THE KAIAPOI OUTRAGE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2753, 19 January 1882, Page 2

THE KAIAPOI OUTRAGE.

There was great excitement in and around the Kuiapoi Courthouse yesterday daring the trial before the -Resident Magistrate, of William Hart,*, charged with outraging a little girl at Kuiapoi Jastnriday. The evidence against the accused seems very conclusive. He was recognised by the prosecutrix arid by two other girls who saw him in the neighborhoood that evening. He offered the children lollies, and a shopkeeperrecognised the prisoner as a man she sold lollies to on the afternoon of that day, and recognised also, as like the lollies she sold him, some that were found near the scene of the outrage. She put the lollies in a tin box when spiling them, and this box was also foqnd at the same place.' A man's bat as found at the scene and this was identified as the prisoner’s by people in the'faouse he lived in. There was a little difficulty in connection with the hat as evidence, for the prisoner was seen going Along the road wearing a hat. It is now stated that after the case was over information was given the police that a person living between Kuiapoi and Mandeville had lent Hart, who called about ten p.m,, to borrow a hat, the old brown one which was produced in Court, which has been identified as the one lent to him, and the one he professed to be wearing when arrested. This witness’s evidence would have been most valuable, and the strangest part of the affair is that while a person was informed of this he gave no sign to the police, who seem -to be 'greatly chagrined at the' fact. When’, the detective xvent yesterday to the house tlie inmate said she bad told ’• no - one but one man.' about it, ancjj he had promised to say nothing about it. :Thq of the little girl was as follows ;—“lwas with my brother and two sisters on.,.F,riday eveningjn front of my father’s house. It w*s daylight. The prisoner’gave ine some lollies, also my brother and sisters. He asked mo to show him Mr Hurse’s house, .which I did. My. little brother and sisters did not go with us. We went further than Mr Hurse’s, down qn the bank near, the river. He then knocked me down by hitting me in the face. Ido not recollect if he hit me more than once.” The evidence o£ Dr Ovendon showed that the girl had been violently struck in the face*'probably sufficient to stun heivtynd that she had been outraged. The clothes of prisoner were marked with blood, and were wet and stained with the peculiar slimy mud of the Wairaakariri. .The accused .. made a,statement in defence that lie was drinking at ■different hotels fidring the evening, ibut he called no witnesses to back up hie statement. He was committed for trial at the next session of the Supremo Court at Christchurch! / js