TENNIS PLAYERS INJURED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3889, 29 December 1928, Page 3

TENNIS PLAYERS INJURED.

ASSAULT- GY MEIN.IN CAR. A brutal assault by four men in a motor Tar upon two visitors to Auckland near the entrance i;o the Ellerslie racecourse in the early hours of ‘Thursday morning was responsible for the default of A. W. Smithson ;of Canterbury in the men’s singles of the New Zealand lawn tennis championship meeting-to-day. He was one of the victims of the assault and is suffering from shock and bruises. K. Welsh, of Hamilton, received a bad cut on the head and is also suffering from shock.

Smithson and Welsh were walking home when a motor pulled up near them. The ear contained four men who appeared to be under the influence of liquor. One man asked the visitors to jump in and have a drink. They refused, however. Thereupon the men in the car jumped out and began to attack them wildly. Smithson and Welsh managed to get free and ran through the entrance to the racecourse toward the house of Mr. A. C. Hill, the racecourse manager. Welsh was apparently overtaken and was struck down by one of the assailants and when falling he struck his head on the kerbing.

At this stage the assailants evidently realised they had gone-too far .as they made off. The visitors managed to reach Hill’s house and he rendered first aid. Later the victims of the assault were able to proceed home.