MAGISTRATES' COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 295, 11 December 1872, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURT.

[Before J. Sharp, and A. Mackay, Esq?,, J. J. P.] This Day, William Murray was charged with assaulting Eichard Vaughan on board the Tararua, on Friday, the 6th intt. Richard Vaughan : I am a seaman on board the Tararua. Prisoner and I lived in the same part of the ship. Last Friday afternoon, I was taking tea with my watch, when an altercation took place between us He was in his bunk, and complained of the talking going on. He turned out, and said it wanted a good fighting man there to knock some of our heads ofl'. I said we did not want any fighting there, but if he wanted it, I would fight him. He taid I was better than him, and he could not fight me. I asked him to sit down and talk the matter over, which he refused to do. He said if I dared to strike him he would hit me on the head with a mug he had in hand. Some other words passed between us, and he snapped at me with his teeth and bit my nose off. I tripped and fell underneath him, when he bit me in the arm. He let go of me there, and then took hold of me by the thigh with his teeth. Some of the'men then took him off me. Cross-examined by prisoner : Your remarks about a fighting man were addressed to us all generally, but I being the nearest; took it up. When you spoke about fighting I was willing to see which was the best man. We usually settle such questions among our class by referring to our pugilistic capabilities. I never offered to fight you before, when you spoke civilly to me. You once insulted me when I pulled oi£ my coat and said I .would fight you. I did not strike you before you bit me. August Johnston corroborated Vaughan's evidence. Dr Boor : I have dressed the wound on the informant's nose. A portion of it on the right side, of about an iuch long, had been torn off. It had been previously dressed and stitched. Prisoner, who reserved his defence, was committed for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court.