A STRUGGLE WITH A MADMAN AT MIDNIGHT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 73, 15 July 1876, Page 3

A STRUGGLE WITH A MADMAN AT MIDNIGHT.

| Tl*e Te Koptuni correaiwuideut it an 1 Auckland paper gives an aw>r!Tit of a . s-tn«ggle which occurred a feu mu'iis -*? i" t with a madman. The latter, who a young and powerful Maori, had only recently been discharged from the Whau Lunatic Asylum. For some days prior to the occurrence »tw>nfc to be related, lie had been rushing about among other Maoiis, and trying to kill them. \ annus attempts had been made to capture him, but in vain. At length he was apprehended in the following manner:—" About midnight on the l.Tth, the Kopitrn watchman, an old man familiarly known as 'Tommy Humphreys,' saw the madman, for such he undoubtedly was, ntnning at full speed through the mill, shouting most frantically. He tan about the saws, belts, and machinery in an incredible way, and at last got under the mill, where he began to strike matches. The watchman went after him, caught him, and by sooth-ing-words tried to get him over the creek across the boom. The lunatic went for some distance quietly enough, but suddenly bolted, and was nowhere to be found. " However, old Tommy followed him up like a hound, and found him trying to break into the store. He again induced him to go towards the creek, and just as they got to the water s edge, the Maori suddenly dropped on his knees, caught Tommy by the ankles, and threw hrm on his back. Tommy managed, however, to get uppermost, and a dog the watchman had with him seized the madman by the hair, and the two might have managed him till assistance came, but, unfortunately, a Maori dog appeared on the scene, and seized Tommy's dog, who had to leave the Maori to defend himself. The dogs struggling rolled Tommy over, and the Maori caught hint by the throat, and tried ail in his power to get at a knife, swearing most fearfully all the time that he would murder him. Poor old Tommy exerted all his strength to secure the madman's right hand, which he held as in a vice, and notwithstanding all the struggling, he kept a firm hold of it, and thus prevented a horrible deed being done. The shouts of Tommy brought assistance at this juncture, or it would have soon been all over with the faithful old man. Harry Manning having having been appointed a special constable, kept on the alert, for which he certainly deserves praise. He and Mr. M'Neil, both powerful men, soon relieved poor old Tommy from his perilous position, but not before had been dreadfully beaten about the face. The madman was secured, and the matter was reported to the Clerk of the Court, who at once gave Manning authority to retain the man in custody and take huu to Auckland in the steamer, which was hourly expected, and which left two or three hours later. Thus ended a matter which, but for the determined bravery and persistence of the watchman, might have had a very different termination."