TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12793, 11 June 1909, Page 3

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Tlie charge of attempted murder against Frederick lioburt Garlick was proceeded With this morning. I Henry Sylvester Oliver, labourer in the employ of Mr Chatfield, said that about dusk on the day in question, having finished his work, he went to his room. Bo shortly afterwards heard Mrs Chatfield call out "Harry, Harry, come quick." Witness ran straight into the kitchen and saw Garlick there. Garlick was standing by the corner of the table and Mrs Chatfield was at the other end of the table. Accused had a knife in his hand and there was a two-bladed pocket knife on the corner of the table. Accused eaid something which witness could rot recollect and ufent over towards Mrs Chatiield. Witness tripped him up and then picked up the knives and i-lirow tlietu in tho corner. Accused wot up and turned out of the door, saying something which witness could not catch. Hcin-d no allrsion in the house to Chatfield. Garlick went to witness's room and •witness told Mm Chatfield to go to Campbell's or Smith's. Garlick looked all over witness's dreesing table. He only looked at witness, but did not speak. Witness was under the impression that Garlick was looking for his (witness's) razor which lie had seen there previously. When witness entered, Garlick ran out. Mrs Chatlield had by this time got to the back gate. She then stopped and turned round. Accused ran ovrr towards Mre Chatfield, .witness following. Accused fell over the children's tricycle and witness got betwen him and Mrs Chatlield. Aerused did not say anything but got up again and went back into the house. He came out again with the two knives, pulled his coat off, and came after witness. He chased witness round for a little while, saying he would cut all of their throats. He said he had thrown Chat field over the Hautapu and addressing Mr» Chatfield he said, "I'll put you there too." As soon as he saw his opportunity, witness went up and tripped accused. Accused got up and put on his coat again. Accused searched around and then went after Mrs Chatfield again. Witness followed him but did not notice whether he had anything in his hand. Witness caught up to accused and pulled him down.. Accused lay there fnr «om<> time and witness snug out to Mr Campbell for help. Then accused got up and we-nt after Mr* Chat field again nnd caught up to her. 'Mrs Chatfipld was singing out a.H if she were frightened and accused wn?

also talking. They got as far as the factory gate when witness said he would go and get the horse and cart and they would go and look for Chatfield, but Garlick would not have heard what witness said. Witness went and got the horse and cart, but he did not remember Garlick offering to go with him. From when Mrs Chatfield first called out till witness went for the cart, an hour would have elapsed. It was a noisy scene all through. When witness got back with the cart to the factory gate, he met accused on the corner of the Gorge Road, near tife bridge. Witness pulled the liorse up and Garlick said i "I'll fix you, Oliver." Garlick jumped up over the wheel and witness got down over the other wheel and went up to the factory gate, accused driving along after him. Accused asked if Mrs Chatfield was coming to look for Mr Chat field. Then accused asked witness if he would go with hjm and witness replied that some of them would. Garlick did not reply, but turned round and drove off towards Utiku. Half-an-hour later witness heard a vehicle draw up at Chatfield's gate and then a little later the cart stopped at the factory gate. Accused sang out "Harry" and witness sang out and told him he was up at the factory. Accused got out of the cart and came towards him, saying he had his arm bvokon, but witness could soe no indication of any injury, beyond having his right arm tied up in a sling. Accused wanted witness to have a look at his arm, but witness did not do so. Accused then asked if Mrs Chatfield was coming with him to look for Mr Chatfield. Witness said he did' not" know where she was and accused asked him if .he was coining, and witness replied that he was not going but that some men had gone. Accused then went out the gate again and shut it behind him. He went no to the back of the cart and seemed to be .fumbling for something in the cart. He again came and asked if Mrs Chatfield or witness was coming to look for Chatfield and was answered in the negative. The next thing that happened was the gun going off just as accused said "Well, lam going." It was starlight at the time and witness could see an object moving but not plainly. When the gun went off accused \vt& about two yards from the back of the cart. Did not hear accused fall, but accused sang out. Where accused fell, it was very uneven ground and there were a lot of big stones about. The following morning when he went to the place where Chatfield was found, he saw two marks across the road, which seemed to him to be the marks of someone having been dragged across the

By Mr Treadwell — Had known Garlick from eighteen months to two years, and had always known him as quiet and steady. On this occasion accused smelt very strongly of drink and thought he was mad with drink. Did not think accused knew what he was doing, and he had no hesitation in saying that he thought accused was bereft of his reason. Garlick left the kitchen before Mrs Chatfield did. Witness tripped the accused, who then, without making any effort to look for the two knives' which he dropped, rushed away to his (witness's) room. Witness followed accused and found him apparently making an effort to find his (witness's) razor. Accused did not appear to recognise witness. Accused ran straight into the tricycle as if he didn't see it, and after getting up ran in another direction. When accused chased witness round, he had both knives in one hand. Accused's actions throughout impressed witness with the idea that he did not know what he was doing. Believed Mrs Chatfield once had to put her arms out to prevent accused falling over the children. Did not hear accused ask Mrs Chatfield to come md look for her husband till they were at tho factory gate. It was at witness's suggestion that the horse and trap were obtained, but he did not remember asking Garlick if he would go and look for ChatficJd, but accused said he would go if Mrs Chatfield would go with him. Did not remember telling accused that Mrs Chatfield would not go with him, but he might have said so. He said he didn't know where she was. On three occasions accused asked witness to go and look for Chatiield, each time asking Mrs Chatfield first. The tail board of the cart was up at the time. Could not see whether accused staggered back after the shot or not, but heard accused sing out "Harry, lam shot."

