WAITARA NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 175, 23 January 1914, Page 6

WAITARA NEWS.

AWAKIXO ASSAULT CASK. ; (From Our Own Correspondent I. i Al- llii' Magistrate's Court on Wediien/uay, before -Mr. A. Crooke, 5..\1., licit Junes was charged, on the information , ul Kdward WaUhe, with assault and | using 1 language calculated to prmokc a breach ul' tlic peace. Mr. ap- ' peared for plainti!V anil Mr. Johnstone I lor defendant, who pleaded not guilty I in both cases. I ji I'laintill' gave evidence that defeiid'ant was a boarder at his house oil December l:j last. Was filling with others in the Isitting-ruoni when lu: heard noises from one of the bedrooms. 1 Did not take any notice, believing tin: I'.row would cease, but as it continued lie Vweili to defendant's room and asked the 'cause. Defendant .said, "Oct out of my loom. There is no row here." Defendant pushed him out of the door into tile passage very violently and then slammed tlu: door. lie again went into the room and saw another man. Krne-t I'arr. sitting 011 tlu: bed. Defendant aiiain used violence, striking witness on the mouth, knocking out a tooth ami cutting his lip ami used most filthy ,111111 disgusting language, which could Mie heard all over* the house, also eaten- ■ iii«f I""' by ■ the board with one hand and punching his head. A man named O'Sullivan then interfered and pulled defendant oil', Defendant followed him again, endeavoring to strike him. and I bad language was used the whole time. Witness' wife and soil came into the I sitting room anil heard defendant use ■ more vile language, llis son grasped ■ defendant and took him to bis room. ■ > ■) ones again came back to the sitting- • room and again struck him, continuing i to use vile language. Witness after- ■ wards managed to get hold of a poker. , and when defendant saw lie could de- ; fend himself lie went out by the front , door. Some few nights afterward- when ■ j passing defendant on the" road. Jones | said: "1 have had a piece out of Hilly 1 and I will have a piece out of you, you : ['old h ." The nearest police station > 'to Mokau. four miles , sr.iw.w. The constable was away in II Wellington at the time of the as-anll. 1 '.lit age was tit), and was now afraid to I / go out of a night owing to defendant's - I threats.

To Mr. Johnstone: Defendant had livuil with him for two years, his employer payiujf his lion I'd ami lodging. Defend--■;tlit had thrown him out once before, pt'i'hajis twelve months ago. Had put one man out of the house for n~i ity .'ilthv language., Had also put another • man out of the house. Had mil been 'separated irom thrashing his wife ami 'daughter. A rouj»h .class of hoarder {•ataycd out of the house, Witness euuld not swear that liis wife used the broom 'i'or his daughter him him. Never liil ' witli tli« poker, as lie cleared | • out when ho picked it up. ,| V 0. \V. O'Sullivun deposed to having i been in plaintill"s boardinghoiise when j | tile disturbance occurred. After some ; i'lioise had occurred at the end of tlic ! l' passage plaintiff and defendant came injto the sitting-room. They were scuf- ) llin;,'. defendant having hold of and I 'striking at idaintifl'. Eventually defetulaut look hold ot' plaintiff by the whiskers. Using very obscene language dur- . ing the whole time. Then thought it I time to interfere, and scpurated them. 1 'Mrs. Waislie. mid plaintitfs son vamc on ' the scene, the hitter getting defendant to his room, but he came back. Plaiutilf was then clear of the trouble, but defendant again struck Walshe, alter which Walshe picked up a poker, and ' defendant cleared out. i • To -Mr. Johnstone: When defendant I first came into the sitting-room lie had blood on his forehead. Had language - was not unusual in the King Cuumry, hut did not hear inucli in Walshe'.-, house. To his Worship: Did not see Walshe strike Jones. William Walshe, son of llie plainlill'. , gave corroborative evidence. [ IJei't 11. Jones, defendant, admitted . being a boarder at Walshe's for nearly L two years. His room was used as ail , oflice. and two men, Condon and I'arr, came to the room on business prior to going to a dame. They were laughing and joking, but nothing more, when Walshe came in and asked what the disturbance was. Told tlioin there was ■no disturbance, and that he had no right to come into the room without knocking. Shut the door, but it was i again immediately opeijed and plaiutill' struck hint in tile face. They scull'led to the sitting-room, when Mrs. Walshe, iliss Walshe and ill', and .Mrs. W. Walshe set on to Jiim. Subsequently WaUhe struck him with a poker, rendering him unconscious.

. to Mr. Quilliam: My employer (Mr. Carrington) paid Walshe over CIOO a year for hoard and stabling'. l,el't the boardinghouse on the night of the row. Culled plaintiff "a dirty Irish 1> "on account of hip conduct. John Condon and E. Parr gave corroborative evidence. Fred. Carrington gave evidence as to having seen Jones after the row. when he was in a very bad way, bleeding profusely. His Worship said the evidence was so contradictory that he would have to dismiss the case..