MAN WOUNDED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 50, 17 July 1912, Page 5

MAN WOUNDED.

WOMAN CHARGED WITH STABBING.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Ji>ly 15. On the charge that on the evening'of Saturday a week back she had stabbed John Inkster (a lisherman) with a knife, Annie Monahan, a married woman, of about 37 years, appeared at the Police Court this morning. She pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector Hendry stated that aa altercation arose in a house in Alexandra street, between Inkstcr and Monahan (accused's husband) about the rooms in the house. The altercation ended in a scuffle between the two, in which they both came to the floor. It was alleged that then .Mrs. Monahan went and stabbed Inkster in the back of the thigh, and lie went out of the house and made a complaint, which resulted in his being taken to the police station, and then to the hospital. Next day accused was arrested after enquiries had been made, i and she suggested that Inkster had come by the wound as the result of falling on broken glass in the room. Dr. Abbott, who had attended Inkster at the hospital, stated that the wound was a clean eut on the outer back portion of the thigh, a little above the knee, about an inch long and an inch and a half deep, apparently inflicted by a pointed, and possibly sharp, instrument. Tlire were no indications of glass. The man would be three weeks yet in the hospital. The wound wag such as might have been caused by someone striking down with a pointed instrument while Inkster was on the ground, as had been stated.

Accused: More likely he did it with' one of his own knives while he wa6 try- . ing to get to my husband. 'John Inkster, who had to be carried " into court, said he resided usually in No. 93 Alexandra street, which he shared with Mr. and Mrs. Poltrich. He had the two upper rooms. The Poltrichs came on Friday of last weelc to stop in the house. Mr. and Mrs. Monahan went into the/ house also on Friday, and they complained about witness having too much of the house. On Saturday evening .witness went into Poltrich's part of the house, a front bedroom downstairs. There were present also Mrs. Poltrich, Mrs. Monahan and Monahan, and the trouble started over the rooms. Monahan caught hold of witness, and they had a struggle, in which both of them came to the floor. Witness was on top, and Mrs. Monahan went behind them, stabbed witness in the leg with some weapon, and thefi ran- and jumped into bed. Witness got up, saying "I'm stabbed," and went out into the street, where he met a man, who took him to the police station. At the time he was stabbed it was not possible for Monahan. or anyone else in the room but accused to have stabbed him. He and Monahan did not roll over after they fell on tol I the floor, and there was no broken glas» on the floor at the lime.

To accused : You stabbed me, and Wn jumped into bed. I didn't have a knife in my belt. I never carried one in my life." "i T ou had a knife in your hand, and did it yourself." "And you picked it up and ran out of the door." "No." "It's a lie; you did." Sergeant Murray and Constable Blake gave evidence as to Inkster's condition when he reached the police station. They also stated that when they visited the house in Alexandra street they found bloodstains in the room referred to by Inkster, but could find no pointed knife or instrument such as might have caused the wound; neither was there any broken glass in the room. Inkster himself liad no knife when he was taiten to the police station. This was the case for the prosecution. Accused, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded not guilty, and reserved her defence. J3he was committed to the Supreme Court for trihl, bail being allowed in two sureties of £SO each.