AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4299, 7 March 1901, Page 7

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

PRESS ASSOCIATION:. AUCKLAND, March G. A remarkable story "'as rolcl by a girl named Jane Kew, ‘U the Supreme Court to-day, before the Chief Jusl.c,-, wJion a young man named William rahcv appeared in the dock to answer *o a 'charge of •’’stupefying with intern, mid of haring committed a criminal assault on January 29th last. The nc-cu-ed pleaded not guilty. Jane Kew, a girl of eighteen, said she was a domestic servant in the emplov of E. A. D’Arcy, of Parnell. Accuser, worked on a property adjoining. She went to bed about 9.30 on the nignt of January 29th. She heard a noise in her sleep, but could not open her eyes. A man took hold of her hand, and she felt him put a silk handkerchief oyer her month. She smelt a suffocating .smell, and turned over and did not remember any more. When she came out of the chloroform she found a man besido her. He told her if she made a noise be "would .shoot her. Ho her to meet him at the fircbell on Wednesday night, and then he wont out. The prisoner was the man. Ho committed a criminal assault on her. When he had gone she ran to .Mrs D A rev s room and told her what had happened. She went on the Wednesday night to keep the appointment, but the man never came. She saw him next day, and asked him why he didn’t keep his appointment. I'M hey said lie didn’t have any appointment at all. He asked her if she would marry him, and she said “No.” Then he asked her what good it would do her if she told on and I’fc gob seven years’ imprisonment. Fahey told her that/if she hadn't told on him ho would keep her or else marry her. Cross-examined by the accused, the girl said when she saw a man beside her she said, “Oh, Ambo, _ what are you doing hero?” “Ambo was a friend of a girl she knew oyer the way. She did not at first recognise who it was. She was too muddled. She said when she met Fahey afterwards that a lie had not told on him, and that she wanted to see what he was going to Jo for her; whether he was going, to recompense her for what he had done. She told'accused if Mr D’Arcy hadn’t found the side door open near her room she would not have said anything about it. Accused at first denied being the man, but afterwards he confessed to her that' ho was the man.

.Archibald E. D’Arcy (secretary of the Austral'!an Widows’ Fund Assurance) stated that the girl came to bis mom about Have o’clock in the morning. On going to her room, lie noticed a. very strong smell of chloroform. An outer door lending on to the back verandah was open.

Prisoner said it could not' have beer; jiim, because ho bad someone sleeping with him all that night in Mowbray s stables. ; Mrs D’Arcy gave corroborative ovidl once.

J. Mowbray stated that he had inith-i orised.tho prisoner to purchase cbomicJ als for treatment of n. sick horse, but did not know whether he bad purchas? ed any chloroform. j

Arthur Walker, assistant to F. Murray, chemist, deposed to the prisoner purchasing an ounce of chloroform: Prisoner said it was for the treatment of a sick horse. Evidence was also givc-d by Dr Marsack. ; The jury, after a short retirement; brought in a verdict of guilty. ! In answer to his Honor, the. Chief Gaoler stated that the prisoner was alf ready undergoing a. sentence of three years’ hard labour for housebreaking in Christchurch, prior to November last.!

His Honor, addressing the prisoner, said he had been found guilty of one of Hie most serious; crimes, which were often committed under sudden excitement, but it appeared that the prisoner had deliberately laid himself out to commit the offence. It was within his Honor’s power to order him to be flogged, in addition to imprisonment, but he clid not propose to do this. Prisoner was then sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude, the sentence to run concurrently with the imprisonment he is already undergoing- . ' ■