A,PAHI SENSATION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15132, 29 January 1917, Page 5

A,PAHI SENSATION.

MAN WHO WAS TWICE ARRESTED.;

A sensation was caused in the quiet* settlement of Pahi, about six miles fromPaparoa, on the Kaipara Harbour, on£ Sur.day week, by the actions of a dairy! faimer named Thomas Edward Wattfi Skelton, aged 45 years. , * According to the story told in Court! recently Skelton lived with his wife anc£ family on a small farm hear the town* ship, and on Sunday evening one of the* children rushed to a camp near tha<. house and stated that her father wa£ beating her mother. A man who went! to the rescue met Mrs Skelton, running' away from the house with a baby in her; arms, and pursued by her husband, who' had a razor in his hand. By slamming!a gate in Skelton’s face just as Mrs Skel* ton had got through it! the man closed.’ the chase, and Skelton went to a neigh-T hour’s house, carrying an ax© and a ginn-spear, and when the occupants of the place fled he did damage with thqaxe to one of th© doors and some of thefurnishings. Word was sent to Constable Boag, of Maungaturoto, who arrived next day and arrested Skelton, the latter then being quite subdued In manner, and apparently unaware that he had done anything out of the way.As a sequel, Skelton was brought before Justices at Paparoa on a charge of attempted murder, when, in reply to the evidence against him, two doctors were called Joy the defence, and testified that accused was subject to periodic brainstorms, during which times he was not responsible for his actions. On this evidence, .the Bench dismissed the charge of attempted murder, but'immediately upon .dismissal qf the charge he was rearrestecTand charged tllat he was meiitally defective. Accused was brought tq Auckland by Constable Boag, and before Mr P. Y. Frazer, S.M., he was charged that he was mentally defective, and also that on January 14 he attempted to murder his wife. He was remanded to appear o» Wednesday. ,