WOMAN KILLED IN BED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 238, 9 May 1933, Page 6

WOMAN KILLED IN BED

' ■■ —■ —u Alleged Assailant in Court MURDER TRIAL OPENS Press Association.— Copyright. Auckland, May 8. The trial of Thomas Francis Clark on a charge of murdering Bertha May Bennett at Papatoetoe on January 17 was opened before Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court to-day. Mr. Hubble, Crown Prosecutor, said the scene of the tragedy was a house owned by Mrs. Bennett. A', the time the other occupants were Mrs. Bennett's daughter and a man named Hamilton, who had been living with Mrs. Bennett for about seven years.

Some time ago Clark had become a freuent visitor to Mrs. Bennett's home. He visited the house on the night of the tragedy but left before 9 o'clock. The household retired for the night, but later Hamilton was awakened by hearing Mrs. Bennett call out, "What are you doing here. Frank? Get out of this!" The report of a gun followed immediately. Hamilton jumped out of bed. but the door was closed in his face. There was a second report from the living room. When Hamilton opened the door he saw Clark standing in a dazed condition. Clark said he had tried to shoot himself but the shot had struck his watch. Mrs. Bennett later died as a result of a serious gunshot wound and Clark was subsequently arrested on a charge of murder. On the following morning Clark had voluntarily made a statement to a detective confessing that he had shot .Mrs. Bennett. This statement or confession was sufficient in itself to justify a charge of murder. Alice Whewoll, a widow, and mother of Mrs. Bennett, said Clark and her daughter intended to be married. Lived at Woman's House Alfred George Hamilton said he had known Mrs. Bennett for about 12 years and had lived at her house for about eight or nine years. For the greater part of the time he had shared Mrs. Bennett's bedroom. For about 18 months prior to the tragedy Clark had been in the habit of visiting the house three or four times a week in the evenings. Clark called at the house on the evening of January 17, leaving about 9 o'clock. Witness went to sleep fairly soon but was awakened by Mrs. Bennett saying, "What are you doing in here? Get out at once!" A gun was fired from the foot of the bed almost immediately. Witness jumped out of bed as soon as he heard the report and saw a flash. He saw Clark backing out through the door with a gun in his hands. Witness made a dash at him, but the door was closed in his face. Another gunshot followed from the living room. On opening the door witness saw Clark in the room, but saw no sign of the gun. Clark said: "It is all right; I only had two cartridges." Witness said: "What are you up to, Frank? You have shot Mrs. Bennett." Clark replied: "I didn't half do enough; I missed myself." Clark then walked through to the bedroom and stood at the foot of the bed. Alleged Confession The police produced a statement which it was stated accused had made voluntarily. In the statement Clark described his visit to Mrs. Bennett's house, the statement' proceeding: "The lights were all out in her house at the time. I could see they had all retired to bed. When J saw the bed was vacant in her room I got through the window into the bedroom in which she told me she slept, and walked through the sitting room into the bedroom in the front of the house, where I knew. Alf Hamilton slept. I had a torch with me, and when I entered Alf's bedroom I shone the torch on the bed and there saw Alf Hamilton and her in bed together. I did not speak to Alf or her at the time, and I do not think they saw me. I then returned to the room where I had entered and got the shotgun and two cartridges, and then returned to the room where Alf and her were sleeping. I loaded the gun with two cartridges.

"When I returned to the room with the gun I shone the torch upon them in bed and pinched her knees to wake her up. She woke up and said: "What do you want here, Clark?" I said, "I have found out; it is true,' and then fired a shot at her while she was sitting up in bed. Alf jumped out of bed and said, 'What is the matter, Frank; you have done it now.' I then left the bedroom where they were and went into the sitting room and changed the cartridge from Ihe left to the right barrel and then fired at myself, but the charge hit my watch and glanced oft". Alf then went for the police and a doctor. That is all."