now eaid it Tree a tomahawk lie used, that -weapon rnened totally in?ompatii>le with the trifling nature of the woman's injuries. Mahon bad ?. 'brother in Hamilton, who was willing- to be responsible for his future good behaviour, and counsel suggested that he be bound over toi-keep the peace towards hie wife-

CAREFUL XOT TO DO HARM. Dr. McDonald, who ■was called in to attend to Mre. Mahon, eaid that her ipjuries consisted of two email scalp wound*—one an inch long, and the ofchrr still smaller. There was noi neie»'.ty to put in any stitches, ac the ■were by no means of a eerioue nature. Confronted with'a tomahawk of heavy pattern, which Mahon eaid he had used, the doctor stated that Mahon miwt have been very careful to have used that weapon and caused so trifling. BOUND OVER FOR SEC MONTHS. After 'having read the report of the medical officer of the gaol respecting the prisoner's condition, Mr. Frazer, S.M., said that the police had'indicated that the trouble was largely oi the wife'e cwu making. But.no matter hr>w badly a woman failed to ■fulfil her wtf.-ly duties, that could never justify an attempt r>n her life The Magistrate asked the ptieoner if he would promise not to -repe/t the attempt at euicide, and the promise waa readily given- Ma'foon was not at fir>± inclined, however, to give up hie work ait Otahuhu and go to Hamilton, where die 'would be nnder hie brother's *uperiatcmlence. When it w«s pointed out to him that plenty of -work was obtainable for him at HamiMon, and that he mv.st of necessity etay away from whero hia wife was likely to be, he agreed. The pritsoner wae 'thereupon convicted and <iit=charged oa ihe charge of attempted suicide. On 'the other charge he was convicted, and ordered to pay the costfi, and to enter into h'u own rec.cirnfcince of £100, and obtain surety of £100 that he would keep tie peace towards his wife for' cix montbe.