A HUSBAND'S CRUELTY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1424, 15 June 1899, Page 52

A HUSBAND'S CRUELTY.

THE DEATH OF MRS CARROLL. CARROLL TO BE CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER. CAMBRIDGE, Thursday. The inquest concerning the death of Elizabeth Carroll, who died here after being unconscious for ten days, was resumed at the Courthouse to-day, before Mr Gresham, Coroner, and a jury of six. Detective Grace conducted the case for the police, and Mr Buckland watched the case on behalf of the accused Carroll. The first witness was Rowland Mullins, a horsebreaker, who said ho was at the Masonic Hotel on the night of the loth May. On entering the hotel about 9 o’clock he saw deceased lying in a passage, and witnessed Carroll striking and kicking the woman while on the ground. He also said Carroll jumped on the woman, but on being further questioned said he meant by jumping that the man put one foot on the deceased’s body. Witness was about to interfere, when Constable Cahill appeared. Deceased was assisted upstairs by Carroll and the constable, and witness did not see her again. Ho remained outside some time afterwards, and heard noises upstairs in deceased’s bedroom, but could not say ■what caused the noises.

Emily Spencer, a waitress at the Masonic Hotel, said deceased and her husband had commenced quarrelling about 8 o’clock in the smoking-room. Carrol), was lying on the sofa, and deceased went in and called him a drunken old fool. Carroll went out. and returning, struck, deceased. who was sitting in a chair, three times, the third b’ow knocking her off the chair. Her head came in contact with the sofa. Witness was frightened, and went out. Subsequently she saw deceased lying in a passage, and helped the constable to take her upstairs. Afterwards. when in the bar, witness heard a disturbance in deceased’s bedroom overhead, but could not say what happened. Next day she saw deceased, whose eyes were blackened. Witness had been at the hotel since February, and though she had seen the pair quarrelling, never before saw any violence. Minnie Johansen, a nursegirl at the hotel, said she went into the deceased’s bedroom after 9 o’clock, and saw Carroll strike his wife. Subsequently, and up to midnight, the disturbance continued upstairs.

Mrs Lydia Hobbs, who was called to attend deceased on the 16th May, gave evidence as to her condition.

Andrew McComish, a young lad. said be was outside the hotel about 9.30 p.m. on the 15th, and heard Carroll in the bedroom telling someone to get up, in very foul terms.

Dr Scanlan, who attended deceased, gave evidence mainly corroborative of that given by Dr Roberts at the opening of the inquest on Saturday last. William Rysdale, a labourer, said he was present in tlie room when Carroll assaulted the deceased. Carroll struck her several heavy blows with his clenched fist. Witness was certain Carroll’s fists were closed. There were an Indian hawker and a swagsman present in the room, and the latter picked up deceased, who went along the passage with Carroll. WTien Carroll came down stairs his hands and clothes were bloodstained.

This concluded the evidence in possession of the police up to the present, and it was decided to close the inquiry. The Coroner, in addressing the jury, commented on the evidence, and advised them to dismiss the testimony of Rysdale, as he was not strong intellectually, and probably was pleased with the importance of being called. The Coroner thought the girl Spencer had tried to shield Carroll. Whether the wound behind the ear was directly caused by Carroll’s fist or by the sofa, the act was the act of Carroll. He quoted from “Taylor’s Jurisprudence” a parallel case.

At 5.15 p.m. the jury retired to consider their verdict, and after an absence of ten minutes returned with a verdict of manslaughter. The Magisterial consideration of die case will likely be taken on the loth inst.