THE DEATH IN THE AUCKLAND GOAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XVII, Issue 297, 20 December 1882, Page 2

THE DEATH IN THE AUCKLAND GOAL.

. A BftAYE YOUNG WOMAN. ,' , (ill. /•.'!((!;'. ■L._ i _ I [T! . i : ; i / / Tjie fnllowiug are particulars of the case of Ho&tota,'- who ' disd in ' the Auckland gaol on Saturday lost :— Up till some three or four months ago, Thomas Hooton with hia wife, resided at G'oromandel, and while , thqre. • triads' acquaintance with the family of Rayner. The Hootona, ■owidg' : t&™th"e ■■'- husband's" intemperate habits t lived very unhappily, together, [and o^iffffe) Kis cjruel treatment, Mrs "Hootoff'Wair frequently 'driven to seek shelter under tjhe friendly iroo.f of jtjfe RaynerliwMdn? mara.than..one < occasion protected her from her husband's vio-lence'.!-Hobtonj does- not seem to have appreciated the interference of the Rayners, and, indeed, conceived a dislike to them, which found expression m threats and inaendoes, when he was the worse for liquor. About three months ago thff'HootoQa came to reside at Devonyor't,' where the' Rayners had also taken up, their residence; indeed, both families resided m the same house! Hooton com.menced business on . Queen-street wharf 3s\a chemist and druggist, and though for 'a short time be was steady, he soon relapsed into his old intemperate habits, and his unfortunate wife led a life of even greater unhappiness than before. One day,, last, week, stung to desperation by his cruelty, she rushed into the part of the house occupied, by the Rayners, and claimed "their protection. 'This 'so incensed Hooton that he threatened to murder not only his wife, but the Rayners also. The day after Airs Hooton's Sight her husband, 1 borrowed^ from a friend, ostensibly fdr the purpose of purchasing a revolver and ammunition for the protection of hia house from burglars ; but, as the sequel proved, really iwith the intention of carrying out his murderous threats. ; It , transpired that he was then already the possessor of a revolver, and he purchased ,at the establishment of P. H.. ; Hazard, 'gunsmUb, m Queen-street, ball-cartridge and caps. Hooton's next step was to load the barrels jai _his. _six I chambered _ revolver and proceed to the North Shore. On Monday evening last, the Misses Rayner happened to be on the wharl as the ferry steamer came 'alongside; They recognised Hooton, and observing that he was armed came to the conclusion that he was about to carry out his threats. Thsy hastened home and- gave the alarm. Presently' a knock came to the door, and Miss Rayner, arming herself with a stick, proceeded to answer the summons. She did not . think it was Hooton,- consequently her terror was great when, on opening the door, she .found herself looking down the tube of a revolver presented at her by the semi-inebriated chemist. _ Fortunately, Miss Rayner, with admirable presence of mind, promply struok the revolver upwards, the blow, apparently, at the same time causing Hooton's hand to relax its pressure on the trigger. The weapon, as afterwards transpired, was fully loaded, capped and cocked. Just as Miss Rayner had performed this act of bravery her younger sister and her father appeared on the scene, and without much ado wrested the revolver from his grasp, and handed, him over to the police authorities. Hooton had a brother employed m the establishment of Messrs Potter and Co, merchants, Durham-street. Since his incarceration he wrote a letter to his brother, fully expressing his determination to "shoot Rayoer." Mrs Hooton states she visited her husband m gaol yesterday, and he then made use of threats that he would murder Rayner. He informed her he had arranged with John, hia brother, to look after the children. Hooton had been m the colony only three years, arriving at Wellington from England m the ship Marival m 1879. At the inquest on the body of Hooton, a verdict was recoidcd of Death from Sanguineous Apoplexy.