STABBED IN THE DARK

NZ Truth, Issue 968, 18 October 1924, Page 12

STABBED IN THE DARK

Woman Assaulted i Confession of Sex Weakness. The battle of the passions which has to be fought by the victim of sex weakness was indicated m a case which came before the Magistrate's Court at Auckland,, when a man was charged with stabbing a woman m the back and with two indecent assaults on little girls. Evidence was given concerning a statement made by Edward Lecky to Detective Barling at Auckland m connection with a charge of assaulting a woman with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. The assault was by stabbing m the back with a pocket knife m the black of night, m a dark corner of the Albert Park. The statement suggested the mental conflict of a man afflicted with sex weakness; it told how accused saw the woman m the library and decided to follow her when she left with a view to assaulting her. Lecky is a tall, thin, hollow-eyed man of 35 years, with long, boney, nerveless fingers, and he was charged with two acts of indecent assault oh little girls, and a charge of common assault on a little girl, besides the charge of assault on the woman. In more than one statement connected with the alleged offences accused candidly admitted his weakness. Concerning the assault on the woman, the evidence showed that Lecky, who was a voracious reader and a frequenter (morning, noon, and night) of the Auckland public library, on the date m question had been m the library m the evening. Edward Russell, a solicitor, residing m Princes Street, just at the entrance to Albert Park,, stated that while m his bedroom, about 8 p.m., he heard" a startled scream from the direction of the Albert Park. Considering- that someone was m distress, he ran out on to his balcony and shouted. He saw a woman staggering -along the footpath to his gate. Witness went out and assisted the woman to his house, where she was attended to. She complained of a pain m the back from a blow she had sustained, and witness then saw a blood-stain on the woman's "coat just between the shoulders. The assaulted woman was suffering greatly from shock, and when witness saw that she had been badly hurt he went at once for the police. Within a very few minutes three or four ' officers were round to inquire into the complaint. > Dr. Aubin found the woman suffering from a wound an inch long and two inches deep. There was a great deal of* blood on her clothes, and also a hole through her clothes where she had been stabbed. The wound was less than an inch from the spine. The wound was such as could be inflicted by a pocket knife. It could not be self-inflicted. No complications had set m and the patient was doing well. A motiveless blow, such as he had seen, to a woman would indicate sex perversity on the part of the asailant. Detective Robertson gave details of footprints and of kneeprints, as of a person : falling. Footprints were discovered m the flowerbeds m the park. Witness next day examined the tootprints m the soil and afterwards saw accused's boots, and he was of opinion that the footprints were those of accused. DeteTive Barling put m a statement made by accused. It appeared that j. after having questioned Lecky m regard to several other matters, witness made the chance" remark: "Is there anything else you could tell me of?" Thereupon accused replied: "I followed a woman from the Library to the Albert Park one night," and then' he told the story as outlined m evidence. He further stated that he was often seized with sexual desire and tried his best to counteract that by going to the Library to read, m order to forget his ever recurring obsession When he followed the woman, and when he saw that his plan was going to be frustrated, he states that he got angry and took out his knife, opened it at one blade, and stabbed the woman. "I did not know why I did it, but I could not help myself." In support of the charges of indecent assault on two young girls, the evidence alleged system on the part of accused to waylay little girls. He made a statement admitting each offence,, from which it -appeared that he •- drew the attention of the youngsters by telling them that he would let them see some white bunnies if they would go with him. He had been found hanging about the Domain and also m the vicinity of schools at hours when children would be about. No medical evidence was called as to any \injuries to the girls concerned. After , the case- had stretched over the best pai*t of Svo days, accuse! pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the Supreme Court for trial.