How a Larrikin came to his End.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7077, 24 February 1893, Page 2

How a Larrikin came to his End.

At half-past cine the other night Constable Spillane mot four young men escorting a young woman of ill-repute along Spring street towards Victoria street, Melbourne. They wore behaving boisterously, and knowing that the woman was being led away from her house, and not towards it as they represented, Spillane ordered her to leave them and go away by herself. The woman obeyed the order, and then tho young men became aggressive in their demeanour, and threatened the constable with personal violence. Spiilane went to get the assistance of a brother constable, whom he failed to find, and presently three Chinese ran up excitedly, and said ‘ Look out, lallikin say ’no kill you. Come along lane now." Tho Chinese had scarcely given their warning when the four men whom Spil nno had spoken to came up. Some parleying took place, in which a good deal of obscene and threatening language was in* duigsd in by members of the “ push,” and then, at a signal from one of their number, they placed themselves in fighting attitude, One was armed with a sling-shot, and another with a big bolt with a heavy buckle. As the latter made a strike at Spillane the constable crew bis baton and struck upwards at his arm. Tho blow (accordinglathe Argus) wa* a smart back-handed one, and brought hits to the kerbstone. He was rendered immediately unconscious His cowardly comrades, of course, made off. and Spillane conveyed the injured man to the hospital, where be died from fracture of the skull. The coroner, in summing up, laid it down that the constable was justified in acting as ho had dans in self defence, as the evidence showed that if ha had not struck deceased the latter would undoubtedly have killed him. The jury brought in a verdict of justifiable homicide, and the public will endorse the verdict. Tho constable behaved with considerable forbearance, aa well as bravery and firmness in doing hia duty, and when he was set upon by four assailants to cue ho was bound to defend himself.