ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1421, 5 January 1885, Page 2

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

[BY TELEGRAPH.] Auckland, To-day. Last evening, between nine and ten

o’clock, passers-by in Queen street were alarmed by hearing two pistol shots in rapid succession at the mouth of Darby street. A crowd soon Assembled, when a man who was afterwards identified asJno. Brown, a coffee-stall keeper, a negro, was discovered chasing another negro named Thos. Brown (who hak hot and cold baths at the JQueen street wharf) up Victoria street, where he fired two more shots at him. Some of the crowd chased the assassin, but seeing a pistol in his hand were afraid to close with him, and he escaped for a time. Two of the shots took effect on Thomas Brown, entering his chest and another penetrating his side. The wounded man made his way to his residence, where his partner Oyett, a negro, seeing his injuries brought him up town to inform the police of his assailant, and get medical treatment. Meantime the police had been scouring the locality for the man who fired the shots. In Wellesley street detectives Walker and Hughes and Constable Lamb and Ward came across the wounded man Thomas Brown, and took him to Dr Dawson’s. On examination Dr Dawson discovered one bullet in the breast, its

passage having been stopped by the breast bone, and he after little trouble extracted it. The , second ballet wound was over the first false rib (left side), and the bullet passed through and out at the back. After carefully dressing the wounds, Dr Dawson advised the man’s removal to the

hospital, where ha was taken by Detective Hughes. Constable .Rowley, aocompanied by Horford, discovered about 2.30 a.m. that John Brown was up in a house in Abercrombie street. The constable went to the back and Horford to the front of the premises, so as to preclude his escape, but he made no resistance and surrendered. The injured man says that he and John Brown had tea at Franks’ restaurant together, were both sober, and had no quarrel. John Brown left half an hour before him, and on coming out of the restaurant he noticed Brown walking up and down in front of the premises. At the corner of Darby street they met, and John exclaiming, “You b 1 have waited |foryou,” and drew a revolver and fired. The first bullet entered his breast, second shot missed, and the third took effect in his side. The fourth shot was fired after him as he ran up Victoria street. Dr Dawson does not think the wound of the injured man will prove fatal, unless inflammation or erysipelas sets in.