How a corset saved a life
Ladies take note – a corset may save your life.
At least, it did for Mrs Ellen Dick in October 1898, when Mrs Annie McWilliams entered department store Kirkcaldie and Stains, drew a revolver from under her cloak and fired three shots at her.
The first bullet hit Mrs Dick’s corset, glancing off her ribs. In a newspaper report, a doctor announced that had a bullet ‘‘struck a man where it struck Mrs Dick, it would have killed him’’.
The story of the shooting played out across the floor of the old High Court building in Stout St, drawing crowds of men, women and children.
Visitor services and information officer Lyn Eden said according to newspaper articles, the public gallery was full for the trial.
‘‘The reporter talked of ladies in the gallery surreptitiously making dinner so as not to give up their seat.’’
McWilliams’ case might be one of the more intriguing ones that have come through the old High Court in Wellington, but it’s not the only one to attract such attention.
Some of the more outrageous cases, as well as the courtroom itself, will be on display when the building opens to the public during Wellington Heritage Week this week.
The grand building was officially opened in April 1881 and functioned as a court until 1993. Once it closed, it fell into disrepair despite being a heritage building.
When the new Supreme court was being built on Lambton Quay, restoration work began on the old High Court building in 2010.
Eden said architects and craftsmen worked from old plans and photos of the building to restore it to its original 19th century state.
‘‘It was an extensive project to restore it, protecting all the timber,’’ Eden said.
The building will be open for people to take a look at the courtroom, see a judge’s robes, sit in the judge’s chair and peer down the stairs leading from the dock to the cells.
Eden said the building today was mostly used for office space and to conduct certain ceremonies, such as admissions to the bar and the swearing in of new judges.
After the 2016 Kaiko¯ ura earthquake, the building was used once more as a courtroom when the new High Court was shut.
The old High Court will be open for viewing between 5pm and 7pm today.
An open day will also be held on Saturday from 10am.