HAMILTON TRAGEDY

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1931, Page 6

HAMILTON TRAGEDY

DEATH OF MRS L. A. SMITH HUSBAND COMMITTED TOR TRIAL ,• A REMARKABLE LETTER. (Special to "Northern Advocate.") HAMILTON, This Day.

A remarkable statement, alleged by the police to have been made to a constable by Arthur Walter Smith,' aged 50, was produced at the hearing today of the charge against him of murdering his wife.

After giving details of his unhappy marriage, he described what happened on the night of the tragedy. He saw his wife and a stranger enter a bus at 8 o’clock. When she came in, he asked her if she had had supper, her reply being “No.” She sat reading for a time and then went to bed. A quarter of an hour later he followed her into the bedroom and undressed and prepared to get into bed. To put the candle out he had to lean over his wife, and, in doing so, he noticed that she was fast asleep^ “An awful feeling came over me,” continued Smith, “which was irresistible. I slipped off the bed to the floor, took a clasp knife out of my trouser pocket, and got back on the bed again. I looked at my wife’s face once more, and then stuck the knife into her throat. The feeling was terrible. She gasped, looked at me for a moment, and jumped out of bed, and called to Phyllis, her daughter. I slipped off the bed and ran to try to prevent her from falling, but it was too late. “Then I.had an awful fecliug of remorse. I stood for a moment feeling as weak as possible, looking at the mother of my babies lying there. I then stuck the knife into my own throat, but was too weak to cut far. I seemed to come to myself, laid the knife on the table, and called for Phyllis to get a doctor. When the doctor came I told him I had killed my wife, but, 0 God, it was not murder.

“At no time have I ever thought of doing harm to my wife. I got on to that bed after undressing with absolutely no other thought in my mind than of going to sleep. .‘ * The struggle for existence was getting harder every day, and the worry of it all was cruel. I had stayed at home night after night, and let her go to the .pictures,, and have never murmured, and have always tried to make her life as happy as possible, I could do no more than I did for my wife, and it was heartbreaking at times to see that all my efforts had been in vain.

“A separation seemed the only course left, and I w'ould have been quite willing to have that arranged, as it seemed impossible for ma to make her happy.” Other Statements. A soli«itor, Frederick A, de la Mare, said he had known Smith for forty years. On October 2 Smith called on him and confided his affairs in him. Smith seemed to be very distressed as to what was to become of his children, and suggested that he would separate from his -wife. Witness advised him to apply for a divorce. In answer to accused’s counsel, witness spoke' highly of Smith’s character and public spiriteduess. Colin Percy Wishart, a railway employee, of Pnkctutu, said he attended a party at Te Rapa on September 19. He met Mrs Smith there and saw her home. He did not know then that she had a husband. He had supper with Mrs Smith on the following evening, and on October 2 he rang her up and arranged to meet her next evening. They spent an hour together, and he left her at nine o’clock. He did not know of the tragedy until the Mon-

day morning. Several •witnesses gave evidence that for several weeks prior to the tragedy Smith had been very depressed and worried regarding his domestic and financial affairs.

Phyllis Smith said her father and stepmother frequently had violent quarrels. She was asleep when the tragedy occurred, and was awakened by her father and told to ring for Dr. Waddell.

Accused ivas committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Sitting as coroner, Mr Wilson returned a verdict that deceased died on October 3, the cause of death being haemorrhage arising from wounds inflicted upon her by Arthur Walter Smith.