A NEW PLYMOUTH SENSA TION.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 18, 21 July 1893, Page 2

A NEW PLYMOUTH SENSA TION.

CAPTURE OF THE HIGHWAYMAN. HE ATTEMPTS TO MURDER HAROLD THOMSON. NARROW ESCAPE OF THAT OFFICER. exciting details^ ;; [Per Press Association. j New Plymouth, This Day. Robert Wallath was charged this morning before the Police Court with firing at Mr Harold Thomson with the intent to kill and murder him. Thomson applied for a remand as the man had only been arrested the previous night. He said probably other serious charges will be brought against the accused. The prisoner was remanded till next Friday, no bail being allowed. Mrs Cottier in her account of the highway man affair, says she was standing at the bar talking to Mr Simmon when the highway man came in. He presented a revolver at her and said " bail up." She thought it was a joke, smiled and stiid " pass on." She thought it was a volunteer in uniform, having a lark, and therefore did not feel in the least frightened. He passed on and shortly afterwards she heard a shot fired and called out for help. Some one said " I believe Mrs Cottier is shot." She then went to the staircase and saw the highway man on the floor being held down. He appeared to have fainted and she got some water to revive him. Mr Cottier was in bed at the time not being very well. I Charles Holmes gives the following account of the highwayman affair. He was at the side bar and saw the highwayman at the opposite bar. Ho was dressed in a volunteer s uniform with a red tunic and had a mask over his face. The man went up the passage and Mr Thomson ran to meet him. Thomson then tackled tho highwayman. He fired as Boon as Thomsou rushed at him. Holmes went to Thomson's assistance and caught hold of the revolver the highwayman had in his hand. It was a five chambered revolver and four of tbe chambers woro loaded and capped, when he got hold ot it. He had another revolver m his belt. Iv tbe struggle the whole of them foil down, but they held the highwayman till ho was handcuffed by the police. 'I ho man made a desperate struggle, and had he not been disarmed he might have used the revolver again. Mr Harold Thomson's account of his encounter with tho highwayman is that ho was at the side bar of the ■Criterion Hotel. He saw a man in military uniform at the opposite bar who pointed a revolver at Mrs Cottier. Someone called out " It's the highwayman," and Mrs Cottier told tbe man to movo on. The highwayman went along the passage and Thomson ran round to meet him, and tbe two met at the foot of the staircase. Wallath then fired his revolver hitting Thomsou on the left side who then rushed at the man and seized bun by the throat and a severe struggle ensued. Thompson struck at his antagonist when Charles Holmes came to his assistance and the man was thrown on the floor and held there till a constable came and handcuffed him. The man had on an old volunteer uniform coat, white striped serge trousers, patent leather crossbelt with cartouche box, blue serge helmet hat, with red volunteer feather fastened in a zinc plate, a black hair false beard and a mask of blue merino. Dr. O'Carroll states that Thomson who bad the tussle with the highwayman, had a couple of leaden pellets in him. The wound is a comparatively slight one, but it was a very narrow escape. He belieres the prisoner must have fired at Thomson's heart, but in the struggle the charge glanced oil about fivo inches. There are four distinct cuts in his coat indicating the entrance and exit of two pellets. He examined the prisoner in the lockup. He shows indications of having been kicked on the right leg, or struck with a heavy stick. The prisoner stated to Dr. O'Carroll that he would have made it hot if it bad not been for young Thomson, and that tbere were too many for him. Tbe prisoner appeared to be perfectly cool and did not realise hiß position.