STABBING CASE AT HELENSVILLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9097, 4 July 1888, Page 5

STABBING CASE AT HELENSVILLE.

A rather serious case of stabbing was yesterday reported from Helensville, by Constable Foreman of that place. It seems that a man named Edward Boyle, a labourer, gumdigger, Ac., who has been living for some years past with a woman named Mrs. Annie Hill, quarrelled with her a few days ago about her daughter, whom he desired should go into service in a hotel, but this the woman would not agree to. On Monday the man appears to have got under the influence of liquor, and then to have gone home, and stabbed the woman. Constable Foreman, in reporting the case to Inspector Broham, states that at about ten minutes to four o'clock on Monday last, a boy named Thomas Boyle came to the station, and reported that his father -was killing his mother. The constable hastened with the boy, and on the way met his father, Edward Boyle, who, on being accosted by the constable, gave himself up. On arriving at the house, Constable Foreman found a woman named Annie Hill, who had been living with Boyle, bleeding from a wound in the left temple. The right hand of the woman was also badly cut. The woman's dress was covered with blood, and there was a quantity of blood on the floor, as also there was on the road, and appearances of a struggle having taken place. Boyle was locked up. Dr. Hall was called in, and stitched up the wound. The constable was unable to find the knife. When charged, Boyle replied, It's a good job it was no worse." He was under the influence of liquor at the time. Boyle was brought before a magistrate yesterday, and the case remanded for a few days to enable the woman to recover sufficiently to give evidence, which she was unable to do yesterday. The man Boyle appears to have several times previously assaulted her, and the present quarrel arose out of the woman's refusing to let her • daughter go into service. The woman's story is that she has been living with Boyle for eight years as man and wife. She says that Boyle came home on Monday afternoon. She was sitting by the fire, with a baby in her arms. Boyle had a knife in his hand, and, without speaking to her, walked up to her arid struck at her with it. The blow missed, and she got up and ran outside, where he followed, and caught her, and a struggle ensued, and he stabbed her in the face. He said, "I will kill you." She fell in the gutter, and Boyle took hold of her and tried to turn her face up and to stab her again. She got hold of the knife, and held it till a Mr. Bailey came up and took Boyle off. He had often assaulted her before. The woman said she had had five children by Boyle and five by her husband. A daughter of the woman, named Elizabeth Hill, witnessed the assault, and confirmed her mother's statement. Henry Bailey states that he heard screams on the afternoon in question, and ran to the place, and saw Boyle and Mrs. Hill struggling together. Boyle said, " Don't do anything, Bailey ; I am done. Take the — away." Boyle had a knife, bent almost double. Mrs. Hill had a cut in her face. Boyle went away, and Mrs. Hill was taken into Bailey's house. Dr. Hall states he was called to attend Mrs. Hill, and found a cut about two inches long and half-an-i.nch deep, in the temple, and the instrument causing the wound must have touched the bone. The artery was cut, and the loss of blood must have been great. He did nob consider her out of danger yet.