THE ROLL OF HONOUR.

Southland Times, Issue 17963, 14 December 1918, Page 4

THE ROLL OF HONOUR.

CASUALTY LIST. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 13. Casualty list No. 1021 as follows was issued to-night:— OTAGO MILITARY DISTRICT. Died of Wounds. MACHINE GUN CORPS. (December 5). GUNN, W. G. (M.M.), Corpl. (Mre J. Gunn, Balclutha, mother). Previously Reported Prisoner of War, now Reported Repatriated. RIFLE BRIGADE. MULDREW, W. J. (Mrs S. Adams, Oamaru, mother). THOMAS, E. (W. J. Thomas, Invercargill, . father). ENTRENCHING BATTALION. CUNNINGHAM, J. (Mrs E. Cunningham, Roslyn; mother). SKINNER, J. S., Sergt. (E. A. Skinner, Maitland street, Dunedin, mother). Wounded, Admitted to Hospital. MEDICAL CORPS. (November 2). ABERNETHY, N. C. (Mrs A. M Abernethy. Gamma street, Dunedin, mother). SUPREME COURT ■o * AUCKLAND SITTINGS. SERIOUS CHARGES. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 13. At the Supreme Court, John Avondale Arnold was charged with having attempted to murder his wile, Elenor Fredo Arnold, at Afriston on the night of October 6, also wjith having assaulted her with intent to cause bodily haem, and that he had caused actual bodily harm. A third count ’ set out that actual bodily harm was caused in such circumstances that if death had ensued prisoner would have been guilty of manslaughter. Mr Tole, K.C., stated that after a social evening at home Arnold remarked that he objected to private conversations between his wife and her father, who lived in the house and on whose farm Arnold was employed. A quarrel ensued, his wife saying that she would leave him next day, with the words: “This will be the end.” The man sprang at his wife, caught her by the throat and choked her into unconsciousness. On recovering the wife staggered to her bedroom. The man followed and .again assaulted her. She again lost consciousness but regained it, and opening a window screamed: “Murder.” The man pulled her back, pushed her into the sitting-room and struck her on the head with something. The next thing she remembered was finding herself lying near a cot with her hands bound while her husband stood at the door with a lighted candle and a kerosene tin in his hands. Twins four years old were in the cot and the man attempted to set fire to the bedclothes, his wife, who had released herself, endeavouring to frustrate him. The bouse was burned to the ground. Mrs Arnold denied that she conversed with her father in German or that her husband objected to his presence. John Henry Hansch, prisoners father-in-law, emphatically denied that the prisoner had ever quarrelled with him on the ground that witness’s sympathies were anti-British. He declared that his sympathies were British and he had no relatives interned. Counsel for the accused said that unquestionably accused had committed an aggravated assault, but he had no recollection whatever • of the occurrence. The assault had evidently been committed in a state of frenzy and Arnold had no deliberate intention of murdering his wife. The jury found accused guHty on the second count, of assault with intent, and sentence was deferred till Monday. * Thomas Gunn, Patrick Gunn and Alexander Gunn pleaded guilty to charges of receiving in connection with recent burglaries , in the city. Sentence was deferred. Charles Raymond Christey, yesterday convicted of having given a girl of seventeen a drug for the purpose of procuring abortion, came up for sentence. His Honour Mr Justice Stringer expressed satisfaction that the jury had sufficient moral courage to find a verdict in accordance with the evidence. There had been a tendency among certain juries to look upon the procuring of abortion as more or less of a legitimate employment, which was, of course, a deplorable state of affairs. “I think in my experience," added his Honour, “this is almost the first time a conviction has been recorded.” After commenting on the fact that the man was a cripple, and would therefore be an embarrassment rather than otherwise to the gaol officials, and that for the same reason imprisonment would probably not be .much in the nature of a punishment for the man, the judge ordered the prisoner to come up for sent- ■ once when called upon. “That means,” he remarked, “that you escape punishment which you -richly deserve, and which I would have administered to you but for your physical disability.”