AUCKLAND SHOOTING CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3071, 22 January 1913, Page 10

AUCKLAND SHOOTING CASE.

ACCUSE© BEFORE THE COURT. AUCKLAND, January 15. At t'ho police court to-day Katlilecn gnervillo Ryan, 25 years of age, was argod with attempting to murder William tmes Colwell, dentist, by shooting at him J.th a revolver. Chief Detective M’Mahon stated that the ccused was in Mr Colwell’s employ from December, 1907, till July, 1903. Borne time after she left she telephoned to him and arranged to meet him at his rooms in Wellesley street East, stating she would like to »ch liim. After that he mot her occasionally at his rooms, and they became very friendly. Thcso relations continued till about five months ago, when Mr Colwell stated that the girl became a nuisance to him in her demands for money, and continually followed him about and accosted him. Ho told her that the friendship must cease, and sho became, according to Mr Colwell, more agressive. Four months ago, when Mr Colwell was spending a holiday at Waiwera, sho telephoned to him, and later arrived there by launch, and demanded to see him. She left by steamer the next day. Shortly before Christmas, by mutual agreement, he paid to her mother, in tho presence of solicitors, the sum of £8 10s, and the girl signed a document that sho would refrain from interfering with him in future, hut sho became more attentive to Mr Colwell than ever. Two days later —on Thursday last —when he wgs going to his rooms about 10 a.m., she mot him on t'ho landing of tho first floor. Sho said; “Will you meet mo to-night?” Ho replied that he wished to have nothing more to do with her. Later ho received a telephone ring asking him to meet her, and he again refused. She tried to see him two or three times during the morning. About 11.30 a.m. he received a message from his nurse that the accused would liko to see him when he was disengaged. He met her at the waiting room door, and sho said she wanted him to meet her that night. He replied that ho- had already said ho did not wish to have anything more to do with her. They talked there for about 10 urnutes, and she left, Mr Colwell returning to the surgery. A fetv minutes later he received a message that Miss Somerville (the name by which accused was knoiwn) wanted an answer “Yes” or “ No ” from him to her request. He told the nurse to say “ No.” Immediately afterwards he saw tho accused coming towards him, and ho went to his office, where she followed him and closed tho door. She was very excited, and said: “We’ll soon settle it now.” He sat in his seat, and she stood in the middle of the office, and produced a revolver, saying “Will you meet me? Yes or no?” Ho said: “Don’t bo silly; put it away.” She cooled flown, and put the revolver inside her ooat. He left tho office, but returned and found her standing there. He told her that if she did not loavo the premises he would serjd for tho police. She became excited again, and walked towards his office chair. Sho must then have closed and locked tho door. Mr Colwell sat down, and tried to persuade her to leave, and sho again became excited and refused. Ho got up and walked towards the door, saying ho would send for the police. He was about to open tho door when ho felt something fly past his face and heard a report. He looked round, and saw the girl about two yards away from him with the revolver in her hand and smoko in tho room. Ho found that the door was locked, and when lie opened it hia nuree -and assistants were

trying to get in. The accused left the office by the side door, and was arrested upstairs. William James Colwell, the complainant, gave evidence at great length, which in the main was a repetition of the chief detective’s narrative. . Cross-examined by Mr Grundy witness said ho had been in practice in Auckland for about 11 years. He was not particularly friendly with the accused when she was working with him, ‘and it was about nine months after she left that she did become friendly. She left his employ because she did not get on well with the assistant. The money ho had given her over a period of about two years amounted probably to £SO or £6O. The biggest amount ho had ever given her was £5 shortly before the holidays. Croos-examinod in regard to the shootimr incident, .witness denied that ho had locked the door of his room himself. He concluded that the girl had done it, because it was locked when he tried to get out. He admitted having promised to help her with money to skirt a business of her own, beingforced to do so to keep her quiet. Ho had never kept the promise. On one of their meetings she liad asked him hysterically to part friends, and she wanted him to kiss her. This was after the signing of the document. It had never been arranged that it should be allowed to lapse between them. Ho denied that on one occasion when he had arranged to meet her at home at 8 o’clock he arrived there a little before .10 o’clock in a drunken state. He did not recollect any evening particularly, because bo saw hex so frequently at home, but he denied having ever gone there the worse of licpior, though he might have used bad language to the girl or her mother when ho was excited. Ho had no recollection of having asked her if she had been out with another man when she had come into the house after his arrival. He denied having ever struck the girl or her mother. Detective Hollis, Mr Colwell’s nurse, and his caretaker also gave evidence. Mr Grundy applied for bail. Chief Detective M‘Mahon said the principal difficulty in the way of allowing bail was the possibility that the girl’s state of mind towards Mr Colwell was such that it would not bo safe to release her. Mr Grundy said that if bail wore allowed she would be properly looked after by her people, who would not allow her to see Mr Colwell. Failing bail, he asked that she should be sent to the Salvation Army home. The Chief Detective said that the officer in charge of the Salvation Army Rescue Home had stated that she would guarantee to look after the accused. The magistrate had a conversation with the accused and decided to commit her to the Salvation Army Home. She was bound over in her own bond of £lO and that of the adjutant of the- home for the same amount not in any way to attempt to see Mr Colwell and not to leave the home unless accompanied by an officer. The adjutant was given authority to revoke her bond at any time.