SIEGE AND SUICIDE OF MAN, FOLLOWING DESPERATE ASSAULT

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6802, 4 January 1929, Page 6

SIEGE AND SUICIDE OF MAN, FOLLOWING DESPERATE ASSAULT

Woman Will Recover TRIED TO BORROW GUN ON EARLIER OCCASION ALLEN FORMERLY IN BUSINESS IN FEILDING.^ Special to Times. WANGANUI, Last Night. Mrs Dora Withey, the victim of last night is assault, who was operated on at the hospital, for a severe fracture of the skull, is to-night stated to be be making good progress and her recovery is assured. The gun with which George Allen, her assailant, later committed suicide, was not his own but belongs to his brother-in-law.

Allen tried to borrow the weapon some time ago, giving as his reason that he wanted to take it up country. The owner refused to part with it. However, when the trageay occurred, it was found that the gun had been removed. It is now established that Allen installed himself in the shop during Mrs Withey’s absence. He was apparently carrying the gun in a parcel and it is surmised that he struck Mrs Withey with it as she entered, not with a bottle, as was first believed to be the case.

When finally it was decided to endeavour to remove him by tho use of ammonia, the police concentrated upon two responsibilities, the capture of Allen and the safety of the public and their’s was no enviable task. The intention was that if he made an attempt to get clear, the fire hose should bo brought into play to prevont him using tho gun. Ammonia was sprayed into the room through a hole bored in the wall from the lane. The desperato man, seeing the nozzle of the cylinder, attempted to kick it back but ho was enveloped in the fumes and almost immediately made good his threat to take his life. Hearing the shot, but not being yi a position to see what actually had happened, tho police were not sure as to whether Allon had injured himself or merely fired through the roof. . Earlier in the evening, he had intimated to those at tho window that in addition to tho gun, ho had two revolvers, fully loaded. This subsequently proved to be bluff. Allen was a returned soldier and belonged to a well-known Wanganui family. He was employed as a draper at one time and had been- in business in Feilding. Latterly, ho had been employed as a farm labourer and bushman. He had had business transactions with Mrs Withey in connection with refreshment stalls on Spriggin’s Park and Cook’s Gardens sportsgrounds. It had been known for some time that tho man was brooding and apparently worrying greatly over his estrangement from Mrs Withey. He had been seen keeping watch on the shop from the high ground in Cook’s Gardens and although ho had been placed on probation, ho continued to intimidato the lady. He had written several threatening letters and it was evident ho was likely to prove dangerous if he got tho chance. Men associated with him during the war describe Allen as a fearless soldier who entered light-hearted into the spirit of things and imbued his mates with that feeling of confidence when danger threatened that did so much to inspire the New Zealand division. Ho was particularly conspicuous on raiding parties. On a search being made by the police to-day in the shop, letters were discovered, among them being one leddressed to the Coroner. A formal inquiry was opened to-day by Mr J. S .Barton, S.M., at which evidence of identification was heard and an adjournment made.