Assaulting a Servant.

Patea Mail, 7 August 1880, Page 3

Assaulting a Servant.

[l'’R 0)1 OUR COR R K S VONDE NT .] Hawera, Thursday. Tlie adjourned case of Kate Summers against Antonio Domingo, for alleged assault, came on at the Hawera Court today. Mr Farrington appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Hamerton for the defendant. Mr Hamerton objected to have the three complaints in one, and two other informations were laid by Mr Farrington instead. Kate Summers deposed : I was bouse-, keeper for defendant; and about 11.30 a.m. on Saturday last, whilst I was cleaning the dining-room, defendant asked me to stay. I had previously given warning. I refused. He thou turned round and kicked me in the groin. It knocked mo down. The man that worked in the kitchen picked me up and took.me to my bedroom. I was in awful pain. Dr Richards lias since examined the place. I did not leave until the evening, as bo threatened me, and I was afraid. Cross-examined ; I slept with Mrs Hellicr. I bad no other place to go to. ££ave been staying* witli her since. X used to go out frequently in the evening. Fred saw me struck by defendant. I asked Rose to fetch a policeman, but he refused. I then went on with in}' work. I told Domingo I was in pain. He said it was all gammon. I complained to the police after tea on Saturday, and was advised to take out a summons.

Dr G. F. Richards, practising at Hawera, deposed that ho had examined the plaintiff, and found a slight contusion in the groin. The discoloration had nearly disappeared. William Rose, commonly called Keel, deposed ; I was employed as general hand by defendant. 1 did not see the assault. I saw the defendant with one arm round the slip door ; his left foot was in the kitchen, and bis right foot coining down. I heard a fall and noise. 1 went in and saw Miss Summers on the ground. She was crying. She said defendant had kicked her in the groin. I helped her to bed.

Cross-examined : The distance between the two parties was about seven feet. I. saw her after in her bedroom. I chaffed her about being fit for a theatre, and that she could do a fall and scream to perfection. I don’t remember the defendant threatening the girl at any time. Afte,. she got up she went and did the housework. She conversed with the defendant, but not in her usual manner. By the Bench : The defendant might have kicked complainant, and by force have sent her the distance 1 found her from him. Mr Hamcrton addressed the Bench, and asked fora dismissal. Mr Farrington argued against the dismissal, The Bench said they would hear the defence. For the defence, Antonio Domingo deposed : I am a boarding-house keeper. The complainant was in my employ until last Saturday. It is not true I kicked her in the dining-room. 1 swear it. I did not threaten her in any way in the morning. She remained in my house all day until about six o’clock in the evening. After tea she went away from my house with Mrs Ilellicr. I did not threaten to break the bedroom door down. Cross-examined : I did not threaten her on Saturday. I threatened her on previous occasions on account of her previously leaving. I had nothing to drink on Saturday until the evening. I did not threaten Miss Summers until the evening. This closed the case, but as there were two other cases of assault on the same day, the Bench decided, upon the representation of Mr Farrington, to defer their judgment until the other cases were heard. The Court adjourned until 7 p.m., and on resuming, a second case of assault was gone into. It was of a similar description. The Court sat until half-past eleven in the evening, and after hearing some evidence in a third case of like nature, they reserved their decision until next morning.

The complainant’s counsel decided not to go on with the third case.

[BY TELEGRAPH.] Ilawcra, Friday. The Magistrates sat again this morning, and as the third case was withdrawn, they gave decision on the two cases heard yesterday. They dismissed the first case, and in the second case they inflicted a fine of &5, with costs.