NAIRN-STREET TRAGEDY

NZ Truth, Issue 579, 22 July 1916, Page 6

NAIRN-STREET TRAGEDY

Devoin Charged with Murder New Eridence Adduced Accused Makoß a Statement The terrible Nairn. street tragedy was revived at the Magistrate's Court Wellington, on Thursday last, when Ernest Charles Jewell Devoin was charged with iho murder of the young woman, Louisa White, to whom he had been engaged to be married at Uie time. The Bench was occupied by Mr. W. G. Rlddell. S.M., and the accused was represented by Mr. T. M. Wilford (instructed by Messrs. Perry and Linklater). Mr. V. R. Meredith, of the Crown Law Ofllces, prosecuted for the Crown. The major portion of the evidence was the same u« that given when Devoln was chanted with manslaughter, previous to the young lady's d train, which took place on May U. Tho unforiunnte girl had LINGERED IN THE HOSPITAL from March 27 (the night on which the shooting took place), and wow paralysed from below the shoulders downwards. Something of a sensation was caused whvn the girl's mother was being exumlru'fl. Mrs. Skinner (Miss White's mother) hnd composed herself very well until her daughter's clothing was produced with the bullet -hole* and blwoU .'ituiuH showing. Mr. Meredith lirul Jir.ii asked her th<* '(Ucttiou. "Do yuu rtu'OsrnlHo thl* clothing an being yuur dutJKhlor's?" when ihv wltne*n ».M.t«jretl a pi<-rclnt-; shriek and htnl to ;>•• supported (rum th«* twx ux »he bvam? hyHtcric.il. Horn*' now rvldrncv wn« given by CJsrji Temperloy. proprleirf-aa of ConrijKhsun't* lifgl»try. of 102 WHllu-Mrt"'*. i Tht,' wiicctfi hint lic-p* an office «t 'Is?> l,tnnbi(itt-i|uuy. Sho h««J known Mm. ! Dcvoiii. tin? wlfp of the accused, by lirr j calling vi bar oUlec accompanied by j

her husband (the accused) m February, 1916. On the llrst occasion when Mrs. Devoin had called she ctuno to seek a general servant's position, but said that her husband was unwilling that she should go to service; subsequently, she brought him with her. and he agreed that his wife should take service and that he WOULD NOT INTERFERE. Wilfred Wulstan Cook. DeputyRegistrar for the Dominion, gave evidence and produced tho copy of tho marriage certificate of the accused, who was married to Maria Bailey. 36. spinster, on October 2, 1914. Accused had given his age aa 36 and his occupation as "farm -laborer." Constable Frederick Wood, In charge of the police department of Foxton, j wild that ho knew accused. Ho had been employed as assistant cook and waiter at Ross's Poplar Haxmlll, Foxton. He knew that the accused never had a halrdresslng or tobacconist's > shop In Foxton. Eardley Bockerldge, who manages j the Junction Hotel for his mother at ; Snnson. said that Mrs. Devoin comj tnenced work at his hotel on March 16 j and was working there and slept thero ! on the night of March 27 (the date of i the tragedy). Detective Arthur Edwin Andrews , gave evidence as to the weighing and marking of tho bullets. He was present at the pom mortem when the bullet was taken from Minn White's body. IT WAS HANDED TO HIM. Sydney John Tisdale. gunsmith, also gave expert evidence «» to the weight of the hullttt* found on the accused wnd the weight of tho bullet taken from tlie deceased's body. The former weru 80 grains In weight and the latter was 75 grains. Klve «r»lns would be a fair ' 1 amount lo allow for stripping by im- ' pact. Th« latter bullet, toother with v small portion of bone was produced. ! On th« prisoner beintt asked if h« Imd | unythinc to tmy ho produced n short ; not" and read a a follow*: "| wrote Ju i Mr. Wllfojd from th« kio| ulling him i thnt 1 could not gm jTvfK-r mrtiirnl j trciumt-rt, nsnl :whcn th^ guc.itr got my I letter ho brought it back and naUi ih«t ■ he could not »<>nd It ?,# U wua crltlnins ' Me enn! mrflU-ul *utK<'u:u" \ llvr* Mr. M'-rrdlih protf-ai^.! thni th«m»tt«.?r l»r«ut;)u. by xh" :.ici!r^l had no. thing lo do v.dh thr cnn". j Mr. Hidden «aiU Lbai U:q manor wia

Irrelevant, but Jf accused wished, ho would hear him out. Mr. Jackson, who had takon Mr. Wilford'H place, contended that no opinion could be formed until the whole of tho accused's statement had been beard. Mr. Meredith contended that thd whole thUy? was being done bo as TO SECURE PUBLICATION, and was irrelevant, Tho accused went on to say that his h **ts»«, WM , ba <* and that he wanted the bullet taken out of his head. (It had been given out by the doctors that the bullet with which he attempted to uko his own life was still m his head, but m ihe "silent area," where it would do no harm.) When be Bpoke his head hurt him and he could not sleep at nlffntfl. , T , be . SM - , hoard him through and told the clerk to note tho objection of ?J?? r .\ Pr i °«« Q "tor and his (the magistrate's) attitude In the matter. Accused, who pleaded not guilty, wns commuted to take his trial at the Supreme Court, which commences on