MACKAY'S MADNESS.

NZ Truth, Issue 104, 15 June 1907, Page 6

MACKAY'S MADNESS.

The Victim Disfigured for Life.

Prisoner Pleads Guilty and is Committed

for Sentence!

'The. proceedings m that remarkable and perhaps unique, case of nosesnapping have advanced a step. Eliza Mary Hall appeared m the PoliceCourt on Friday of last week with a bandage round the stump of her once pretty' proboscis, Thomas MacKay also was ushered m from the side room, and heard himself again- charged with having assaulted the damsel, causing actual bodily harm. Mr. Scurr defended. He is a little man for his size is Seurr, but bold beyond belief, and to -hear him talk one .misrht have thought that this was his' 500 th case instead of the fifth Dr. A. R. Falconer, of the Hospital, told Magistrate Graham that the injuries to the girl's front-piece were there to stay— she. was disfigured for life. Th 3 dear girl herself next climbed into the box. She said she had been away from home for about. six months, and first met her clumsy lover m Chr&tchurch. Mackav "afterwards" asked her to go^ to Melbourne, and marry him, and they duly arrived m Victoria. The bride-about-to-be changed her mind, however (nothing more of course), and came back to. Dunedin, because she wanted to get. married at. home. They made the return journey together, and arrived back on May 9,5, h Saturday. The couple evidentIv included Sydney m their tour, for one of Miss Hall's sisters went up to Lyttelton to . .MEET THE ROMANTIC PAIR. On arriving •■ at Port Chalmers they had a quarrel. Maclcay eot jealous because his girl was addressing some postcards to men (for her sister), and would give him no satisfaction when he asked to whom she was sending the letters. The offended fellow went ashore at the Port, and sot drunk m consequence. When the trio got to, Dunedin, Sister Francis walked ahead because the other two began to snail at each other. Some pretty scenes must, have ensued m the street, if the evidence of Eliza' is correct. First of all she spat m her darling's face, then she smacked his visage, next she scratched m the same vicinity, and kicked him. Then came the crisis. "He caught hold of me as if he were going to kiss me, instead of which he bit mv nose." Asked if she was still willing to marry the accused Thomas, she answered ' hopefully, "I may." He had always been kind to her. she continued, and she had' often given him cause to he jealous. Francis Louisa Hall, the injured one's younger (and prettier) sister, was thp next witness. She had met her sister and her sister's Tommy m Lyttelton. Mackay cot drunk at Port Chalmers, was still under the influence when they arrived m town, and did not know what he was doing. Although Eliza »Mary had stated that the Melbourne, man had never previously threatened to disfigure her. this sister contradicted, and said on two occasions she had heard him THREATEN HIS SWEETHEART, ibut did not seom to mean what lie said. On this day he was m, a drunken frenzy.: . ?•■ Annie Lyons, a nineteen-year-old girl) who also saw the yob chewing the girl's bowsprit, added a link to the chain of evidence. William John IT all, the lassie's <Wul, contributed the yarn about Mac- I kay vis.Uiftj? the house .on. tie Sun-;

day nightf, 'looking for ttie victim « He was excited and crying, and didn't seem to recollect having bitten I the girl's nose. He was frothing at the mouth. Witness's daughter had been away, from parental supervision for about six months, and came backwards and forwards. Police Constable .Fox evidenced that he found the Maudlin Macka^ m the Halls' house on Saturday night, muttering, "My poor, dear, 'darling."' In the opinion of the slop the man was not drjuk, but had been drinking, and his answers were, not rational. When searched at the police stationi he was found -to .be m the possession of £27 m gold and 3s 6d m silver. ( This concluded 1 - the evidence, and Mr. Scurr pleaded guilty for his cringing client, who was then remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence. He was offered a bail of £100 if he could get two outside sureties of fifty each. . Mackay therefore takes up his former place of abode m restful solitude until the Supreme Court deals with him. From a perusal of the above report of the case, Lit is not difficult, to see xhat the girl has quite, forgiven her admirer, and .wishes to make it; .as light for him as possible. According to her he was temporarily, insane when he took THAT FEROCIOUS BITE.This evidence appears to be the result of mature thought, for it differs materially from the statement made m the- first instance. That is as it may be. Now that she is permanently marred as far as external value goes,; she is glad of the chance to Qatch ud the quarrel, and will have made Mackay. ever so much more tender towards her by taking all blame upon herself. If it were, in her power ;she would .'doubtless hush the thing up altogether. Mackay is madly m love with her. as it is, but that won't save him, for he committed the assault,, and has acknowledged his guilt: