ENGINEER'S INFATUATION

Northern Advocate, 16 September 1927, Page 7

ENGINEER'S INFATUATION

ENDS IN COURT CASE. CHARGE OF ASSAULT. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, This Day. The infatuation of a ship’s engineer for a young married Woman, which ripened, following a shipboard acquaintance in December last, was a fac't connected with the appearance of Milroy Thomas Smellie, aged 23, at the 1 court yesterday morning charged With assaulting Sophia Shepherd, on September 7, so as to cause actual bodily harm.

The complainant, Sophia Shepherd, A pretty woman, of 19 years, said she was married about 18 months ago at Wellington to Thomas Shepherd. At present she resided at Wellington Street with her mother. After her marriage she went to South Africa with her husband, a vaudeville artist. She subsequently left him and in December travelled from Sydney to Wellington on the Maheno. Voyaging aerbss she met Smellie, a fifth engineer, with whbhx she had several conversations and dances aboard; On arrival at Wellington (Smellie saw her off to Ohakune. She corresponded with accused after going to Auckland to live with her parents, but two weeks prior to his arrest she wrote saying she did not think any man would make Her happy. Five (months ago she stayed with .accused’s people at New Plymouth, going under the name of Leoni Shepherd, her stage name, Smellie left the sea five months ago, while she was on tour with the Stanley McKay Company.

On .September 2, Smellie called at her mother’s home when witness asked accused not to call again. Nevertheless, Smellie called every morning and evening till September 7, on which day he arrived at 8.30 a.m. He assisted her mother to hang a picture. She dressed in her mother’s room because she was afraid Smellie "would follow if she Went to her own room. When she came out she did not answer his question;—“Why don’t you speak to me 1 ?” —aiid he struck her on the head with a hammer. Witness said she thought it was accidental, because Smellie once said he would never hurt a hair of her head, but accused exclaimed “Oh God! What have I done!” He then had a .sheath knife, or dagger, in his hand. Accused had a mania for collecting knives. Smellie wanted to summon a doctor and told her mother he would do himself in if he had hurt her. Smellie was committed for trial and released on bail of £2OO.