ALLEGED THEFT POSTAL PACKETS

Nelson Evening Mail, 19 May 1917, Page 3

ALLEGED THEFT POSTAL PACKETS

(UNITID PRKSS A3SOCIATIOH.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 18. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, a youth named Robert Higgins was committed for trial on a charge of stealing postal packets containing £ll4, the property of the D.I.C.

FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER -——■- 1 ■ ■ ■ THE OXFORD TRAGEDY. [United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 18. The trial of Charles Butler lor the murder of Henrietta Louisa Foster at Oxford on April Bth was concluded today, after lasting three days,, the accused being found guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy owing to his low mentality. The defence did not dispute the fact that the accused caused the death of the girl, but contended that his act was not that of a responsible being. The accused had been an inmate of a mental hospital for thirteen months some years ago, and his mother's sister had also been in an asylum. He had special delusions oil sexual matters, and -would not believe half a dozen doctors that he had no venereal disease. The defence led evidence to establish the fact that the accused suffered from epileptic mania, and that he committed the crime in a paroxysm of epilepsy, and knew nothing of his action till afterwards. Evidence adduced for the Crown was to the effect that the accused understood the nature of the act and the quality of the act. In summing up, in traversing the medical evidence, Mr Justice Denniston said he could not accept one statement—that at the time the accused was doing the deed he did not know he was doing it. A man must know he was cutting a woman's throat in order to know how to use the razor, and in that sense therefore the statement was nonsense. In conclusion, His Honour said to the jury : "The facts are clear. It is a homicide, and it will be a murder unless the accused has satisfied you that he was insane at the time he committed the act, and did not know its nature or quality, and did not know the act was wrong." In passing sentence of death, His Honour said : "You have been convicted after a trial in which every consideration has been given to you. With the verdict of the jury, I think it right, looking at the natflre of the case and its responsibilities upon the jury, to express my entire concurrence. I do not think it. was possible under any possible circumstances for any other decision to be arrived at than that which the jury have come to, witißNa strong recommendation to mercy owing to your low mentality. That recommendation will be forwarded to the proper authorities."