ATTEMPT TO KILL ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1929, Page 11

ATTEMPT TO KILL ALLEGED

■ LOVERS QUARREL IN HOTEL, ' AIIIN PRODUCES LOADER RIFLE. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL, vy .... - ■■ : By Telegraph—Press Association Christchurch, Oct. 1. Russell George AlcCarthy, aged 23, was charged before Air. E, D Levvey, S.AI., to-day with attempting to murder Theresa Alary O’Neill, a domestic, on September 25, and with carrying a firearm of an unlawful purpose. He was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The information was laid as a result of an incident in the Empire Hotel, where AlcCarthy is alleged to have threatened the woman, a. cook, with a rifle. Her screams aroused the boarders, who intervened. Bursting open the door they beheld a terrified young woman and a man holding a rifle. He closed with the man, and after a violent struggle secured the .weapop. The man then .ran downstairs, but was arrested later. It is said that the man and woman had previously been on friendly terms. . Theresa Alary O’Neill, single, aged 19, gave evidence that- she was a waitress at the Empire Hotel. She’ had known accused for ten months, and they had been living together for the past four months. After the quarrel on .September 25 she returned to the hotel. AlcCarthy followed and produced a rifle in two pieces. He put it together and then said “I’ll shoot you.” IHe worked the magazine of the rifle, and she said: “I'll come home, I’ll' come home.” With that he gave her a push, and. she rushed outside artd cried for help. T. E. Robinson, licensee of the hotel, came and struggled with accused, who was terribly excited. ' Robinson’s evidence was to the effect that when he picked up the rifle it was cocked ready to fire. He later saw the police sergeant take a cartridge out of the breech and another out of the magazine. Witness saw accused struggling with the girl and trying to get the rifle round her head. The police evidence corroborated that of the rifle being loaded. ' A detective gave evidence that in a statement accused said he only intended to give the girl a fright in order to induce her to return. He admitted putting a bullet in the breech of the gun. Accused said:. “I did not intend to hurt her. I loved her too much for that. I know now that I let jealousy get the better of me.” Detective-Sergeant O’Brien said he found a cardboard box containing 26 live cartridges under- a bed in McCarthy’s room.