THE OXFORD MURDER CASE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3059, 21 April 1917, Page 10

THE OXFORD MURDER CASE

———«—_—. ■; BUTLER COMMITTED FOK TRIAL By Telegraph—Press Association. ChrlstcJiuroh, 'April 20. At Oxford, North Canterbury, to-day, Charles Butler was committed for trial for tho murder of Henrietta Foster at Viow Hill. Station, on April 8. - Dr. R. N Bagley gave evidence that on March 13 accused called to seo him at Oxford, and 'consulted "him for what he; supposed was'some .venereal disease. Witness could find iio evidence: of any venereal disease, and told the accused so. Tho accused "appeared to 'be a most erratic and very wejak-minded ■ man. Ho said he would like to go to tho hospital in Christchurcb, amf witness told him that that' was' tlie best thing ho could do. Witness then wrote a note to the superintendent of tho Christchurch Hospital, iu which;he said that Butler's mind appeared to dwell unduly on. certain matters. The symptoms described .by accused v.ere not; consistent with venereal diseases, nnd witnoss ivas satisfied that the subject was a hallucination with accused. The accused's brother gave evidencethat accused had been of weak intellect since infancy/ and ' that fifteen J ears ago lie went out of his mind and was sent tc Sunnyside Mental Hospital, from .which, he was discharged at the end of thirteen months. ' ' At one stago of the, proceedings in Court, Foster (father of the deceased) made a determined effort to get at the accused, and was only restrained and ejected fiom court after a sharp struggle. .