THE LINWOOD SENSATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12430, 20 February 1901, Page 3

THE LINWOOD SENSATION.

WILDING IN COURT. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday WillianriJohn Wilding was charged, before Mr R. Beet-ham, S.M., with attempting to murder Ms wife, Sarah Jane Wilding, •, on Feb. 4. ■ ■ Mr Donnelly appeared for the accused. Sarah Jane Wilding said she was the wife ■of the accused, and lived in Tuam Street, Linwood. Accused was her second husband, and of very intemperate habits. On Feb. 4 her husband came home the worse for liquor. He and she quarrelled, and he took hold of her by the neck, and said he would choke her. She threatened Mm with the police, and in the passage he took hold of her again and pulled her, into the bedroom and.threw her down on. the bed and held her down, saying he would do for her.. He took a razor out of Ms pocket and held it across he" throat, but was not able, in consequence" of her struggles, to cut her throat with it. She got hold of the razor with both hands by the blade, and her hands were cut in doing so. She struggled and got away, and he followed, trying to catch her, but she got out of the house and screamed for help. There were three small children in the house besides herself. Sought refuge and assistance in a neighbour’s house, and accused went back into his own. A little daughter of the last witness corroborated her mother’s evidence. James M’Nichdll, a son of Mrs Wilding, gave evidence as to the unhappy life lived •by his mother with'-Wilding. Ho’had often heard the accused threaten his mother. ' Dr-Orchard was called, but as’he had neither seen Mrs Wilding’s hand nor dressed it- he" had ho evidence' to give! The Magistrate ,said ,this...witness., should) not have been called, and the Sub-Inspector said he understood. that Dr Orchard had dressed Mrs Wilding’s rvounds. Detective Livingstone gave evidence as to finding Mrs Wilding in a very excited state, and bleeding, from cuts on the hand. The house was looked up, hut a- constable who was with him helped him- to burst open the door, and they found Wilding on a bed in one of the rooms, bleeding from a wound in the throat. There were large quantities of Mood on the bed and floor of the room, and a razor was found beside Wilding, whom they took to the hospital. The accused was committed for trial, no bail being allowed.