Cutting a Sweetheart's Throat.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7177, 30 May 1891, Page 2

Cutting a Sweetheart's Throat.

A young man named Alfred W. Turner was charged with attempting to murder his sweetheart, Mary Ellen Moran, on Sunday evening, March 29. Later in the day, however, Moran expired in hospital from her injuries. Previous to her death she made a deposition to the effect that Turner cut her throat with a penknife, which he took from his pocket as they were walking in a field. It is alleged that Turner had accused Moran of walking with another young man. An inquest was held on the body of the girl on Tuesday. The evidence showed that Turner staggered into a police station on Sunday evening, and stated that two men had suddenly set upon him and the deceased while they were out walking together, and he wished the police would go to the spot, or they would probably find the girl dead. It was noticed that his own hands were covered with blood, but he bore no cut, marks, or signs of ill-usage. He took the police to a place where the deceased was leaning against a wall with her throat cut. He then said he would go for assistance, but the police detained him. Deceased was taken into a stonemason's cottage, and her clotheß were found drenched with blood. She was unable to speak, but when asked who had cut her pointed at Turner, and when asked if two tramps had done it shook her head. She died next afternoon. No weapon had been found. Surgical witnesses described a wound in the throat five inches long passing through the windpipe and top part of the gullet. Mr W. A. Stewart, who made a postmortem, thought the wound would not : have been fatal if it had been promptly attended to. John Hargreaves Knott, : assistant clerk to the Borough Magis- ' trateß, said he went with one of the ( Justices to the Infirmary, where he took ', the deposition of the deceased. After « being sworn, she said -. — I left home on ' Sunday night about seven o'clock in com- > pany with the prisoner, with whom I was keeping company. "We went for a walk I by the Woodstock Company's spinning ! mill. We went into a field there, and 1 quarrelled over some lad. The prisoner said I wanted to go with him, and that he would cut my throat. I told him it was not true, and the prisoner then got hold of my throat with one hand and cut it with a black-handled knife which he pulled ( from his pocket. After cutting my throat . he ran away, and I became unconscious. The Jury, after^a brief absence, returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against } Turner. _____________ ]