DOMESTIC TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 20942, 5 November 1931, Page 16

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY

WIFE STABBED IN BED HUSBAND COMMITTED FOR TRIAL [Per United Press Association.] HAMILTON. November 4. The trial of Arthur Walter Smith, aged 50 years, who is charged with the harder of his wife, Lois Alexandra ■bnith, aged 29, at their homo in Liverpool street, Whitiora, on the night of October 3, was opened before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court to-day. The accused, who walked into the court without assistance, was permitted to sit in the dock. In a lengthy statement to the police the accused set out the details of his life since coming to Hamilton in 1912. Mis wife, lie said, had an ungovernable temper, and used to tear her hair, bite tier arm, call him foul names, and lead him a terrible life. Ho then referred to his wife’s fondness for going out at night against his wishes. When his wife entered the house on the night of the tragedy he asked her if she had had any supper. She snapped “ No.” He made tea, but his wife sat for twenty minutes without speaking to him. She then went to bed. Later he went to join her, but she had moved over to the extreme side of the bed, and her attitude betokened that she did not want him. “ Then I got into bed,” continued the accused, “ and to put the candle out I had to lean over my wife. As I leaned over her I looked into her face. She was sound asleep, and an awful feeling came over me which was irresistible. 1 slipped off the bed to the floor, took a jack-knife out of my trousers pocket, and got back to bed again. I looked at her face once more, then struck the knife into her throat. Tho feeling was terrible. She gasped, looked at me for a moment, jumped out of bed, and called Phyllis. I slipped out of bed and ran round to try to stop her falling, bub was too late. 1 touched her, but she collapsed on tho floor by the end of the bed. „ , „ , “ Then I. had an awful feeling of remorse,” concluded tho accused. “ I stood for a moment feeling as weak as possible, and then stuck the knife into my own throat, but was too weak to cub far. The struggle for existence had been getting harder every day, and the worry of it all was cruel. 1 had always tried to do my best for my wife and children, but all in vain.” F. A. do la Mare, a solicitor, who has known Smith for nearly forty years, said that on the day before tho tragedy Smith came to seo him on business. He said he had been earning good money up north, and had sent his wire £3 12s a week, and had also paid im the rent. When lie returned he found some accounts not paid up, and was disturbed by the way in which the money had been spent. He heard that his wife had been to a party and had paid for some of the liquor consumed there. The prisoner had been captain of the Frankton Fire Brigade and drummajor of the Hamilton Band for some years. He finished his war career with the rank of captain, and was master of his Masonic lodge. Witness had never known him to do anything dishonest. The accused was committed tor trial.