ATTEMPTED MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9400, 5 January 1894, Page 5

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

HH* w-r A lOUNG WOMAN SHOT IN THE .. ' ' " FACE. ;;•;"> i: Shortly before eleven o'clock on the night of Depember 27, the neighbourhood about the intersection of Goulburn and Castle-reagh-sbreets, . Sidney, was thrown into a state of great excitement by three reports of revolver shots, the weapon being fired in rapid succession. Sub-inspector Bell heard the reports, and. hastening to. the spqfc from which the sounds appeared to come, he made his way through the crowd which had quickly gathered, and entered a restaurant. Hera ha found a woman, who gave Iter name as Martha Helmsley, lying on the floor and bleeding profusely from the nose. Tliq woman was moaning as if in great pain. On questioning her, . Mr. Bell found that she had been shot by a man she knew. The officer directed that she be taken to the Sydney Hospital, On admission to this institution the woman was examined by Dr. Binney, who found a small wound on the left side of the nose, midway between the point and the bridge of that organ. The nose was greatly discoloured with burnt gunpowder. The wound was probed, bub no bullet could be detected, although the patient declared that when the probe was introduced she could feel it grating on the metal. A statement which Helmsley made at the Hospital was very guarded. She gave her age as 24, and her residence as the restaurant where she had been employed as a domestic servant. Her statement was to the effect that about a quarter to eleven o'olock that nighb she met a man, a carpenter, with whom she had been keeping company for sometime, and they went together into the restaurant. Hero in a back room the man, without a word of warning, pulled out a revolver, i She heard three shots fired, but only one took effect, and for the moment she was afraid that a child who was in the house had been attacked by the man. This, however, proved not to be the case. It appears that the assailant, who is known by two'names, and his victim, visited the Yorkshire Stingo Hotel, which is a few doors from the scene of the affray, and after drinking thore for some time they walked to the restaurant. When the deed had been committed the man ran to the back of the premises and escaped. The man who is alleged to have committed the deed came to Sydney from Melbourne about 12 months since. Three or four days ago he called at the restaurant and engaged ; in conversation with the woman in charge. He made some remarks in reference to the woman Helmsley having nothing more to dp .with him. The woman at the restaurant replied, " But you don'b keep her. You come here after her for money, and she's got a child to support." The man's response was, "She won't be with you very long." In reply to q«ostions as to what he meant, and whether he was going to take her away (as she was employed at the restaurant), ho answered, "She won't be here very long." Prior to this the man had threatened to kiil the woman Helmsley, and, when declaring that intention, had stated that he would also murder a Chinaman with whom she was keeping company, and that he would then kill himself. On December 27 the man and the woman Helmsley were seen together at the door of the restaurant. The man told his companion thab he was aboub bo leave for Melbourne, and asked " Are you going to see me off?" The woman responded, "No, I'm nob." Moth then entered the restaurant, and the man, as he stood behind tho woman, repeated the question about seeing him off! The woman turned her head round and refused, and at that moment the man fired, and the bullet from the revolver, which was only a small one, entered her face. Three other shots were also fired at her, and from those two of the other women who were in the house had narrow escapes, one having her head grazed by a bullet, and the other woman being "temporarily blinded by powder smoke. The woman at the hospital gave her name as Helmsley, bub it has been ascertained that her real name is Lawson. The wound in the woman's face was thoroughly examined, but the probe failed to find the bullet.