THE PROPRIETOR OF THE FREE LANCE ASSAULTED.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3823, 17 October 1883, Page 4

THE PROPRIETOR OF THE FREE LANCE ASSAULTED.

Yesterday afternoon about four o'clock :m affray look place in the Free Lance newspaper oilice, Vuleau-lunc, which speedily brought a crowd round the premises, when it soon transpired that Dr. Harrison, agent for ill's Dr. Potts, hud committed an assault on Mr J. D. AViekham, proprietor of that journal. The circumstances of the assault, us stated by Mr Wiekham, are as follows : —Ho was in his oflieo at tho hour abovementioned when Dr. Harrison entered, accompanied by his brother, Mr It. (J. Aspintill, their agent, and Mr James Millotfc. The flootor fiskc-d if Mr Wiekham published the L'Entr' Auto in connection with tho Theatre Royal, and receiving an aflirmafivo reply, mado soino inquiries as to the price of advertising. Dr. Harrison's brother at this time stood outside tho door. After some further conversation on this topic, .Dr. Harrison desired to know who wa.s tho •writer of a. letter published in L'Entr , Acte, signed "Figaro." Mr Wickhani replied "That was his business." The doctor retorted, "I intend to make it mine." Dv Harrison then called upon him to stand up and tight him, but Mr Wickham declined to do ho, saying ho had no desire to make a blackguard of himself . Before Mr Wickham know where he was he received a blowon the top of the head, which caused the blood to ilow freely down his face. A scuflle took place, and the row attracted (he attention of Captain Hundley and Mr Mares, who were talking in an adjacent apartment, and they rushed out, pushed Dr. Harrison's brother aside from the door, and burst in and pulled oif tho assailant, Dr. Harrison, and also, it is alleged, Aspiiiall. Mr (Jorlctt, the manager of the printing department, also hearing the noise in the editorial room, rushed downstairs to the rescue, and prevented any further violence. The front door of the newspaper ollico was at once secured, Dr. Harrison and his friends detained, and Captain Handley proceeded to tho i'oli«'c Station, and informed Sergeant Mahon of the assault, requesting him to come down, us Mr Wieldiam desired to give his assailant in custody. Sergeant Mahou proceeded to the Free Lance Office, where a crowd had then assembled, and heard the statements on both sides. Mr Wickham made some strong remarks as to the treatment he had received at the hands of Dr. Harrison, when the latter threatened to repeat the assault, but Sergeant Mahon interposed. As the sergeant had not seen tho assault committed, ho requested all parties to accompany him to the Police Station. Fortunately Mr Superintendent Thompson happened to be in the station at the time, and lie at once investigated the matter. Dr. Harrison frankly admitted that he had. committed the assault. Mr Thomson informed the doctor that American methods of taking the law into liis own hands would not be permitted hero ; that tho proper method of obtaining legal redress was open to him, and to that lie should have had recourse. He directed that Dr. Harrison should be taken into custody, searched, and put in the lock-up in the usual way. Richard Cole Aspinall and James Mi'llett were also similarly dealt with, Mr Wickhavft signing the charge-sheet. The charge aguiiml Dr. Harrison was of unlawfully assaulting him by striking him on the head, and, wo presume, tho charge against the other two is of aiding and abetting the assault. Millott, who is in tho employ of Mr Ilaslett, chemist, seems to simply have been in tho company of the other parties, and to have shown them the Free Lance Office. Mr Wickham says he was struck RO suddenly that he is unable to say whether he was hit'by the cane which Dr. Harrison was carrying, or by the ring on his iingcr. The wound seemed to bo of a nasty character, mid the breast of Mr Wickham's shirt, Ins hair, face, and beard were sputtorod with blood. Dr. Harrison stated that the reason he assaulted Mr Wickham was on account of the offensive language used in the publication about referred to, respecting Mrs Dr. Potts, copies of which he alleged were given at the door of the Theatre Eoyal to those ■who entered on Wednesday night to hear jlrs Dr. Potts' lecture. The passage particularly complained of is the following : — I suppose I shall be told that it's no business of mine, but as everything's a barber's business I have no scruple while shaving to administer a cut to the female doctor, or whatever she likes to call herself (she can't be a woman in the best, highest, smd purest Hcnso of the word) who is lecturing in "another place," as they say in the House of Commons at home. This—what on earth «hali I eallit? hybrid, perhaps, for it is certainly ir.> man by its appearance, no woman by its modesty, and not even a thoroughbred cross by its sentiments—is lecturing to-night to married couples, that js to say, to men accompanied by women,

or boys accompanied by girls, on "Husbands and Wives." I'm not particularly moral, for a barber must listen to all his customers have to say, and amuse them in their own way, but I do think this creature has been given rope enough, and it is full time that an American diploma should no longer allowed to he a cloak for American indecency in a British colony. Mr Aspinall, au'cnt, narrates the facts as follows:—He states that Dr Harrison, Mr Millctt, and himself went to the Free Lance office. Mr Millett, who is employed at Mr Haslctt's chemist shop, went with them to show them the place. Neither Mr Aspinall nor Mr Millett had tho slightest notion when'they went to the office that any row would take place. Dr Harrison went into the office and asked Mr Wickham if the editor iviis in. Mr Wickham replied that lie was tho editor. Dr Harrison said he came to speak to him for a minute. Mr Wickham said "Yes," and took us into his oflico. Dr Harrison then asked if _he owned a paper called Figaro. He replied that lie did. Something was then said about his rates of advertising. Dr Harrison arked for the name of the writer of an article in Figaro referring to Mrs Dr Potts, which Mr Wickham refused to give. Dr Harrison then told him to defend himself. At first he refused, but on the doctor removing his overcoat and liar, Mr Wickham started up and made for the door. Dr Harrison then struck Mr Wickham. The cut on Mr Wiekhum's head was caused by his falling against tho table in the scuffle. Neither Mr Millett normysolf took any part in the affair, which was quite unexpected, and we do not know why wo should have been arrested by Mr Thomson.

It appears that prior to visiting Mr Wickham's ofiiee, Dr H.irrisou mid his brother Ind interviewed Mr F. Browning, solicitor, with a view to legal proceedings against■ Mr Wickham, arising out of the Figaro business. Dr Harrison's brother, on the doctor and tho other parties being arrested, went for Mr Browning, who 'came to the policestation, and, after consultation with his client, proceeded to obtain bail. Mr Ilaslctt became surety in £51 for each of the accused, and they were after a short incarceration releasedon bail.—N.Z. Herald 12lh instant.