ALLEGED ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15131, 27 January 1917, Page 3

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER.

AN AUCKLAND CASE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, January 26. A middle-aged man named Thomas Edward. Watts Skelton was charged at yne Police Court to-day with attempting the murder of his wife, Alice Mary Skeiton, at Pahi, on January 14th. The case was remanded until Wednesday. It, is alleged that the accused had been drinking heavily, and quarrelled with his wife, expressing his intention of cutting her throat. He left the room, and, in his absence Mrs Watts started to leave the house with her six-year-old As she was seen approaching the gate, the accused was seen by a neighbour following her with an open razor. Before the accused could reach her, the neighbour had shut the gate. The man was apparently under the impression that' the woman was in the neighbour's house, when he hit her with an axe and a flat spear, making a lounge at the neighbour. On being evaded, the accused went to the front door, and smashed it with the axe. The Justice of the Peace at Maungatoroto dismissed the charge of attempted murder, and of assault on a neighbour, but the accused was re-arrested on another charge and brought to Auckland,- where the “attempted murder" charge was included.