A FATAL QUARREL

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 48, 25 February 1914, Page 8

A FATAL QUARREL

CHRISTCHURCH WOMAN'S DEATH. TWO STORIES OF THE BLOW. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of the late Hannah Thomson, the victim of the Durham Street tragedy, was continued this afternoon before the Coroner, Mr H. W. Bishop. Alexander Thomson, a son of the deceased woman, appeared in custody.

.Senior Sergeant Mathieson stated that at the house in Durham Street on Friday evening, Thomson made the following statement to him: "I am a labourer. I had an argument over some bootlaces with a man named Baxter, a labourer, who lived with my mother. Baxter has been living with my mother and sleeping in the same room. Baxter started dictating to mc. about some boots. 1 asked him what he had to do with mc. I came downstairs and asked him what he meant, and he started going "crook" on mc. Baxter made a strike at mc and I started to defend myself and made a smack at him. I hit a chair in place of hitting him. He then tried to wrestle with mc and I made a smack at him. My mother stood in my road and received a blow. Baxter and my mother went out in the yard and wash-house. My mother fell down when I struck her. The bloodstains on the floor came from my mother when she was being carried in. Her ago is iiftv years/

William Eaxter. a labourer, after describing the quarrel, stated that Thomson's mother said something to her son, who began swearing and gave her a blow on the side of her face and knocked her down. Witness was three or four yards away from Thomson at the time, so the blow could not have been meant for him. Mrs Thomson got up and her son still continued his bad language and hit his mother again and knocked her down once more by the fireplace. She fell on the fender and broke a piece off the end. Her face was bleeding. When witness brought Mrs Thomson out cf the bathroom into the back yard, Thomson said: ■"You keep. out of the road, mother. That's the I want." His mother tried to pacify him and said there was nothing to quarrel about. Thomson said: "Shut up. or I'll; give you another clout. - ' He did hit her again with his open hand, and knocked her down again in the yard. Mrs Thomson fell on the ground, and witness picked her up. He did not think she was seriously hurt, and he went inside to get a teapot to make tea. Mrs Thomson could stand by herself at that time.

Witness heard Thomson swearing at his mother, and came out again. He saw Thomson make another blow at his mother and knock her down on a wooden ease that was standing near by. Witness then noticed that Mrs Thomson was bleeding greatly, and he took her into the bathroom. ' Witness said to Thomson. "I think you've just about done for your poor mother now." Thomson took no notice of what witness said and never answered. Mrs Thomson died soon after.

The Coroner returned ?. verdict that the deceased. Hannah Thomson.. on the 20th day of February, 1014. at Christchurch, did die of hemorrhage caused by a rupture of a varicose vein, due to falling against a sharp substance, the said fall being caused by a blow from her son, Alexander Thomson.

Accused was brought before the Court and was remanded until Saturday next.