RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 258, 3 November 1870, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

o j (Before J. Sharp Esq. R.M.) This Day. Thomas Harley waa charged by H. E. Nathan with threatening to knock corns plainant down having at the time an axe in his hand. ; Mr. Fell appeared for the complainant, Mr. Acton Adams for the defendant. H. E. Nathan, sworn : On Saturday ; morning I noticed that some obstructions ■ which I had placed in front of Harley's I malthouse had been removed. I at once >. commenced to put them up again, and f Harley and his men knocked them down as i fast as I put them up. About 3 o'clock the i same thing occurred again. They got an opening through the doors that I had > placed against the window at that time. , Harley was chopping these doors down - with an axe. Ke and his men commenced ' insulting me saying I ought to be on the • roads, and that they would soon put me - there. He threatened to knock me down, L rushed round from the malthouse, and jumped on too of the fence that divides his ground from mine. I had an axe in , my hand, which I laid down, at the same i time picking up a piece of timber with which I threatened to strike him if he came on my premises. Before his threat-

ening me, I had used no threats to him. When he saw I was ready to defend myself he went away. This state of siege and defence went on at intervals until 10 o'clock at night. At 10 o'clock I had the raaiu window blocked up again, and was sitting on the top of the supports to keep the barricade steady. I got a knock on the head from a stick through the window, and thinking I was seriously hurt, I sung out "Murder," aud sent for the police. I also got two bruises on the legs. Cross-examined : When I camo out after dinner I saw the obstruction knocked down. I took up on axe and tried to chop off the end of the sticks they poked through the window. I never threatened to knock Harley's brains out ; all the braiu-kuocking-out came from him. Jacob Nathan : I was in my father's back premises on Saturday, I saw Harley, jump on the top of tbe fence. He said he would knock my father down. In the evening I s.aw the barricade knocked down, I saw sticks shoved through and my father struck wiih one of them. Harley was in the malthouse at the time. E. F. Campbell, was present at the time Harley made his sortie from the malthouse and jumped on the fence. Nathan theatened to knock him down with a stick. This closed the case for the complainant. Mr. Acton Adams having opened his case, called John Daly, who stated that he was in the malthouse in the afternoon. When he went in the windows were blocked up. Harley and his servants knocked down the obstructions. Nathan was standing