TRAGIC ADVENTURE OF A PHYSICIAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 245, 10 March 1888, Page 8

TRAGIC ADVENTURE OF A PHYSICIAN.

Telkguams published in the London "Standard," from its Madrid correspondent, givo the details of a tragic occurrence which occurred in Cordova on Sunday, December Bth. Dr. Middolton, who was travelling in Spain as the medical attendant of Lord Deramore, had arrived with his 1 lordship and the latter's brother and nephew at Cordova. On Sunday afternoon he left tho I otel to go to the post office. On the way he met a gipsy lad, who volunteered to bo hi 3 guide to the belfry tower of the cathedral. Soon after they ascended shots were heard, and the Englishman came down alone, his clothes bearing marks of blood. He went and reported himself to the British Vice-Consul, and then returned to the hotel, where the police arrested him. Meanwhile, tho police had discovered in the tower of tho cathedral the dead body of the gipsy. Dr. Middelton has made a declaration to Mr Poole, the British Consul at Cordova, in which he states that he had begun to descend the narrow winding staircase of the tower, followed by his gipsy guide, a man named Heredia, when suddenly the latter threw one arm round the deponent's neck, nearly throttling him, whilst with the other hand he took two dollars from his pockets and wrenched his stick away ; whereupon Dr. Middelton drew his revolver and fired twice behind him. The gipsy loosed his hold on receiving the second bullet, which passed through his body. Tho first shot struck him in the lower jaw. Tho dead thief still held in his hand the stick and the dollars when the judge and police appeared unon the scene. The fact* of the case (adds the correspondent) are so clear, and the antecedents of Heredia are so notoriously bad, that, even in the absence of witnesses of the affray, Dr. Middelton ia sure to be released, on tho ground that he acted in self-defence. All the Madrid papers admit that this must be the result.