ATTACK UPON WIFE

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 January 1926, Page 7

ATTACK UPON WIFE

WOUNDED WITH HAMMER. After battering his wife on the head with a claw-hammer,, inflicting -terrible injuries, Edward James Carroll, aged 45 years, a labourer, walked into Canterbury Police Station, and calmly told a sergeant what he had done, says a Sydney paper. Mrs. Emma Carroll, aged 54 years, was found lying unconscious at the. foot of a flight of steps near the back door of her home- She, had frightful wounds on the top of her head. Her husband made a rambling statement, indicating that jealousy caused him to attack his wife. It is thought that he had the idea that his wife whs going out with some other man, but relatives of Mrs. Carroll say that there were no grounds for the suspicion. The couple had been married about four years. Nobody heard the sounds of a struggle, and it is thought that the woman must have been struck unexpectedly and stupned by the first blew. She was struck at least three times with the hammer, her skull being badly fractured in three different places. Before going to the police Carroll visited his wife’s sister, Mrs. E. Moss, and told her that she had better go and see his wife. “She is very 4 sick, ”

lie stated. When he walked into the police station Carroll said to Sergeant Boyd, who was on duty, “I’ve done for my‘ wife. I’ve left her for dead- ■ Do what you like with her.” . • ~ .Constables Rogerson and Wilbin went round to Carroll’s house, and summoned Dr. Cumming. After being treated the woman. was taken to the Western Suburbs Hospital.; ; ■ Mrs. Carroll, it is believed, was; attacked in the wash-house of her home, as marks of blood were found on the floor. She must have managed to stagger to the steps before she.collapsed. ../ Mr, McDonald, who lives next door, and who .is related to Mrs. Carroll, said it was remarkable that he heard no sounds of a struggle . Carroll was employed by the Canterbury Council as a'labourer. He had no children. / Carroll, was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm.