Murderous Assault

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1922, Page 2

Murderous Assault

tlll-l RVTI.EDCIE CASK. IHV TF.I .fee It A fill psh chess’ ASSOOI VTUSN ’ HAMILTON, June 14. At the Supreme Court, Herbert llolgate. Allred Glover, Conrad Giuin’ly, "ti l Richard Dai.v were charged with attempting to murder William Tliirwell Hold ledge, at Kopnlti, on March IS; also with assaulting'him with intent to do grievous bodily harm ; also with doing actual bodily harm; tdso with assaulting him. The latter three charges were also preferred against them in relation to James Courtney, who emi'm to Roiitledge’s assistance when tb- hitter allegedly brutally assaulted by the font m@n. Evidence was given that Routledge was it Rangev for flic Acclimatisation Society Oa this particular day he weiit to K,>paki bush sit tic went, below Tekuiti, an ! asked for a room at a boarding, house, lie was given a shakedown in the smoke-room. Just before tea, the priv’hprs asked Routledge to have drbik, 'hut. he ivfus r d. ’ldler then. - .;i-

| pa rent ly. mist unit him for a police spy. Later on they commenced to discuss his occupation. After he lutd gone to bed, ho was awakened by a smashing of crockery, aiid wfls dragged out of bed The prisoners severely assaulted aim. He ran away, but they overtook him, and severely.handled him again, afterwards dragging him by the teet to a I creek, and threw him in. Apparently,, j t! or intended to finish him. The cold water revived him somewhat, and when th v had gone he crept out of the stream into the scrub. While lying there, he heard the men returning What they said indicated that thev intended to finish him. He remained quiet, ami after they left again, he managed to make' away as far as a settler’s but. The men, though not drunk, were under the influence of | liquor. I Hoigato was leader of the gang, and j he was the one largely re-nonsibio lor , urging them to do whtit they did j James Courtney, wlio went tb Routledge’s assistance, was also handled 1 very severely, and had he not had ■ sense chough to agree to tell the police | he had a fight with Routledge, it was alleged lie would have lost his life, j Routledge said that during the assault, Hofgate urged the others to kill him. When hiding in the scrub after 1 escaping from the creek, he heard one man remark: t“01i, well, lie- will he dead by this time, anyway!” Courtney, in his evidente, declar'd that when he interfered pit Routledge’s behalf, he was severely ill-treated, and later, when asked what they had done with Routledge, be was again knocked down, and Glover said; “We will cut bis throat! I’ve got a stumpy picketknife somewhere!” Glover searched in his pocket but could not find a knife. Witness eventually got awav. by promising, if interrogated by <me police, to say lie had a fight, with Daly. La’er oil, Grundy got the witness down again, and said he would choke him. (.Mover said: "Just say the word! ill take him awav and out his throat! ’ The ease is proceeding and is creating much interest. The Court "os crowded. ,