THE HUTT AFFAIR.

Evening Star, Issue 4009, 31 December 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HUTT AFFAIR.

The circumstances attending the occurrence. as far as can' be gathered so far, are as follows Harry You .g, a fireman on board the steame • Stormbird, some four or five months ago was staying at Peterson’s boarding-house, Willis stieet, Wellington, and at the s;>mo time a German, who was best known as “Phillip r, the gardener,” but whose real name is Sapphire Maj or Smat, was also staying there, till he robbed Young of L 8 or L 9 and bolted up country. His whereabouts was unknown till some time ago. when Young learned that he was employed on the railway line about four miles above the bilveratieam, and was living in M'Kirdy’s camp about a quarter of a mile from Walden. Accordingly just before Christmas he obtained leave of absence for three days in order to visit the camp, and arrived there on Christmas Bay, or on Sunday, the 27th, Smat received him in a very friendly manner, and when asked to pay over the money promised to do so, and showed a book to prove that the money was in the bank. They remained friendly all the day, and about seven o’clock went with a number of other men to Martin’s public-house and stayed till ten, a slight quarrel occurring in the meantime. This was settled, and then they returned to the camp, probably all more or less the worse for liquor, although \ oung stated to the magistrate that Smat only had three pints of beer the whole evening. Nothing transpired till one o’clock, and then it would appear the German went out and shortly afterwards called Young out. On his going outside, Smat said, “ is that you, Harry ? ’ Young replied “ Yes,” and Smat then struck him with a long handled A meric in axe across the head. Young status that Smat held the axe as if he was about to fell a tree. When struck he immediately fell to the ground, but, strangely enough, u appears he was still sensible, for he states that ho saw the other men come out, and saw Smat strike them down, Wm.P ul, in his statement, said nothing about hearing any noise, but said ho wont outside for some trivial purpose, and a man un known knocked him down, but with what instrument he does not know. The third man can say nothing. The information brought in by stragglers leads to the conclusion that the men were struck down one after another as each went out to see what had become of his predecessor. Immediately after the occurrence Smat rushed off, and subsequently took to the bush with the axe. All the men are cut on the head, aud in each case the sku 1 is fractured, Paul’s brain p otrudes. Young is also cut on the side of tne head, the cut running down into the neck and severing the jugular vein, but this has since been caught up and drawn together again. Lcedle, in addition to cuts across the head, has received cuts across the right leg and buttock, eight in all, and is frightfully mutilated. Each man is in a very precarious condition, and though the doctors do not care to express the opinion that recovery is hopeless, still there is too much reason to fear that in the cases of Young and Paul death will immediately follow. A hundred men from the railway works offered thimselves to assist the police in capturing the would-be murderer, and were distributed into small parties and tent in different directions. About 3 or 4 p.m. some Maoris gave’ information which led Constable Lyster and a man named Black Jack to ride into the Maori pah on the other* side of the river, and there they found Smat. He, ran for about half a mile and then took to the river, where he was caught. He offered no resistance whatever. ISxnat is ■ quare built man, about ht:. l&in., a id wheu residing iu Wellington' was known as the Swiss gardener. He arrived in Canterbury about fifteen months ago, but shortly afterwards came to Wellington,