THE PAHI SENSATION

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 28, 1 February 1917, Page 4

THE PAHI SENSATION

SKELTON'S SANITY QUESTIONED

ACCUSED MAN AT COURT

(BT TEI/EGKAPH.—I'KESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, 31st January,

A sequel to the recent sensational occurrence at Pahi was the appearance at the Police Court of Thomas Edward Watts Skelton upon a charge of attempted murder of his wife, Alice Mary Skelton. Mr. A. M'Veigh, who appeared for accused, applied for a remand for eight days. He stated that he had information that showed that the accused was mentally defective, and it was his intention tol make application to the Minister for Justice for an order for medical \ examination of the man. The Magistrate said that, under the circumstances, he could not see his way to grant a remand. Alice Mary Skelton stated that on Sunday, 14th January, her husband went fishing. Just before he returned she saw her husband lying in the launch in the hot sunshine. She called to him, and in a little while he came ashore, when she said, "What is the matter with you?" He replied, " I don't know. I don't know." "At the house my husband," said the witness, " told me to put the baby down while he killed me. He caught me by the throat, and gave me several blow 3 on the temple with his closed fist. After releasing me, he said he would get a razor and kill me, and the children afterwards. He then went out of the room, when I picked up the baby and ran out of the house." A PECULIAR APPEARANCE. Cross-examined, witness said she parted from her husband on the Sunday morning on the best of terms. He had a\ peculiar look in his 1 eyes, and she had seen it slightly before. She accounted for his strange outbreak by thinking that the sun had affected his brain. She had thought on several occasions that her husband was not quite right. She waa sure her husband was quite sober when he came from the beach. The arresting constable also gave evidence as to accused's peculiar manner. On being informed of his intended arrest, Skelton said: "The first I knew I had done anything was when I saw the crockery broken in the house. If I am punished for this I will be punished for a thing I know nothing about. I am sorry for anything I have done to my little wife. I had only a small gla-ss of beer and a drop of home-made beer, and that would not make me drunk. The sun must have affected mo." The defence was reserved, and accused was committed for trial. Bail was not ; applied for.