ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 152, 30 June 1927, Page 8

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

WHITE ON TRIAL

'•I INTENDED TO SHOOT YOU."

DETECTIVE'S NARROW ESCAPE,

ACCUSED OVERPOWERED IN

BEDROOM.

Athol George Beamish White (23), who fired a shot at a police officer who went to interview him at his residence, 50, Great South Road, on June 14 last, appeared before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., at the Police Court this morning, when he was charged with attempting to murder Acting Detective 0. S. W. Power. Chief Detective Cummings prosecuted, while accused was represented by Mr. Miliiken. The magistrate directed that the Court be cleared. When accuse;! entered the dock he looked straight at the magistrate and said: "'! did not attempt to murder him, but I was going to murder him." White acted peculiarly throughout the proceedings, and frequently interrupted the taking of the depositions. Accused' 3 Unfortunate Career. Mrs. Mary Emily White, mother of accused, was called". Accused was one of a family of four, and was 25 years of age. He attended school until 1915, when he left owing to an injury to one of his eyes. Afterwards he worked on a sheep station for two years. Marrying at the age of IS, ha only lived with his wife for 12 months. On returning home witness noticed signs ot mental trouble. Accused had delusions, and said he could r.ot hear people talking to him. On •Januarv 8. 102-5. he was committed to the Mental Hospital. While an inmate there he was permitted to visit witness, and on one visit accused disappeared and went to his brother's sheep station. He worked well there for some months, and was not returned to the Mental Hospital, obtaining his discharge from the institution on November 30, 1926. Since then accused had remained at home with her. About June 1 he obtained a doublebarrelled shotgun, and leit home on June 7, taking the .gun and cartridges with him. Accused returned the same nk'ht at dusk, and said that he left his"swa<r at Mount Wellington. Accused did not return for his swag, but stayed at home afterwards. He was verv fond of guns, and she was not aware that he not the crun until alterwards. The gun, he said,' was to be used 011 a hunting"trip to the country. Since his discharge he had suffered from hallucinations, and became religious. He had cut up shotgun cartridges and used the pellets to fire through, an air gun. He had often said that he would sooner be dead than 20 back to the Mental Hospital. Witness was not at home on .June 14 when Detectives Nalder and Power called. She knew that accused kept the gun and cartridges in his room. When the Detectives Called.Detective P. J. Nalder was the next witne==. At 10.15 a.m. on June 14, in compmv with Acting-Detective Power and Constable Muir, he went to Mount V* llinzton concerning the finding 01 a - wa w there. T.~e swag contained a quantitv of shotgun cartridges and a letter addressed to accused. Afterwards all three went to No. 50, Great South Road. They arrived at noon. Constable Muir waited in a car outside nils witness and Power went to see accused to ascertain how he got ammunition without a permit and whether the pistol and shotgun had been registered. Miss White admitted witness and Power to accuseds room. On soinz in the bedroom accused, who was in bed", sprang out and grabbed the shotgun from the corner at the foot of his bed. As soon as Wnite picked up the gun and brought it to the iront of his bodv to take" aim Power grabbed hold of* the weapon. Witness caught accused by the neck. White pressed the trigger and discharged the gun as Power deflected the muzzle, the charge going into the wall. Witness then threw accused on to the bed, while Power got the gun. White then said: "I intended to shoot you/' He was told to keep quiet and not be foolish. Accused then said: ''Do you think I'm the devil? I intended to shoot you. If you had come to the door instead of the" bedroom I would have shot vou both." Accused said fre-

quently: "Are you going to take me to the asylum?" Witness told him that he -was not going to do that. When Constable Muir came in accused asked his motl er for the gun, so that he could

shoot ''All of you ■" White was very excited, wild, and trembling. The bullet passed within sis inches of Acting-Detettiv. Power, who would have been shot tad he not deflected the gun. It was not an ordinary cartridge that was fired, but a large bullet inserted in the cartridge case. This made a hole in the wall the size of a shilling piece. It went through the passage wall, going through th? wall on the other side or the passage six feet away. When asked why he left the swag at Mount Wellington lie said he wanted to travel around Xew Zealand and afterwards go to Australia. "Had Seen God." "Have you ever seen GodV' White asked Power jt the detective office. "I have," added accused. "He appeared before mo one night and said, "Hello. Athol/ "

In the swag was found a billy and four boxes of cartridges, wzile other cartridges were found in his room. These and a 3S-c-alibre bullet were produced.

Detective Nalder added that he accompanied accused in tiie police van from the Police Court to the lock-up. On route White said: ''I'm sorry I tried to shoot you two. Have you tried that air pistol vet 5" Acting-Detective Power corroborated Detective Nalder's evidence and produced the bullet fired at him. Evidence was then given by other relatives of accused concerning his mental condition. At times, it was stated, accused was of very unsound mind, while on other occasions lie was quite sane. ] (Proceeding.)