'TO FRIGHTEN HER'

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 232, 1 October 1929, Page 8

'TO FRIGHTEN HER'

LOVER ,W!TH A RIFLE.

MURDER ATTEMPT ALLEGED.

ACCUSED SENT TOR TRIAL. WEAPON READY. TO FIRE. ■ ' (By Teleprrapli.—Press Association.) CHEJSTCHURCH, this day. Russell George McCarthy, aged 23, was charged in the Police Court to-day with attempting to murder Theresa Mary O'Neill, a domestic, on September 25, and with carrying. a .firearm for an Unlawful purpose., He was., committed to the Supreme Court for ,trial. • Theresa Mary O'Xcill, aged,l9, a waitress at the Empire Hotel, paid she had known McCarthy 'for ten" months, and they had been .living together for the past four months. After a quarrel' on September 25, she returned to the hotel. McCarthy followed her,, and produced a rifle in two pieces. He put it together and then said, "I'll shoot you." He worked the magazine of the rifle. She eaid, "I'll come home, I'll come home." With that he gave, her a push. She rushed outside and cried for-help. T. E. ."Robinson, licensee of the-hotel, eaino and struggled , with accused, who was terribly excited. Robinson's evidence was to the effect that when he picked up the'rifle, it was cocked: ready to fire. He• later saw a police sergeant take:a cartirdgc out of the breech and another out •of the magazine. He saw accused, struggling with the girl and trying to get the rifle pound to her head. '.. "I Lovea Her Too' Much." A detective gave evidence that in a Statement accused said he only intended to give the girl a fright in order to induce her to return. He admitted puttin"- a bullet in'the breech of the gun. "I did not intend to hurt her," he said, "I loved her too much for that. I know now I let jealousy get the better of me." Detective-Sergeant O'Brien said he found a cardboard box containing 20 "live" .cartridges under a- bed in McCarthy's room.