The Wellington Murder Case.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 18, Issue 42, 24 May 1907, Page 5

The Wellington Murder Case.

AN EXTRAORDINARY APPLICATION.

PLEA OF INSANITY. ACCUSED CAUSES A SENSATION. Wellington, May 21. Tbe ’trial of Claude Paget, charged with the murder of Eleanor Pearl Axup, on 12th February, was commenced yesterday before Mr Justice Cooper. Paget pleaded not guilty, and ho was defended by Mr T. M. Wilford, Mr Myers appearing for the Crown. The general circumstances of this case are that the deceased girl, who was 17 years of age, and Paget had been on friendly terms for some months, and had been in the habit of walking out together. Ho had asked her father for the girl in marriage, but had been refused on account of her tender years. On the evening of 11th February Paget visited the house occupied by the girl’s parents, being then, according to the mother, under the influence of drink. He said he was going away next day to San Francisco, and bade them good-bye, Early next morning, however, he visited the house again, and on the girl coming downstairs he followed her into the diningroom. A minute or two afterwards shots were heard. On Mrs Axup rushing into the room she found the girl lying on the floor dead, with a bullet wound in the neck, and the man unconscious. It was alleged that on the previous day the prisoner had purchased the revolver and cartridges, found in his possession, at an ironmonger’s in the city. The evidence of the girl’s mother and the cook at the house was taken yesterday, and the further hearing was adjourned until to-morrow. Wellington, May 22. Arrangements were completed at the Supreme Court to have an examination made of the eyes of the prisoner Claude Paget. ■The application was made by Mr Wilford, counsel for the accused, who said that Dr Borghetti had been unable to make a satisfactory examination at the Gaol, owing to the insufficiency of the light, though he had made two attempts. He now desired to have the examination completed in his surgery. After hearing Dr Borghetti in support of counsel’s statement, his Honour said the application was an extraordinary one. Such an one had never before been made to the Court in a murder case. He was disinclined to do anything that would prejudice the.accused in any possible defence of the serious charge he was being tried upon, and though it was establishing a precedent he would accede to the request conditional upon the Gaoler and two doctors, appointed by the Crown (Doctors Kendall and James), being present throughout the proceedings. In opening for the defence, Mr Wilford said he intended to prove that Paget suffers from epileptic insanity. Evidence would be given that the father of Paget’s mother died at_ Sunnyside Asylum, from congenital epilepsy. He would show that Paget had been an epileptic from birth; that it had reached an abnormal stage within the last three years; that the man had on several occasions attempted suicide; that his mental balance had been disturbed by an injury to his head at Christchurch ; and that on one occasion, nine months ago, he threw himself out of a high window while in a fit, was picked up unconscious, and afterwards attempted to take his life in three different ways. At this stage, Paget, who had been looking vacantly about him, fell with a crash on the floor of the dock. He was picked up and seated on a chair, where he remained during the rest of the afternoon. Counsel, proceeding, said that evidence would be called to show that the accused had also the beginning of optic atrophy, and that he would be stone blind in five years, Mrs Pamela Paget, the prisoner's mother, was then called. She said her father died at Sunnyside Asylum. The prisoner was once married, and had two children, but both children and their mother died during the last three years, The prisoner had become queer and fretful. He would occasionally leave his work without warning, and would at times answer her unintelligbly, and at these times he would complain of his head. The witness gave evidence in detail of instances of the accused’s strange behaviour at different times. Other witnesses were called, and testified to Paget attempting to take his life, to his generally queer manner, and to the injuries he had received to his head.