RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5381, 26 June 1878, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Tuesday, Jjne 25. (Before J. C. Crawford, Esq., K.M.'l VAGRANCY. Mary Ann Nugent, brought up on a charge of vagrancy, was sent to gaol for three calendar months, at hard labor. Breach of the peace. L. Larson was summoned by Jans Sorenson for provoking a breach of the peace, but there was no appearance of complainant, and the case was dismissed. CUTTING AND WOUNDING. Patrick Conroy was charged with cutting and wounding Phillip Ritchie. Mr. Gordon Allan appeared for the prisoner. Philip Ritchie deposed : I am a confectioner, and live in Wellington. I saw the prisoner on Saturday night last, at twelve o’clock, at the front of the Theatre Royal. I came out of the hotel at twelve o’clock, and saw prisoner standing with two other men. An altercation arose, and they wanted to fight. We either knocked against them, or they knocked against us, as we came out. I struck one of them, not the prisoner, and the thing was over, and we were going home, and when opposite Coker’s the prisoner came running after mo and said, “ This is one of them,” and ran at me in a ferocious manner, and struck me in the eye with a knife. I called out that I had been struck with a knife, and was then struck by the prisoner in the side with a knife. I saw the blade of a knife flashing when I was stabbed iu the eye. Prisoner ran away, and was followed by a number of people. I went home. I think we had all been drinking a little. X had on the clothes that I now produce. There is blood on the shirt. By Mr. Allen : I had been at, Bailey’s, and had half a pint of beer there. I never drink spirits. I am not following any profession. I was never drunk. I was not perfectly drunk on Saturday night. I did not strike prisoner. Thera was a little bit of a row. There were three of them and three of us. I knocked over one man. I did not strike prisoner. One of my mates struck prisoner. X did not follow prisoner. I do not know whether my mate followed prisoner and struck him again. The whole affair did not last more than two or three minutes. The night was not dark. There is a good light at Bailey’s, also at Coker's. I was struck from behind. Prisoner said, “This is one of them.” Prisoner did not call out for the police. John McEwen deposed: I am a'plasteror, residing in Wellington. I know the last witness. I was with him on Saturday night at the Theatre Royal Hotel. I saw prisoner outside. I came out with Ritchie. Prisoner and two other men jostled up against us. Ritchie hit one of the men, and the prisoner bit me, ...JUtchie did nqt hit prisoner, Ritchie

and I were walking towards the Empire Dining-room. Prisoner followed us, and passed me and hit Ritchie. I saw him hit Ritchie, and heard Ritchie say that he was stabbed. Prisoner ran away, and several people ran after him and caught him at Mills’ foundry.- A constable came up afterwards aud took the prisoner into custody. By Mr. Allan; We were in the Theatre Royal Hotel half an hour. I had one whisky hot and one glass of beer. Ritchie came after me. Ritchie came in with another man. I was not drunk. I was not perfectly sober. 1 knew what we were about. We did not begin to assault them. I struck prisoner after he hit me. Ritchie did not hit prisoner. Ritchie knocked the other man about pretty fair. I paired off with prisoner, and Ritchie with the other man. We did not follow the prisoner up. We were about a hundred yards this side of Coker’s when prisoner struck Ritchie. I was about six or seven yards behind Ritchie. We did not attack prisoner the second time. When we started there were six of us. There were only four fighting. By Sergeant Smith: Three of us are mates at the dining-rooms—Ritchie, myself, aud a man whose name I do not know. We three mates and others were coming together when Ritchie was was stabbed.

Charles Rodgers deposed: I am a blacksmith, living iu Wellington. I saw Ritchie on Saturday night at the Theatre Royal, outside, at about 12 o’clock. I was at the other side of the road, and hearing a row, went across. I saw Ritchie run past prisoner. I did not see him strike prisoner. I saw another man strike prisoner. Ritchie and another man went towards the Occidental Hotel, and prisoner followed immediately, and said to the young man, “You are one of them; I will give you in charge ;” aud he went to Ritchie and said, ‘ You are another.” I saw Ritchie make a blow at him, and then he made three or four kicks. Ritchie took hold of the prisoner, aud turned him round, aud kicked him. I saw him kick him twice. Prisoner went two or three yards away on to the road, aud called upon Ritchie to come on. Ritchie stood where he was. Prisoner rushed at him, I saw prisoner give Ritchie a blow in the side. I did not see anything in his hand. Ritchie then said, “I am stuck.” He said it immediately after the blow. Prisoner then ran away. I was then standing about seven or ten yards away. Prisoner went to the centre of the road, and some people got round him and told him to drop the knife. Prisoner ran away, and people followed him. I took Ritchie to Dr. Diver’s. I saw* blood on his face aud blood on his shirt.

By Mr. Allan: I did not see how the row began. Henry William Diver deposed: I am a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing in Wellington. I was called to see a man soon after ten o’clock on Sunday morning. I found him with a cut over the right eye. My attention was drawn to his hat, and on examining the brim I found a cut in the felt. I examined the side, and found a wound there about threequarters of an inch long—such a wound as would be produced by a sharp instrument. There was a corresponding cut in his coat, waistcoat, shirt, and flannel shirt, and blood upon these articles. James Birchell deposed : I am a compositor. I know Ritchie by sight.: I saw him after 12 o’clock on Saturday night at the Occidental Hotel. I was standing in company with two or three men opposite the Occidental Hotel. I saw some one strike the prisoner ; it was not Ritchie. I saw the prisoner follow the man that struck him, and say to him, “ You are one of them.” He then ran round the corner and saw Ritchie, and said, “ You are the other.” Ritchie made a blow at him, and he ran away, and Ritchie followed him, and made three or four kicks at him. Ritchie then walked away, and left prisoner on the road. I heard prisoner say something, and he then rushed at Ritchie. Just after he rushed at Richie I heard Ritchie say, “ I think I am stabbed,” or something to that effect, Ritchie ran into the crowd, and prisoner after him. Prisoner then ran away.

By Mr. Allan : I saw Ritchie kick at prisoner.

Patrick McGrath deposed : I am a police constable. I was on street duty on Saturday night. Between 12 and 1 o’clock on Sunday morning I heard a voice say, “ A man is stabbed.” I saw a man run in the direction of Coker’s Hotel. I was about a hundred yards away. He turned down Waring-Taylor-street, and there were at least eight or ten men running after him. In a few minutes I arrested him in front of Mr. Mills’ foundry. I confronted him with Ritchie. Ritchie said, “That is the man that stabbed me.” Tiie prisoner appeared to have been drinking, and was knocked about a good deal. He was bleeding. He said what he did was in defence. On the way to the station prisoner said that Ritchie had struck him in the face and knocked him into the roadway. Prisoner reserved his defence, and was committed for trial at the Supreme Court.