A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 3

A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

Desperate Deeds During Devonport Domestic Donnybrook

GREEN-EYED MONSTER BLAMED

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special- Auckland Representative.)

; " Murder ! He 's murdering" my husband ! " A woman 's agitated shrieking 1 and a rioise as of a domestic duskujp* reached the ears of William Taylor, a Devonport journalist, who was not the man to let the cries of a lady so obviously m distress go unanswered. , .■' __...' - ■ "*- '

INSIDE the house he found the c^use of all the exgitement. One gentleman, who, it was subsequently discovered, answered to th© name of Louis Wenninger, had for the moment lost interest m what was going on. _ Another gentleman, apparently not a friend of his, was kneeling on him, with his hands around his neck, m an attitude suggesting anything but affection. Taylor's appearance distracted the kneeling one for the .moment, and he let go his hold on Wenninger, who was subsequently carHed outside to the footpath — unconscious— and despatch-. ed , to hospital m an ambulance. Whether it was the influence of the holiday spirit or that of the | green-eyed god that caused Frederick William McKearney to come home that afternoon m such a pugilistic frame of mind, can only be conjectured. He lives with a lady 'friend, a Mrs. Neill, on the northern shores of the Waitemata, and this particular afternoon ■ Frederick William, along with Wenninger t and a man named John Stevenson, spent quite a long time m each other's . company supporting an hotel bar. They separated- subsequently and m due course Freddie found his' way home, not Reeling that all was well with the world, by any means. Woeful Wenninger When he got Inside and found' Weii-' ninger and his wife there with Mrs. Neill, he flew off the handle, as it were, and proceeded to take it out of the .companion of his domestic' bliss. Wenninger, as was only natural, intervened, with the result which Taylor discovered when he answered Mrs. Wenninger's cries. While Freddie's ire 1 was still simmering inside, John \Stevenson, : had he known what had just happened, would have been well .advised to keep clear of the McKearney- Neill household. \ He called, m blissful ignorance, and was Invited In by Mrs. Neill. ; „ ; Before accepting her. invitation he went round the back of the house, where he ran into the. already infurl-. ated Freddie, who. promptly proceeded .to reduce his other drinking companion to pulp— pr thereabouts. - Mrs. Neill thought it -about time to seek assistance, /and when .P. C. Mallabond arrived oh the scene he found Stevenson covered with gore and

crawling about on his hands and knees m a dazed sort of way, as though he hadn't much idea of what he was doing \yhile Freddie was bubbling over at about 212 degrees Fahr. He proceeded to cool Freddie's overheated radiator, arid persuaded 7 him to go along quietly to the Devonport police station, where, he arrested him on two charges of as- * sault. '.' ' ■ When Freddie appeared before. S.M. Hunt m the Auckland Magistrate's Court last week,' the constable explained that Freddie and Mrs. .Neill had lived together, for some time to his knowledge. At the time of his ; arrest, Freddie had explained the cause of his grievance against Wenninger and Stevenson. . - '•""'•■'., It was his home, he said,, arid he wasn't going to have them hanging roundi They were m the habit of bringing liquor to the house, he added. Ferocious Freddie ... When Freddie's turn to speak on his own behalf came, he repeated his story to the bench.' "I've seen Stevenson there before at eleven o'clock at night drinking whisky and -with me supporting the woman I didn't 'think it was right." He and Wenninger had worked together for three years he told the court. Mrs7NeiU had known Freddie for T .ibout nine years, she said. He was a good-hearted arid hard-working man, but he was *too fond of his beer and that was the whole trouble. V She had asked the Wenningers ■up to the, h(Jß_e, arid Freddie, m his excitement had pushed heron to the couch and Wenninger got up to protect her. 7 ( She had asked Stevenson m __,to quieten Freddie, but her7good intentions slipped a bit, for Stevensonls arrival seemed to have had the opposite effect 7 "I'm agoing to. give you a chance," said Hunt, wheri he had announc-ed-his intention of : convicting Freddie. "You can either go to gaol or take out a prohibition order." "I shall take out the order, sir," said Freddie, all his Tre having fizzled put during his week's .remand m custody. T "Yes, I thought you would, concluded the. S.M. "Fined £5 and witnesses' 30/-. I'll' give you a week to find the money." ; l * T ■ ■<