WOMAN GRAVELY INJURED

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27125, 22 August 1953, Page 6

WOMAN GRAVELY INJURED

HUSBAND OF 67 TO BE CHARGED

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO MURDER

An elderly woman was found lying gravely injured in her room at 56 Retreat road late yesterday afternoon, and her husband, who will be charged with attempted murder, was found lying in the dining-room, suffering from the effects of something he had drunk.

The woman, Mrs Evelyn Norman Foubister, aged 66, was operated on for a fractured skull in the Christchurch Public Hospital. Her condition was reported at 2 a.m. today to have shown no improvement. Her husband, William Foubister, aged 67, was also admitted to the hospital, but responded well to treatment.

The couple had occupied for about five months a front room in the house, occupied by their son and daughter-in-law.

When their 19-vear*-old grandson arrived home shortly before 5 p.m. he found Mr Foubister lying ill, and noticed also that the contents of drawers in his grandparents’ room and another bedroom were piled in heaps on the floor. The grandson then telephoned his father, the St. John Ambulance Association, and the police. When a party of detectives arrived at the house both the injured persons were being taken into an ambulance. The police party, under Inspector D. McKenzie, comprised Chief Detective M. Brown, Detective-Sergeants C. G. Urquhart, G. W. Alty, and E. G. Ward, and Detective G. A. Brewer.