SHOOTING ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1935, Page 5

SHOOTING ALLEGED

YOUNG MAN FOR TRI£L INJURY RECEIVED BY WIFE LOWER COURT EVIDENCE PALMERSTON NORTH CASE By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston N., Last Night. Manley Symes, labourer, aged 22, of Pahiatua, was committed for trial to-day by justices on a charge of having on July 24, at Te Matai, Palmerston North, with intent to do grievous bodily harm, wounded his wife, Elsie Elizabeth Symes. A charge of assault so as to cause actual bodily hai-m was withdrawn. In her evidence Mrs. Symes said she had been married about 18 months and had one child in July. She had come to Te Matai on a holiday prior to h<?r marriage and had known a man named. Campbell, who had been a captain in the Salvation Army at Pahiatua. Campbell was also known to her husband. He now lived at Palmerston North with his wife and family. While Mrs. Symes was at Te Matai Campbell had taken her out twice on his grocery round in a car. Her husband had objected. On one occasion Campbell visited them after tea. A conference was held, at which Campbell told Symes he loved his wife. After Campbell had gone Nirs. Symes found her husband in the pantry with a pea-rifle. He threatened to shoot himself. She took the rifle and told him not to be silly.

On July 24 Campbell called about noon. Symes was in bed ill. Campbell and Mrs. Symes sat on the bed beside Symes and Campbell held Mrs. Symes’ hand. She could see by his demeanour Symes objected. Symes got up and had a shave about 3 p.m. Mrs. Symes, Campbell and others had afternoon tea. Mrs. Symes and Campbell went and sat in the latter’s car at the request of Camp-, bell, who wanted to show her a letter.

t About an hour later she saw her - husband coming out of the back porch I with a rifle. He ordered her to get out ) of the car and she did so, and Campbell t also. Symes walked behind her. Symes ■ said: “You coward, hiding behind a woman’s skirt.” Campbell then rushed : round towards Symes and then she felt ; something hit her in the stomach with ■ the report of a rifle. She next heard , Symes and Campbell fighting. ; DOCTOR’S EVIDENCE. ’ Dr. Hunter Will, who was called to Mrs. Symes on the day of the alleged ’ offence, said Symes told him he had ’ gone out to see where his wife was and ’ had been suspicious. He had accidentally shot his wife. Cross-examined, Mrs. Symes said her [ husband did not point the rifle at her or ’ at anybody. She was now living with ' her husband. 1 Sylvester Charles Campbell gave evi1 dence that he had taken Symes and Mrs. Symes out in his car several times. Re- ■ garding the conference between himself, ; Symes and Mrs. Symes, Campbell said he told Symes he was not treating his wife fairly. She had complained to i Campbell. On July 24 Campbell had been called i into Symes’, bedroom. To all appearances ; Symes was unconscious. Campbell and i others revived Symes, who' said he had . dreamed a strange vision during the ; night. Campbell read him a passage from . the Scriptures “recognising that he was . in a very strange condition.” When Campbell was leaving he was sitting in the car with Mrs. Symes as it was raining. When Symes came out Mrs. Symes called on him'to stop or put the I rifle down. Symes said something to the effect of “you have got your last chance.” When Campbell got out he endeavoured to get between Symes and Mrs. Symes. Symes had a gun at his shoulder pointing it at Campbell and Mrs. Symes, Symes retreated to the porch, where he fired. Campbell grappled with Symes and wrested the rifle from him, striking Symes with the butt. Campbell denied having held Mrs. Symes’ hand in a room one day. “RELIGIOUS MENTOR.” Campbell said he had been a religious mentor to the Symes and was still friendly with them. He denied that he tend Symes at the conference that he loved Elsie and that she loved him and that if Symes breathed a word to anyone witness would kill him. When he left that night he only shook hands with Mrs. Symes, said Campbell He denied kissing her good-bye. Campbell denied using Mrs. Symes as protection when Symes came out to the car with a gun. Counsel: You hit Symes over the head with the gun?—Yes, after the shot was fired. I hit him as many times as I could. Counsel: Did you remind Symes that you would do that to him if he hurt her?—l was drawing his attention to astatement I made to him a week before he married her. Campbell denied that he went to Te Matai not for religious motives but intent on pursuing Mrs. Symes. Louisa Hendricksen, a cousin of Mrs. Symes, said she thought Campbell's conduct towards Mrs. Symes indiscreet. Marie Hendricksen, who was an eyewitness of the shooting, said she heard Symes remark about Campbell standing behind a -woman. She added that Symes was not on friendly terms with his wife. Frederick Hendricksen said Symes told him after the shooting that he had been driven to it by the actions of his wife and Campbell. Charles Hendricksen said that when informed after the shooting that his wife was not dead Symes replied “Thank God.” Later Symes said he was driven to do it as they were making love in front of his eyes. Detective Barling produced a statement by Symes in which the latter had told of his wife’s affection for Campbell and his trying to get her back. Learning that the pair were out in the car his feelings became uncontrollable. He had 5 not intended to injure her but merely to put a bullet into Campbell to frighten him. As Campbell pushed Mrs. Symes aside he pulled the trigger and was dumbfounded to see his wife fall.