HUSBAND ATTACKS WIFE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 November 1925, Page 6

HUSBAND ATTACKS WIFE.

SON INTERVENES. IT NS UOOEBSIF LTL STRIHMIL E FO R I? KVO V.LER. (IIY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION ) CIHJUSTC 'HERCIH, Nov. 24. The inquest on William Thomas Bay--1 is, the victim of the Richmond tragedy, was resumed before Mr. .hi. A. Young, district coroner, to-dav. Mr. Thomas appeared for the .son of the deceased, Tlarold William Baylis. Harold WiLliam Bay!is, said that at about 7 a.m. on November 20 his mother brought him a cup of tea to his bedroom. Then she went back to the kitchenette. Witness heard his father go from the kichenette to his bedroom and then return to the kitchenette. A few -minutes later witness heard two reports such as those usually made by the discharge of a revolver. He rushed to the kitchenette and found his mother lying on the floor and the deceased on the floor of the pantry. Deceased was bleeding about the head. Witness’ -mother said : “Your father has done for me. . . I’m dying/’ Witness asked bis mother what had happened, and she replied that deceased had asked her what she wanted and she had .said that .she wanted sugar, salt and a lew other household requirements. He asked her to write them down on a paper and .she refused to do it. She said the next thing she knew was receiving a blow on the bead from the deceased.

Witness said lie lifted 'liis mother up and took her out to lie iback porch. He then returned and found that the deceased had risen from the pantry and iviiiS in the kitchenette. He had a revolver in his hand and witness attempted to* take it from him. There was a struggle but witness could not get possession ot the revolver. Deceased then fired at witness’ mother again. He could not isay how many shots were fired. Witness again tried to get possession of the revolver, but could not do so. Finally he pushed the deceased inside the house and locked the back door, his mother and himself being on the outside. After a few minutes witness unlocked the door and went into the house again. He found the deceased in the hall in front of the house. He' was bleeding profusely from the head and wrist. He was then raving. He had been raving throughout. Witness made another unsuccessful attempt to get the revolver. Deceased then made for some razors on the mantelpiece of the kitchenette, but after a. struggle witness got possession of them. Before witness unlocked the door be attended to his mother outside, and while he was attending to her he heard several shots fired outside the house before the doctor or police! arrived. Deceased went round to the back, having apparently gone out the front door. He was covered with blood and asked what bad happened. He then appeared to be calm. He seemed '.surprised when witness told him what had occurred. He waited calmly until the doctor and the police arrived. Later deceased and witness’ mother were removed to the h.sopital. To Mr. Thomas: For some days prior to the occurrence the deceased had been in a bad nervous condition. The day before he had had to stay home from work. There was cause for worry and it affected him badly. To the coroner: Deceased bad been worrying considerably for some months past, and because of has condition resulting from this lie had consulted Dr. Pairman. He had never said anything about taking his life or the life of anyone else. Dr. O. Mailer, house surgeon at the Christchurch hospital, said Baylis was suffering from the effects of two bullet wounds when admitted. It was an injury to the brain resulting from these wounds that caused death. Baylis did not make any statement as to how he came, by the wounds. Dr. Pairman said that he had attended Baylis on tlhe morning of November 20. Me was called to Baylis’ house at about 7.30. Mrs. Baylis was lying on the steps at the back door She" wa«s bleeding somewhat from a bullet wound in the head There were no signs of a wound in the upper part of the chest. *. Then witness saw Baylis walking up and down in a very excited manner atul bleeding a good deal, especially from the left wrist, on which he admitted lie had inflicted a wound with a pair of scissors. There was a wound on the right side of the head, which was bleeding slightly. Baylis seemed to be somewhat dazed. Me seemed very concerned about his wife. Witness ordered the removal of both to the hospital. Witness saw Baylis later at the hospital. When witness told him that his wife would probably get over it he said: “Thank God,” but he did not seem to be able to remember what be had done. He could not remember the actual doing of it. Baylis admitted that he had shot his wife land that he had inflicted wounds on himself.

Witness had seen Baylis twice in October. On both occasions he was in a very nervous condition but perfectly rational. Ho had gone in the first instance to consult witness about his domestic affairs. It seemed that there was someone philandering with his wife. r The coroner: What do l you call it. - ' Witness: Philandering. That is putting it mildly. Witness said Baylis said ho had ordered a man out of his house, but he persisted in his attentions to his wife. A good deal more was said of happenings that shocked his sense of propriety. Baylis said he could not sleep and seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown. Witness considered that Baylis’ mind was quite unhinged when he committed the act. Constable McLeod said that Baylis told witness to keep the matter quiet, as he and his wife had been quarrelling over a man. Baylis said that lie had fired high to frighten hiis wife. The coroner found that the deceased died on November 21 from the effects of a bullet wound self-inflicted while insane.