THE REVOLVER EPISODE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1645, 11 January 1906, Page 3

THE REVOLVER EPISODE.

FRIGHTENING A YOUNG LADY. At the Police Court yesterday, Charles Cone, a young man employed as a laborer, I was charged with threatening behavior by the presentiog of a revolver at Lena Jensen, for whom Mr Finn appeared, whi'o Mr G. H. Lysnar represented defendant. The evidence showed that defendant had boarded at Oxford House, the pro- j prietress of which is Mrs Campbell, by ! whom Miss Jenson had been accompanied from Greymoutb. Mrs Campbell gave Miss Jensen an ex- I oellent oharaoter, and slated that complainant bad accompanied her for a walk I oa New Year’s eveniog, When they re-

I turned defendant asked witness to lend him Sj, but she refused. She nest saw biin at 10.30 that evening. She saw oomplaioant, who appeared to have had a fr’ght and was hysterical. Witness saw defendant, and asked him what he had been doiog. Defendant replied: “ Leave me alone; they have stolen my property.” Asked as to who had stolen his property, he said, 11 Those fellows,” without naming anyone. She afterwards went on the verandah and again asked defendant what be bad been doing and why he had done it. He replied : “ Ob, don’t talk so hard te me. You don’t know.” As far as witness could see defendant war then quite sober. A quarter of an hour afterwards defendant went to bed at her request. As complainant insisted on witness going for iba police she did so. Defendant was net boarding with witness now. By Mr Lysnar: Complainant had been out walking twice with defendant. She bsdbten out onoe with another young maD. Complainant was of a very nervous disposition. It was things whioh had been said be'ora to her whioh made her frightened. Lena Jensen, complainant, stated she knew defendant through his living at Mrs Campbell’s house. On the evening of January Ist defendant asked her to go ont with him. She refused, as she had gone out once before with him and he wsn'ed to keep company with her, and she declined. Deftndant said on the first night she walked ont with him there would be trouble if she walked out with anyone else. On January Ist defendant returned about 7 p.m. and wanted Mrs Campbell to lend him 3 or os to get drunk. Mrs Campbell said she would lend him money for anything but drink. Shortly afterwards defendant name with a £1 note, and wanled Mrs Campbell to ohange it, He left, and returned agaio in a quar» ter of an hour to the dining room, pretending to be intoxicated, Wi'ness was laying the tables in the dining room. Dafmdant said: “Lina, I’ll never forgive yon.” She asked what for, and he replied, 11 Never mind,” and repeated he would never forgive her, and kept approaching her. She stepped back to the passage, and he followed. Sho told him to go, as she had work to do. He went away, bnt returned between 9 and 10 to the sitting ro:m. where she wa3 playing the piano. Defendant oarne behind. There were two other men in the room at the time, and she left it when she saw defendant. He went to his bedroom and she returned to the piano. He came in again. An elderly boarder named Taylor \ya? also in the room. She was playing and defendant asked if Mr Baker was In. She looked behind and noticed that defendant had a revolver in his right hand, partly up his sleeve and pointing towards her. He did not speak but just came in abd stood. She waa positive it was a revolver. When she saw the revolver she jumped op at once and ran into the bedroom. screaming for help. Defendant made no remark at alb She called to a young man named Prince, who was on the verandah, and told him Cone had a revolver. Prince went into the sitting room, and “she heard a souffle shortly after. Complainant then stayed in her room. Miss Campbell returned horns later. She sought to have defendant bound over, as she was frightened and would not go out into the street without somebody with her. She had never given him any encouragement whatever. In reply to Mr Lysnar witness said defendant had threatened her before. ■The piano was behind the door, and Bbe did not notice defendant when he came into the room. Defendant’s companions tq'd her that it was only a pipe case, bnt she replied -he was sure it was a revolver. See remained in her bedroom until Mrs Campbell oame home. The defendant had always previously behaved in a gent.omaniy way towards her. Innp’ytaHn Worship, witness said she was really afraid she would suffer bodily ba-m. Mr Lysnar emphasised that on th a _t oeeasion no threat bad been made. Evidence would show that defendant was uoj in the room ot all. The revolver was an old one ; it had no trigger, and was unloaded. ’ The defendant deposed that ho bad been out throe times before with complainant. He had not threatened her at any tune, except on Monday night, when h 9 have done it. He admi'tad he wanted to get drunk with the money he tried to borrow from Mrs Oampbp'l. Before tea he wa3 ont in the kitchen with complainant; he asked her if’she was going out with him that evening, and she said no, eh 9 was going out with someone else. His Worship: Was that before you asked for money to get drink 2

Defendant: Yes, .. Hie Worship : I suppose that was the reason why you wanted to get drink l Defendant: I supposs ao. Continuing, defendant said he did not remember bav» iog been in the room with the complain* ant when the conversation she alleged took plaee. He was under lhe_ mflntnoe of liquor between 8 and 10, having had a " good few,” He did not remember having pointed a revolver at complainant. He had no intention of doing oompiaman any injury, neither had bo now, He went to bol when Mrs Campbell came home from the theatre. Mrs Campbell then asked him if he would apologise, and replied, ll Yes, certainly," and Mrs Campbell returned and said oomplainant would not take an apology- .Constable O hara came iota hie room about 1 or 2 a.m_, and woka him up. The constable aß “®. ,“77 where hie revolver was, and he replied he did not know. Aeked if there were any cartridges, ho replied that the keys were in hie pocket, and he could search his boxes. He had a revolver, but it was

j m uiouuuir, uuviug uuluu uuiu **los Country. He was told that his mate Duggan took tbo rovolvor from him. 1 Sovornl other witnesses gavo ovidonoo, tbo tondonoy of whioh was to show that dofondnnt had not used the rovolver to frighten complainant. Nioholas Duggan had later on taken tbo rovolvor from defendant, but bad not noticed if it was loaded. He had handed it over to William Rogora, who also had not noticed if it was loaded.

His Worship said ho was satisfied do« fendant did point tbo revolver at oornI plainant, but whothor he intended te shoot or the revolver was loaded was another matter. The pointing of a revolver, whether loaded or not, at a female might lead to very serious consequences. It was a most oowardiy thing, to say the least of it. Defendant admitted he was under the influrnoe of liquor, but that was not an exouse. If this was the way ho bohaved whilst under tho influence of liquor he should keep sober, or it might load him into serious trouble. His Worship ordered defendant to enter into a bond to keep the peace for six months in £25, and two sureties of £lO eaoh ; also to pay tho costs, £2 16s.