WIFE'S SENSATIONAL STORY

NZ Truth, Issue 1304, 11 December 1930, Page 5

WIFE'S SENSATIONAL STORY

Husband, On Attempted Wife-murder Charge, Says He Had Cause To Be Jealous SUSPICION UNJUST, RETORTS VICTIM

. (From "N.Z. "Truths* Taumaruhui Representative.) ' "Things will happen m a man's life. My wife told me to get put of the — — house v and go to the tent. X- . I picked up an axe and she fell. After that I don't know what I did. _ . ." A police constable was greeted with this dramatic utterance by William Barrett Browning, -.a Public Works Department camp-attendant, when he went to arrest the latter on a charge of attempted wife-murder at Tikapuiti, some miles from Ohiero. .- ■ ' . ■ ■.; . :' : „/. .. ; ; ....'■ ■■„'/* v In a statement to the police, Browning is alleged to have declared that there had. been^'one long quarrel over men," and if he was jealous of his wife, Lucy Ann Browning, it was not without cause. In a dramatic story told m court the wife, after describing the alleged assault, stated she had never given her husband cause to be jealous.

THE couple first met m Aucklam m January last and they wen married at Rewa on April 18. Thej then went to live at Tikapuiti, when Browning was engaged as the P.ubli( Works camp attendant. According to his own story he did no 1 quite approve of his wife's conduc and on the night on which he«is 'ajleged to have .assaulted her with an axe he took exception to something,' .sh< said, and, picking up an axe, lost control of himself. He did not know what happened after that, except that his wife latei was found bleeding from wounds inflicted by the wood-chopper. After Browning was locked up anc his feelings had had time to cool, hi addressed a letter to the local Justices of the Peace, m Avhich the following extract occurs: Sirs,— Would it be possible for y_pu to persuade my wife to agree for us to come- together again? I am quite prepared to do anything so long as we ' could be • together. I am willing to stay m the tent close by . the house, and let my wife and her daughter, live m the house, or agree to' any arrangement that could • be made, for what good will come out of these proceedings? None! Two lives blasted and blighted just for the sake, of reasoning and, I think, sirs, my be- ' ing enclosed m a prison -cell brings me to think deeply, and I am fully conscious of my wrong; and it was only for the want *of reason on the part of my wife or it would, never have happened. I did my part and am always prepared to do so. __ So ■ will you please do your best' for. me who feels right down and out. This simple and somewhat moving epistle was read to the court ' when Browning appeared before Messrs. H.

Wife's Evidence

Benner and T. H. Healey, J'sP., at, the Ohura County Chambers, charged with the attempt of murder of his wife. Detective Walsh conducted the case for the police, accused being represented by Mr. J. N. McKenzie, Taumarunui. . . : The chief witness at the preliminary hearing was, of course, the. wife, Lucy Ann Browning, who gave her age as 41. " She said she met her husband m Auckland m January last and married him about three months later. Her husband, shrf said, had described himself to her as an overseer m the Public Works Depart- ■ ment. He was, actually, she later discovered, a camp attendant. Their house -was situated a short distance from, but m view of, the camp. Her daughter, Lucy Marsh, aged 17, slept m atent near the house. Describing the alleged attack, Mrs. Browning stated that a game of "Coon Can" was m progress at the house, at which her daughter, her husband, and a young man named John Dobree, who was rather fond of Lucy, were present. During the game her husband complained that, he had only received six cards instead of seven and he took another card from the pack. At the conclusion . of the hand, however, it was " seen that Browning had eight cards, arid this fact was commented on. • Her husband immediately threw his cards on the table and rose. As the light was fading, she asked her husband to light the lamp. He took no notice of her request, whereupon she repeated itAs he still ignored her she lost .her temper and threatened to throw her husband and the lamp through the window. . „ ' She then entered her bedroom and, taking her nightclothes, the bedspread and -her . handbag, she left the house and went over to tne tent occupied by her. daughter. . As she took her departure she saw her husband standing near the mantle shelf m the kitchen. " On entering the tent she fastened the entrance. Shortly afterwards her 'husband came -and pleaded with her to open the. tent door. ■ She refused to do so, whereupon he forced an entrance. As he moved to-

