CHRISTCHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 618, 16 May 1870, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

This Day. <Before C. C. Bowen, Esq.,;BiM. ; Major Scott, and E. J. Lee, Esq.) DBD**XEiWEBB.--^George- Richardson bail, admitted having "been drunk and incapable on Saturday night, but being his first offence, the nominal penalty of 5s only was imposed. — George Brown, also on bail, made a similar admission, and was fined in the same amount. —■Fanny Ford, in ■> custody, was charged with having been drunk and incapable on the same night. She had no excuse to offer, and it was her second offence ; but having been locked up since her arrest, and expressing her contrition for the offence, she was discharged with a caution.— James Ellis, on bail, was charged, for the first time, with having been drunk and disorderly near the Post-office, at about two o'clock on Sunday morning. Constable Wallace proved the offence, and accused made no defence; but Inspector Pender stating tbat he was a respectable man, and generally quiet, a fine of 10s only was imposed. Bbutax, Assault.— • Edwin Bennett,- a middle-aged man, was brought up, charged with having violently ' assaulted his . wife, on Saturday .' : af ternoon, with ; intent to do her grievous bpdiiy harm. Inspector Pender said the injured woman had* been taken to the Hospital, where she was being treated for the .. severe - bounds she ■ had received, ■ and after submitting evidence of her condition and prisoner's arrest, .he would ask the : for -a -remand. He would therefore call; Sergeant M'Knight. Sergt. M'Khight ' said : On Saturday afternoon, about 5 o'clock, from information received, I went to the prisoner's house in Montreal street south. I arrived there about ten minutes past 5. I went into the bedroom, and found Mrs Bennett in bed. She was lying on her back, with her head between the ends of two pillows. There was a large quantity of clotted blood about ber head, and severe wounds on both sides of her head and face. With the assistance of two women I raised her up, and she was in such a very weak state that we had to carry her outside, whence we took her in a cab to the Hospital. I then went back to tbe house, and found tbe prisoner standing outside the gate. I told him I was going to arrest him for a violent assault on his wife. He said, " All right; it is a bad job; but what can a man do with a drunken wife?" I then went into the house again, and in the front room the floor was . covered with water and blood. There was a quantity of broken delf about, and I found the cleaver, two hammers, and three pieces ;of an American broom handle produced/all ! with blood upon them. There was an American bucket (. pro- j duced) half full of blood and water. The two pillows stained with blood (produced), were those on whioh Mrs Bennett was lying. I also found ttie clothes produced stained with blood. They, had been, .taken off Mrs Bennett before; I arrived. There was a second bucket also produced, in which were a mtmber of bloody cloths. I looked around the sitting-room and found blood on all the walls to a height of four feet. The muslin blind produced I found on the window. There is blood upon it, and j the blood had spurted through on to Ithe glass. There was also blood on the door, and the floor, was flowing with blood— -in fact it was swimming about— whilst lumps of ■' clotted blood were dying in several places: Everything in the room was covered with' blood, and almost everything was broken.-! This concluded the Sergeant's evidence, and the prisoner asking no questions, Inspector Pender applied ior a remand for eight dayß. j He said, on enquiry at the hospital that:, tnOrning, it was found that the woman, though sensible, was in a weak state, and was not .out of danger. .His Worship granted the remand accordingly, and refused to accept bail in any sum whatever, until the woman's life wai deemed safe....