The Vitriol Throwing Case

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8601, 4 March 1897, Page 4

The Vitriol Throwing Case

Evidence in the case against Carrol, charged at the Police Court, Auckland with vitriol throwing at Paeroa was given as follows :—

Robert Roby Jewell, who had a patch over his right temple, and his right eye greatly scarred, deposed that he is at present living in Auckland. He saw the accused first in Sydney about 16 months ago, and knew him only by sight. He next saw him at Paeroa on Jauuary 20th, 1897, Miss Alice Lake, now witness' wife, was then staying with witness at the Royal Mail Hotel, Paeroa. He saw the accused alone in the forenoon of January 20th, Witness and Miss Lake were sitting on the settee in the room of the hoteJ when Carrol entered the room, without even asking for admission. He asked witness for fl satis-

faction,'' whereupon witness suggested that they should go outside and settle the dispute by taking their coats off for a fight. Accused declined to fight, but said that he should like to talk the matter over outside. They went outside. Accused said he wanted Jewell to give up his claim to the girl, and when witness refused to do so, he said, " You will never have any luck." Witness then suggested that they should go inside j and refer the matter to Miss Lake. They went inside again. Miss Lake was called into the room, and witness asked her, in the prisoner's presence, if she would havt the latter. She replied, «• I would not have him if he was hung with diamonds." This terminated the morning's interview, it being then about noon. He did not see accused again (except onco, at a distance) until a quarter-past seven in the evening of the same day, when, as the witness and his intended were sitting in the same room on the sofa, Carrol walk-d in unasked, wUh his hand behind his coat-tail, and without saying a word (so far a<? witness heard) drew his hands from behind his back. Witness saw the glint of glass and' heard the rush of liquid, and was immediately struck by the acid on the right temple as he ducked to avoid the blow. Some dripped down his cheek and burnt his right eye, and some stained his clothes'. He was in too great agony to see what became of the 1' accused after the assault. He had been under medical treatment for over a month.

In answer to Mr Tole (who conducted the case for the prosecution) witness s<ud he did not actually see the accused throw the liquid. The wallpaper and the garments of the accused were here produced in court, and showed evident traces of the acid, the former being stained in a great black patch.

The next witness was Alice Jewell (nee Alice Lake). She said she was the wife of the last witness. She knew the accused at Bourke. He paid addresses to her there, which she rejected. In January he followed her to Auckland^ and on the 18th made a proposal of marriage to her. She replied that she did not care sufficiently for him just then to marry him. Accused, on hearing this, began to cry, and said excitedly that he would not and could not let her marry Jewell. He also said hewould blow out his own brains. On the same evening she went to Paeroa with Mr Jewell, to whom she was engaged. The next time witness saw Carrol was when be entered the sitting room at the Royal Mail, demanded satisfaction, or to get her back. The two men then went outside, she could not say for what purpose. After they had been nearly an hour outside, both returned, and Jewell called her into the room, and asked prisoner to put " the question " to her which he refused to do. Then Jewell himself said, " Which man will you have ?" and she replied, " I choose Mr Jewell." The prisoner began to cry on hearing this, and asked her if shehad no mercy. She did not see the accused until 7.15 that evening when he entered the room, and standing in the centre of the room, flung the liquid. She did not actually see him throw the stuff, but it came from his direction. Jewell cried out "I'm blinded." Witness's dress was splashed with the liquid , which also struck the wall. Prisoner then left, and she did not see him again till he was arrested. Mary Lake corroborated her sister's evidence, and added that when she afterwards asked Carrol what he h\d done to her sister, he seemed ' cut up,' because he thought some of the vitriol had splashed on her. Evidence was also given by George Corbett, a youth, who, on January 20th was staying at the Royal Mail Hotel; by Constable Beattie, stationed at Paeroa ; and by Dr. Forbes, medical practitioner, Paeroa. The last Witness stated that on tasting the liquid which was on Jewell's face with his tongue he found it to be a very sharp corrosive acid. The plaintiff had a grayish scar on his right temple where the iquid had struck him ; the flesh of his right eye was also badly burned. The wounds were such as sulphuric acid would inflict.

This closed the c idence for the prosecution. Defendant was then committed for trial at the Supreme Court reserving his defence,