MRS CORNISH'S ACCOUNT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2884, 30 June 1909, Page 63

MRS CORNISH'S ACCOUNT.

AN EXTRAORDINARY . MAN. CFrou Oxts. Own Cobbespokbent.) ' j ATJCKL'AND, June 28. 1 When a Star representative called on Mrs Cornish this morning, he found the lady confined to her bed with her ami j in splints and her forehead bandaged. | Mrs Cornish .stated that despite the pain of her wounds she was able to sleep fairly well last night. Mrs Cornish told' the following sensational story : — " From the time he got up yesterday, Romer' appeared to be in a particularly excitable mood -AJter Jbx-ealciast Its oam^ to, me anid, asked could he not take uiy little girl ' Gladys out to play cricket with.' him. I replied that I did not like the girls playing any rowdy game on Sundays, . and he became very angry. He claimed to be an atheist, and he said it was foolish for me to hold snch views on the question. I was peeling apples at the time and ■ was moving backwards and id-wards between the kiiehen table and the stove. I did jiofc notice what Romer was doing until I felt the ie3 r cold muzzle of a revolver pressed against my left temple. Even then I was more surprised than frightened. I did not think he meant to do more than scare me, as it I waa iiot the first time he had scared a member of the household with a revolver. I wa6 very indignant, and said, ' How dare you ? Don't you know that that is a 'dangerous and serious -thing to do ?' While I was speaking he went as far as j th© glass door Jeading inter the hall, ' and then etocd with his form half hidden in the china bead curtaan which hangs over the hall doorway. He half turned round and slowly raised" his revolver arm until the revolver was on a level with my body. Even then I failed to "realise tliat my life was in danger, and without a word he fired point blank at me. The bullet missed me, and I screamed. I was standing out between the kitchen table and the range, and Romer took one step towards me with the evident intention «of firing again. Instinctively I raised mv left hand to protect my face, and as I did so he^ fired again: The - shot passed clean through my wa?ist and the same bullet struck my forehead. I • thoujjht I was shot in the head, and the blood rushed down my face. Romer cvi- . I dently thought he had. shot me through I the head too, and he did not fire again. j I rushed out into the yard and" hid in aa ! outhouse* As I staggered down the steps I. heard the voice of my other lodger, Mr Ba.rrett, and he seemed .to say. 'That's' enough, -Romer,' or something like that. When they came to my aashtadiGe afterwards I was just fainting off with the pain and loss of blood. >x j On being asked what were the circum,--

stances actually leading up to the tragedy. Mrs Cornish said that she had_ long gone in fear and trembling of the German. ! She had given him notice to go, but •• he refused to do so, and she was afraid^ \to force him to leave. Some days agaf ] he »aid, "If you turn me out I will 1 jbe a long enemy to you." Mrs Cornishf -replied. " I cannot help that ; yoy mustf " On the Thursday he was in a most* extraordinary state of mind, and he annoyed me very much. I am unfortunately in the position of being separated front! my husband. Romer came to me and said,: ' Withdraw all you have said and let£ us be friends. I will give you £500 if you will elope out of this placs and comsj and keep house with me.' I refused tot' entertain suck an idea, and he becama very angry. Romer said, 'Yon think I am a detective, and that I am here? to epy upon you. I will prove to yoof who I- am.' He tJtsn brought an albtin* and showed me a. numbsr of photos, o** people whom he " said were relatives cA his in Germany. I r maintained that hid behaviour" was such that I could not ■ , him -to remain- in the hotise, and fc« replied: "'How dare yon give me''nofcic», to go. I. will make* you pay. hundreds of pounds 'if -you dare, to order me' to leave the house.' My reply was thafr if he * dW -not leave I woujd- have hims arrested, and I cabled Mr Barrett intothe house. The next morning Romer wok« me , up at 1.30, -and said he wanted tc speak to me. . I got dressed, and went into the- dining xoom. Romer «aid: T am, going to be your bitter enemy. I an* going on to Cornish's side. I am going to be a long and bitter -enemy.' I^couloV see that he was frantic with temper. He' was evidently worked up to a considerable pitch, and he said : . ' You will drive m« mad. . Why not accept £500 and come and keeD house for me? ' t told him' definitely that I would not think of suck a thing, and said that after point-ing, a. revolver at my daughter, as he had done that day s I would not think of allowing him to remain in the house. He said h» told the child that the revolver was only a toy. He asked me did I* think I would ever make it up with my husband, .and' would I keep lodgere if I did so. My; ' reply was that my husband would n&ver tolerate lodgers." Speaking of Romer's conduct generally*.Mrs Cornish gays that she frequently had reason to object to her German boarder's evident affection for her .daughter. He was always playing with the girl, and interfering with the mothers instructions. He would call the child into his room, and if Mrs * Cornish called her otit he would •r.a.ge about the house, and Ijecome violently, angry. When he first became "« a! lodge* he - frequently asked- .the- girls >fcould they not like to have nim" for a father. "1 - was afraid to- turn him out deliberately," 1 continued Mrs' Cornish. '"More than once lie asked me to institute divorce proceedings against my husband, and when I refused he would become very angry. Previous to coming as a, -lodger to my house he resided with Mr Bellingham, in Trafalgar street, and Romer several times told me that he would 1 like to make mincemeat of the whole , Bellingharn family, and said the day would coma when he would be revenged on the -whole lot of thlhi. .On another occasion ho said he had met young Bellingham at the Royali Oak corner, and had had the greatest difficulty in restraining himself from smashing him up. In every way Ije was a most man." added the wounded woman, " and he had me absolutely terrified the whole time he was in the house. He had a large Toom with a ' double bed in it; and he asked me to substitute a single bed to .give him more room to walk about when, lie could not sleep at nights. He had a friend at Henderson's 'with whom he said he was going hime to the Fatherland in February, next." Romer, according to Mrs Cornish, was s. -v^-«ll— ©<liica.te<3 rrasLa r and i:ol<i h&T lie had been in. New Zealand 'for' five years. He said that he received remittances from. Germany to the extent of £44-' per month, but never seemed very flush of money, though he seemed to largely "please 'himself about going to work. It is a rather extraordinary thing that neither of the bullets fired in the kitchen by Romer can be found. One went clean through Mts Cornish's wrist as she shielded her face with her' arm and grazed her temple: The other must have missed the lady altogether, and no trace of it can be found. It is possible that the first cartridge fired was- a blank one.