Alleged Attempt to Harder.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43113, 4 July 1907, Page 2

Alleged Attempt to Harder.

ACCUSED COMMITS SNICIDE.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

A sensational development has occurred in connection with the i hirge of the alleged attempted murder of Edward Bissetat Opuawhanga, on July Ist, pre ferred against Mervyn Karl Bradshaw at the Whangarei Police Court on Tue« day. Bradshaw was placed on board the steamer Aupouri at Whangarei on Tuesday in charge of Constable Wade, and on the arrival of the vessel at Auckland on Wednesday morning, it was learned that the accused was missing. In a footnote to the passengers list, the chief steward of the Aupouri thus curtly reports the affair:—“A prisoner named Bradshaw was received on board at Whangarei; not landed at Auckland ; supposed to have been lost overboard.” The Aupouri, it appears had an exceptionally r®ugh passage, meeting with a strong south-easterly wind and heavy seas, which delayed her considerably, the trip occupy twenty-two hours in place of eight, the ordinary run. The steamer sailed from Marsden Point at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Constable Wade and his travelled in the steerage, and all went well until about six o’clock Wednesday morning, when Bradshaw told the officer that he wanted to go to the lavatory on deck. Permission was given and the two men walked to the companion way. Bradshaw ascended on the deolf first closely followed' by the constable So soon as he reached the deck, Bradshaw, in the words of one of the crew, bolted, He ran aft, and was seen by the cooks in the galley. Immediately afterwardsjthe constable came running along anti made for the lwatory, when he discovered to his chagrin that the prisoner was not there. The prisoner got a good sfart by run ning along the deck before the constable had quite reached the top of the companion, and was lost to sight during the latter part of the chase, the deck houses hampering the constable’s view. The cooks rushed out to the constable, and, pointing aft, told him that the prisoner had gona in that direction. They all rushed to the stern but no trace of the missing man was to be found. The ship was searched without-avail, and the conclusion was come to that when te went aft Bradshaw jumped into the sea and was drowned.

On the arrival of the steamer at Auckland the disappearance of the prisoner was reported to the police. A policeman was placed on watch alongside the steamer as a precautionary measure in case Bradshaw may have concealed limself on board with the intention of escaping on the arrival of the steamer at Auckland. Shortly afterwards a batch of policeman visited the steamer, when another search was made, but, as before, the missing man was not found. 1 WHANGAREI, Wednesday. A Whangarei tradesman who travelled to Auckland in the same boat as conveyed Bradshaw, who was on remand charged with attempted murder at Opuawhanga, has wired that Bradshaw j umped over* board et Point Rodney. Further particulars of the alleged attempt to murder Mr Allen Edward Bissett, by a man named Mervyn Colin Bradshaw, are now available. Bradshaw was working at hfj: Bissett’s flax-inil|i on Monday afternoon, and left the mjll apparently to obtain more material. He met Bisset returning with on empty waggon across a paddock* On arrh iig at the crossing of the stream, Mr Biesett pulled up and jumped cut of the waggon. Bradshaw, it is alleged, then immediately drew a sheath knife, and, rushing at Bissett, stabbed him in the left side, using the fall length of the blade, and again plunged the knife into Bissett’s back and arm, inflicting severe wounds. These was apparently no provocation for the deed- Mr Aldred afrived on the scene just too ‘ late to protect Mr Bissett, but he witnessed the assault and immediately grappled with Bradshaw, who, it is alleged attempted to use his knife on Aldred, but his attempt was warded off. Aldred, after wresting the knife from Bradshaw, attended to Mr Bissett, who was l)ipg on the ground, severely woundecL Further help W ftS obtained, and the wounded man was conveyed to Mr Aldred’s house. Constable Cahill and Dr. Ross, of Hikurangi, were sent for. Both proceeded immediately to the scene. Dr Ross attended to Mr Bissett, and Constable Cahill proceeded to Bradshaw’s house, and arrested him without resistance. It is stated that the prisoner had secreted a razor in his pocket, which the constable secured. Bradshaw is about 23 years old. He appeared quite collected during the sitting pf the court. Constable Wade states that tpth he and the prisoner were nearly prostrated with sickness during the night, in common with most of the others on board. Several times he had accompanied Bradshaw to the corridor apd about halfpast six this morning, the prisoner suddenly started np again, and with the exclamation “ i must go up again on deck,” dashed out. The constable fol lowed as fast as his condition would permit, and just caught a glimpse of th 3 other man making for the deckhouse, but he then lost sight of him. A moment or two later, assistant steward Cairns said I e saw the prisoner hurrying aft, and a diligent search was made iq that part of the ship, without, however, any result, and it was finally concluded that . the unhappy map had thrown himself I overboard- I

The vessel was then in the vicinity of Rodney Point at the time, although some distance off the land. A glance at the raging sea was sufficient to preclude any reasonable likelihood of a man living in it to reach the shore, the captain expressing the opinion that no man could possibly live in such a sea for two minutes. '