SERIOUS ASSAULT ON THE POLICE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 3, 18 November 1862, Page 2

SERIOUS ASSAULT ON THE POLICE.

Information was received in town on Friday night that an offence of this nature had been committed about 50 miles from Invercargill. It appears that on the morning of that day Mr. Charles Tibbets, runholder, w»s in company with a man named Coppiiger, in the neighborhood of the Hofcanui Police Station, both of them more or less under the influence of drink. When in front of the police station, a quarrel took place between Tibbets and Coppinger, and eventually the}' fought. Mounted Constable Quirk, of the Otago police lorce, came up and endeavored to separate them. Th&y^de-^ sisted, and_ Coppimrer thejr'li?hunted his horse and rocfe on^tmT're turned in a short time, and after abusing both Tibbets and the trooper, who repeatedly cautioned him, he struck the latter several times on the head and face with a loaded stock whip handle, cutting his temple severely. Mounted Constable Bird, of the Southland force, the trooper in charge of the llokanui Police Station, returned at the time and wished to take Coppinyer in charge, but Quirke thought it best, seeing that both Tibbets and Coppinger were drunk, to have them arrested under a warrant.

Constable Quirke came into town on Friday night, and on Saturday morning left with a warrant for the apprehension of both the men. He was accompanied by Mounted Constables Taylor and Blatch. Such is the information the police afford, and, from what we learn from other sources, the affair is likely to prove v rather serious one.