SERIOUS ASSAULT AT OTEPEPO.

Evening Star, Issue 3801, 30 April 1875, Page 2

SERIOUS ASSAULT AT OTEPEPO.

Oa the afternoon of the 14th inst. some stonemasons employed on the railway tunnel at Utepopo had a quarrel over a tether rope, which resulted in one of them named Walter Knight trying to strike another man named M‘Conehie down with an axe. It appears that after the tueu had kuock6d off work on the day in ques* tion, Knight called into his tent one Mitchell, a mate of M'Conchie’s, and asked him what the latter had done w tli his (Knight’s) tetherrope, and on Mitchell disclaiming all knowledge of it he called M'Cutcheon some very strong names—at least M'Oonchie, who was outside the tent while the conversation was going on, says he did. M'Conclde admits that he immediately went in front of the tent, stood in the doorway, and taunted Knight about a small sum of money he owed him; and in the wordy war that followed he appears to have been even more abusive than Knight. It was when he called the latter a -—of a man ” that Knight seized a tomahawk that lay beside him and aimed a blow at him, whmh the other perceiving, jumped round and throwing up his light arm as high as his shoulder received on his wist Jhere is considerable difference in the statements as to what took place at this stage of the quarrel and afterwards. M'Conchie (who is 23 j ears of age, and the youngest man on the work) states that after striking him Knight (who is nearly fifty) threw down the axe, and be at once seized it and threw it into a sully. Ims is denied by Wheeler and Morrison, two other workmen, who witnessed the quarrel. i?rom these statements it seems that the ill feeling between Knight and M'Conchie dates F° m I s°me days before this occurrence, when they had words about an axe which Knight lost they both declare that Knight was one of the quietest men employed on the works, and used no indecent language towards M'Conchie in either of the two quarrels with him. Wheeler, in giving evidence before the Resident Magistrate's Court at Oamaru, said “in going past the, tent M*Conchie called Knight--a ——— l —He looked in at the tent when he said

this. Knight at tbHtfihe He jumped up, caught hold of the and cut M Uwiahw with it. If M'Conchie him not jumped nutpf the way, Ithe blow: might have caught toabout theW- . Kdightsaid that few d w? h r lp father. WJien I went into tbe tent- Knight had team m his eyes, and said tbatif came back and'insulted him agaffi he would chop him %th the tomahawk. were all sober on tha 14th. Knig®§ not c? PJ® 88 any regret for striking, M'Cohchie ” M Conchia was attendedby>f)r Smith, <Ot Otepope, who found the wound on to be nearly two inches long, and diving the inteimmeats and the first layer of the muscles, must have been struck with the extreme edge of the axe, but it is not expected that M’Conchie wiU suffer any permanent injury. At Oamaru on Monday last Knight was committed for at , . Duneditt for aI » attempt to murder M’Concbie.