UNKNOWN

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 104, 30 August 1873, Page 3

UNKNOWN

j'nr Ar«i„ (Before Major Robert*. B.M „■ xr F.dgeumbe, K**q , J. r , i o waumv assault vuon a mai.vk-. •e fS . » I Ai-kt'r (a lifvli-c;i»'■•) was e>- -v-ged with A V ‘V- asssuited Mr F. a, Hand in \dduit mu* ut on t v 25? h oi A- last. l r \ ’Mmvu'k iu tc i ris uHtTprotop, The ;n;.-o,K-r pleaded u .a unfit v. . f r : < bit he m. ruing of the iMU instaut Ma* prisoner u.k.-d a,. 11110 ofmv working ‘fAA to go ami ui.eharge , ; . t , eu»ter Katie. lying in Makotu Harnour ; tin. was about half-paat eig.U u, the morning j the u.t» was at the time near high water and Mill tl .wing ; I wet prisoner on he wav to the vessel, nod to ld him that as ho couhi no! then got alongside tho ship ho bettor spend a -co u pie of hours harrowing some oat a that were only halt covered in the meantime ; prisoner repoeu to me m a very db respectful tone of V °'Tv'v' V ny dld * TOU m>t fell t «° th:lt before I sani, ’ your own common might tell you tnat it is too early to go to the fins, prisoner then wear away | 0 harrow ;H t 10 o’clock the captain of (me Katie came up and asked me to allow my man and team to help u> discharge; I consented to tins when the tide would suit; shortly after I sent my lath} girl (about, II years of ago) with ft message to the prisoner Umt he might go down to the beach with his team ; on (ho girl delivering the inessmje, prisoner said, “(Jo and ho __ to you. I'd go when I like I was a few chains away, arid hoard distinctly what, prisoner said : ho ultimately wont down to tho vessel ; at one, o’clock U« came home to Ids dinner, and .1 casually asked him a he had finished discharging ; prisoner said no would have about four move loads ; immediately after dinner I was told ft native policeman wanted to see mo. and while in consultation about issuing a certain warrant for execution upon a judgment obtained in the KM. Court, tho prisoner suddenly slipped before me, and demanded to know whether I had done with Ida services; I felt surprised at the prisoner’s manner and conduct and |toki him he might please himself whet her he, stayed in my service or not. j ho repeated his question several times, and I at last told him he might go : prisoner then said, I bad been “ humbugging ” Sum ; he used ipsolting language, and ultimately called mo ab— liar, at the same instant throwing off tho comforter he had round his nock, he placed himself in a fighting attitude, and challenged me outside j I endeavoured to reason with prisoner, but finding it of no avail, I told a native pdliecman t,® take him away ; tho native attempted to pacify prisoner, but the only reply prisoner vouchsafed was, “You wretch, if you come near me I’ll knock your head off;” Mrs ilamlua and children were all screaming at this time with fright j I requested another native policeman to assist in arresting him, but tho man. was afraid, as the prisoner was still in fighting attitude, and threatening everybody present j daring this time prisoner made several unsuccessful attempts to strike me j upon my telling prisoner that I would get two Constabulary men to take him into custody, ho rushed after me, caught me by the shoulder with one hand, and at the same time struck me on the head with the Other ; a native policeman then interfered, and wo succeeded in putting prisoner on the ground ; as soon as we succeeded in getting him to the ground, prisoner seized mo by‘tho beard, king a tull grip and holding the hair firmly ; Mrs Hamlin remonstrated with prisoner on the cruelty of hia conduct, but ho replied that ho would only lot go on two conditions that I would get up and fight him like a mao, or forgive him and say no more about tho matter ; I agreed to neither of these, butj on tho other ha.nd > told him X would give him the full benefit of the law ; Mrs Hamlin and the little girl at, last managed to got prisoner’s hand away ; tho prisoner pulled out the hair produced—(a largo quantity, evidently torn out by the roots) ; prisoner said ho would “ make it a caution to mohe made several attempts to kick me ; wo at last tied prisoner’s arms and legs, and by this time Constable McMillan came up with iiiumculls and took him into custody ; while on khe ground prisoner attempted to cut my tongue with hia finger nails, but I bit his lingers each time in self-defence. By the prisoner -• My daughter was only a few yards from you when she delivered the message ; X was about five chains away ; you never said a word about wages ; 1 did not give you in chares until you attempted to fight ; there is only a very trmin sum of money due to you; I did nothing but bite your fingers. The prisoner, on being called upon for hi defence, made a long, rambling statement, bn did not attempt to deny that the assault had been cormnitred.

Ihe Tench fined the prisoner £5, or, in default, one raoMth’s imprisonment with hard labour. Fiie Court then sojourned.