Lady Florence Dixie.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 132, 11 May 1883, Page 2

Lady Florence Dixie.

Lady Dixie gives the following account of the assault ©f which she states she was the victim. v While one man stabbed at mv the other knelt beside me, holding me by. the neck with his hands and pinning me to the ground. When the weapon struck the steel of the corset, the wretch withdrew it and plunged at me again with the dagger. As it descended 1 caught hold of the blade with my left hand, and held it for a moment. The weapon cut' thro ugh the glove, aad inflicted a deap, clean, cut (here her ladyship showed her hand, on which there wait a strip of sticking plaster.) He wrenched the weapon from me, and as it slipped from my left £ caught it with my right hand. He then tried to stab me again ag I held. the knite. While holding the knite I called out twice to my husband for help. He had been m the field hard by a short time previously. The man who was holding me pushed a quantity of dry mould into my mouth, and I was nearly suffocated. Then I lost, my hold upon the knife, and he struck at me again. ' So far, however , as I can recollect, he did not stab me then. *' There were three attempts to stab me. The/ first;., blow was warned off by the steel of my** corset ; the second I stopped with my hand ; and ha was about to deliver the third one when the dog mu3t have pulled him off before he could reach.me with the dagger. I afterwards found three marks of stabs m my .dress, bat when one of the blows was struck, the dress must have m some manner doubled and the blade gone through twice. This is the only way m which I can account for it. All 1 have described took place m a few seconds. The man who bent over me with a dagger had an awful look of determination stamped on his face. His features were livid; and his white teoth firmly clenched. They were both very dark, powerful men, with dark eyes and bair. I did not hear them speak*