By Mr Hutton: Had told Constable Sweeney immediately after the occurrence that accused was too cunning to be drunk and that version was the most likely. Accused was standing up in the cart while driving.

William Prime, farmer of Ohutu, said that when accused came to the factory, Oliver asked him what he wanted and accused asked for Mrs Chatfield, Olh-er replying that he couldn't have her. Accused said he had fallen out of the cart and broken his arm. Just prior to the discharge of the gun, they would have soon accused had be got into the cart. Accused did not act like a drunken man and witness was not of the opinion that he was drunk. He appeared to realise what he was doing. By Mr Treadwell — Was not on the scene before the cart cam© back from Utiku. Accused was only under witness's observation for about ten minutes prior to the discharge of the gun. Remembered accused offering to take Mrs Chatfield and show her where her husband was. After the gun went off accused called out "I am sliot, 1 ' and soon afterwards asked for a drink of water.

James Kinniard, labourer, of Ohntu, remembered seeing Garlick and Chatfield near the bridge. They were on horseback and on the Taihape side of the bridge, about six yards from the bridge. Did not notice whether they were drunk or sober. On witness's return about twenty minutes later, witness again saw (larlick and Chatfield, who had got about a chain and a half past tlie bridge. They were etnj on their horses and Chatfield was making a cigarette. Garlick was leaning on the horse's neck and was holding a bottle in hia hand. It looked to be whisky in the bottle, which, was less than a third full. Chatfield was nearest the river and Garlick was in about the middle of the road. A little girl and Thorsted were on the road at this time. Thorsted was a chain or two away on the Ohutn side. The placa where witness saw thorn was less than a chain from where Chatfield was found. Later on when going to the butter factory witness hoard a. shot. Then lie saw a horso and cart on the road and Garlick was there also. Garlick was standing up, calling out "Harry, com© here, I've broken my arm" and "I'm. shot." Witness caught him by the arm and the pain caused him to fall down. Accused was then in tho front of the horse and cart. Accused said he had fallen out of the cart and the gun went off.

By Mr Tread well — Worked .with aeouaod and always regarded him as a quiet, steady 'fellow. Only got to Olnitii after Oarlick wna injured. OarlioTr evidently wanted, assistance very much. Accused was roaring out very loudly' with pain. Asked accused what he was doing with the grim and accu«erl said he wa3 going shcooting next, day. The impression witness got wa? that the shooting was accidental.

By his Honor— There ' were a few big stones on the road.

Andrew Thorsted labourer, livinw on tho Olmtu side of tho Haiitapu Stream, saw Onrlirk and Chatfield nenr the bridge on the evening in question. They were sfrand-

ine with tlicir backs to tho river, holding their horses. They were just at the cnu of tho block cutting, about, 10 or 13 yards nearer the bridge than the place where Chat Held was found. Did not see a whisky bottle, although witness stopped and spoke to Garlick. Did > lot know Chatfield to speak to. They were standing steadily as tar as witness could see, and witness would certainly have seen a bottle had Gavlick had one in his hand. Did not notice anything unusual about Garlick. Went to his hut, and about 10 or 15 minutes afterwards heard horses coming along. By Mr Treadwell — Wwhen he passed accused and Chatfield they seemed to be talikng in a friendly way. Had know.i Garlick for four years, and. regarded him as a "good fellow," a bleady, deceat, quiet fellow. The Court, then adjourned at 1 p.m. The Court, , resumed at 2.10 p.m. Alexander Wilson, medical practitioner, deposed thai. ii.c attended accused on his arrival from Ohutu. -Witness said he found v. large, gaping wound, about an inclij in diameter, just below the shoulder joint. On further examination he found the larjc muscle of the shoulder shattered, 'llip covering of the bone was stripped i'or several inches. In the wound witness ioiuid a large number of shot and some hhi'cds of clothing. In witness's opinion the -shot undoubtedly canted the fraotiuc of the arm. A fall could not pos B ilily have produced such a fracture. Iho wound would probably bo hdf-inflict-cd, .;•- it mu^t hay. 1 bcea at short distance, as tK shot bed not sj>read and the direction o: tuo wound waa very oblique. Did not not'te anything wrong with accused's right arm. but then witness did not make an exhaustive search. Would have noticed if anything &eiions had been wrong with the sr»;.

By Mr Treadwell — There was no mark on ;"_■' used's throat as if lie had attempted to cut it. All Dr Barnett had done was to p:uk the wound to stop the bleeding. It would be a very clumsy effort for a man who deliberately tried to take his own life.

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