YOUTHFUL MURDERER

Evening Star, Issue 18158, 26 December 1922, Page 3

YOUTHFUL MURDERER

BAD TEMPER AND JEALOUSY. In the Criminal Court at Adelaide, on November 29, Herbert Cyril Curnow, aged eighteen: year’s, was found guilty of the murder of Eleanor Louise Bockmann, aged Seventeen year’s, daughter of a farmer in the Maitland! district, Yorke’s Peninsula. jC'urnow had admitted! having shot the girl bn the morning of September 3. With, the verdict of guilty the jury brought in a strong recommendation for mercy on account of the youth of the accused'. The judge askod Cur-now if he had anything to say, and he replied in a firm voice, “No, thank you!” Sentence of death was pronounced, and the .judge said) that the jury’s recommendation would be forwarded to tire .proper authorities. Cumow, .in a dear and calm tone, read a statement from the dock, in the course of which he said : “I have earned my own living since I was fourteen. Unfortunately I had a very hot temper, which I must have got from my father. As far back as I can remember I have at different times witnessed exhibitions of violent temper in my home, in which my father seemed to lose control of himself altogether. When I was a little boy at school 1 commenced reading steles of adventures of bushrangers, and my reading ever since has been confined to taies dealing with crime and) adventure. These stories I would' read over and over again, until I knew some of them almost by heart. I used to study very carefully until I knew the different ways adopted in carrying out robberies with violence and bushrangiug methods. I got to fancy I was one of these cliaracters, and always wanted to live their lives. The last year or so the wish to become a bushranger was too intensely strong in me. I first, made the acquaintance of the deceased about four months .before her death, and bad been keeping company with her for about two months before lier death. I was very fond of her. About five weeks before her death the deceased ami I quarrelled on account of her familiarity with two other young men. I objected, and wo had angry words about it at different times. On ono occasion I saw her and one of them walking along, the street; lie was quite drunk, and had his arm around) -her. ■ I remonstrated with her, and she replied: - ‘lf you don’t like it you can lump it; if you are going to quarrel with me all the time you can have your walking ticket.’ I said; ‘ There is no need to corn© to that; you just act fair to me and I will act fair to you.’ Later I saw her in the dining room alone. She said, ‘ I don t want to have anything mare to do with you.’ I said, ‘What k your reason?’ She replied, ‘I don’t like you any more.’ After that the snubbed me, and was always-throwing off at me. I could not get the way she 'treated me out of my head, and nothing else seemed* to matter to me. I coidd not sloop at, -night., what with ray love for her and her treatment of ,rne. I must have been out of my mind on Friday j and only afterwards, when I was told of what had happened, did I realise what I had done. I can only say that I loved the girl very strongly, and- that I cannot say how sorry I am tor the trouble I brought on her family. If I hack been in my right senses at the time it would never have happened,”