THE PALMERSTON NORTH SENSATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8129, 1 May 1906, Page 5

THE PALMERSTON NORTH SENSATION.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS. PALMER3TON N. f April 30., It appears, that the deoeased woman, Mrs Knowles, was previously married to a man named Hadfleld, a boatbuilder, living near Nelson. Knowles, who at that time was known as Freeman, waa driver on a bus, and met deoeased at a boarding house where he was staying. They became intimate and divorce proceedings resulted, lie subsequently appeared at Palmerstun, and waß engaged for some time as a munioipaJ labourer. The parties appeared repeatedly at the S.M. Court on maintenance charges instituted \)y deoeased, Knowles failing to comply with the orders of the Court. Knowles was willing to live with and support his wife provided she sent away the children of the former marriage, but this she naturally declined to do. Knowles, it is stated, employed himsolf during part of Friday in practising with a revolver, whioh may account for only §5 of the original cartridges- purchased by him being found by the police. , Knowles waa formally charged at the S.M. Court, this morning, with she murder of his wife, and, on the application of the police, was remanded till next Monday.

THE INQUEST. A VERDICT OP WILFUL MURDER RETURNED. At the inquest on the death of Mrs Knowles, which took place to-day, Wm H. Mawhiney was the principal witness. He said that he was coming into town about 1 o'clock on Saturday, and passed the house occupied by deceased. The latter and Knowles and a child were standing at the bouse. Deceased appeared to be soothing the child, and witness passed on, and subsequently beard a scream when he had gone six or seven chains. The soreama were repeated, and witness then turned round. He saw deceased running towards him. Knowles was running after her, and he caught bold of her and witness saw smoke and heard a report apparently from a revolver. I'u a couple of seconds be saw more smoke and directly after beard another report. Deceased twisted round and fell down after the second shot. After deceased fell witness watched her for a few seconds, and then ran up Church Street to Cook Street corner, where be met a young man, and asked him to go for the police, at the same time telling him what had happened. Witness also met and told Major Dunk of the occur;-, rence. Witness asked the latter to go down to the house and he did so, witness following. Knowles wa<j not visible when witness got .back to the bouse, but he came out of the gate by the house about half a minute later. Witness caught Knowles from behind. He held his arms and asked someone else to search him. A revolver was taken out of the left hand ooat pocket; also )a number of cartridges. When the revolver was taken Knowles said: "It is all right, I won't do any harm. The revolver is no good, or else I would be dead." He struggled then to put his hands in his pockets to get the cartridges. Witness was positive tht» shots he heard were fired before the woman fell. The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Knowlea.