NOCTURNAL ENCOUNTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 52, 19 July 1912, Page 5

NOCTURNAL ENCOUNTER.

AND AN ARREST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, July 17. It will be remembered that three weeks ago, 011 the night of Tuesday, June 25, Alfred J. Roberts, who keeps a stationer's shop and billiard saloon on the Manukau road, opposite the tram barn at Epsom, was struck down by an unknown assailant as he was going, about eleven o'clock, from his saloon to his house at the back of the section. On that occasion Mr. Roberts was struck on the head with a piece of two-by-two timber, and dazed, though not rendered unconscious. He raised an outcry, and his assailant ran away, but Roberts had a good look at the man in the moonlight. It has been presumed that the intention of the assailant was to rob Mr. Roberts of his night's takings in the billiard saloon. Two nights after this occurrence Paul Eugene Scrim, on a burglary charge, was arrested at his house, which is five minutes' walk from Roberts's saloon. While Serim was in custody at the Courthouse, Roberts was taken to where a fairly considerable number of prisoners were together, and he at once picked out Serim as his assailant. This, and other evidence, resulted in Serim being charged at the Police Court this morning with assaulting Roberts so as to cause diim actual bodily harm. The hearing of the charge was adjourned till Wednesday next.