EXTRAORDINARY STABBING CASE. Melbourne, December 18th.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 330, 2 January 1889, Page 5

EXTRAORDINARY STABBING CASE. Melbourne, December 18th.

The Kutherglen Police Court was crowded to day at the hearing of a charge of arson against a well-known grazier named I«aac Olcorn ior setting tire lo the dwellinshonse of a farmer named Seymour, there beiug a second charge ot having set fire to Seymour's paddocks. Defendant was committed for trial, and was admitted to heavy bail. Just as the case had concluded, Wm. Emms and .Fat. Cockburn were standing together. Cockburn, who has a strong animosity against Emm 1 ?, spat in his face, and Emms knocked Cockburn down. Both men were brought before the bench. Emms refused to go into the dock with Cockburn, baying he was afraid of his life. Both men were placed in the dock. The Bench, after hearing the evidence, fined Cockburn £1, or seven days, and Emms 5& or three days. Immediately the decision was given Cockburn stooped down and made a spring at Emms, and stabbed him in the region of the. heart •with a butcher's sticking knife. lie would have repeated tho blow, but was prevented by Sergeant Strahan, who seized him. The crowd became very excited, and would have torn Cockburn to pieces, but they were prevented by the police. Emms was premoved. The doctor who examined him stated that the knife penetrated over four inches, and reached to within a fraction of the heart, and only the fact of the knife striking a rib prevented instantaneous death. Cockburn had previously threatened to shoot Emms. The town was in a ferment of excitement.