{"Struck Her"

wards her she pushed him and he stumbled over a box. He then struck her \vith something, on the chin and blood; streamed from the wound caused. She^ran screaming from the tent, towards the garden, where she itripped over something and fell on her back. Her husband was at her side with a tomahawk m his hand. He attempted to strike her on the face with the weapon :ahd she put iip her left arm as a shield. She received the blow on the left forearm, but she cpuldnot say.whati part of the axe struck her, Mrs.; Browning said she managed tc wrench the -weapon out of her husband's hand while she was still on th« ground, and he then continued tc strike her jvi£h his fist. • , Her eye, arm and face, were bruised The open \younds bled freely. There was one wound on the back of the head, but she may have received this when she fell. Her screams were heard by Dobree who was strolling with her daughter, Dobree .hurried back and helped her to her feet. She held on to the axe which she gavb to a man named Ned from the copkhoiase. The wife declared that the tomahawk produced^ was the one .witli which she was 'struck. Her husband had never accused her of being too friendly with other men nor\had she given him cause to be jealous. , ' They did not have many visitors a1 the house and heir husband was usually liomeral night. The most' frequent visitor was 'John Dobree. • In further answer to the detective she said that on October 15 she attended a farewell at the cookhouse along with her daughter. -Her-behav-

-1 ior on that occasion could not be taken 2 exception to. ■ ■ •. .. / Certainly she had some drink but 2 she was by no means drunk. 2 Two days after the- assault she learned that her husUand had left a t suitcase- containing a number of lett ters at the main camp. She sent - Dobree for the case. • .■ ■ •• • • One of the letters, written m pen- •■■ i 'cil, was addressed- ;to "Myrtle ami Les," - which was meant for;. Mr. and -Mrs.. « Jensen, of -Kiwitea. In this, certain--1 statements were made that were un-> • true. On November 10 she received - a letter from, her husband written from Ohura m which references were 1 made to "Jack." Jack was Dobree. 5 . ■-' '

3 ■ : ~ : "■ . Daughter's Story

. She also received a letter from her husband from Atickland. • ' Dr. Turnbull described the woman's injuries following the attack. She had several 'wounds, one 'about 'six' inches lo'hgori the •left'foi-earrh.'"There was also a cut oh the right forearm, another on the chin and a small one on the back of the head. The wounds, with- the exception of x the one on the back of the head, might have been caused, by an axe. ■ ■-■.■• No great force would have been necessary to have inflicted . the 'wounds with a fairly sharp- axe. A bjow struck with force with such a weapon, would have inflicted very serious "injury. . . ■•.'■•' Lucy Marsh corroborated her mothei''s story concerning the incidents leading up to the alleged assault. She did not see her mother : leave the house. Witness was

walking towards the steam shove! with / John Dobree when she heard screams. On running 'back to the house she saw blood' streaming down her mother's neck. Witness then fainted. John,' pobre.e gave similar evidence. A number of other witnesses, who were 'attracted to the scene by. the woman's screams, also gave evidence. Constable Ebbett said that when he arrested -BroSvning the latter remarked, "These ; things will happen m a man's "life." .Browning said he would • like to make a statement showing that he received provocation. He said he had been unable to control himself and complained" of men who visited the house being m attitudes and positions they had no Tight "to be m. His wife, he added, , had toldhim to get out of the -' house and to go to the shed. ■■ ■■ .■ .;, . .';■;■' •■ . .. .... . - He said he caught hold of the axe and his wife: f elk He did not khd\v what. he had done. ThereVhad ibeen. ;.one long ' quarrel over men,- ancTif' he was jealous it was .not without cause. \ Accused went on to refer to a party at Haeo when everyone had more drink than was gdod for them. Hia wife, he said, grot "silly drunk." He had, he added, been married six months, of which period his wife had spent two months, m Auckland having a good time. When she returned she told him to go to i—. — . He would, he added, bear the punishment for what he had done, and would be prepared to -live m the ! tent while. his wife and daughter occupied the house. ■■•-"-. ' Accused pleaded not guilty and re-.:, served his defence. He was committ, ; ed for trial. . j