A WILD NIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1922, Page 4

A WILD NIGHT.

SCENE IN A BOARDING-HOUSE MAN THROWN IN A CREEK. ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, Last Night. At the Supreme Court to-day Herbert Holgate, Alfred Glover, Leonard Grundy and Richard Daly were charged with attempting to murder William Thirwell Routledge, at Kopaki, on March 18. They were also charged with assaulting him with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and with assaulting him. The latter three chargee were also preferred against them in relation to James Courtney, who came to Routledge’s assistance when the latter was allegedly brutally assaulted by the four men. Evidence was given by Routledge, who was a ranger for the Acclimatisation Society on the particular day that he went to the Kopaki bush settlement, below Te Kuiti and asked for a room at a boarding house and he was given al shakedown in the smoke room. Just before tea the prisoners asked Routledge to have a drink, but he refused. They then apparently mistook him for a police spy and later on discussed, his occupation. After he had gone to bed he was awakened by smashing crockery and dragged out of bed, and the prisoners severely assaulted him. He ran away, but they overtook and severely handled him. again, afterwards dragging him by the feet to a creek and throwing him in, apparently intending to finish him. The cold water revived him somewhat, and when they had gone he crept out of the stream into the scrub. While lying there he heard the men return and what they said indicated that they intended to finish him. He remained quiet, and after they left again he managed to make his way as far as a settler’s hut« The men were not drunk, although they were under the influence of liquor. Holgate was leader of the gang and wai largely responsible for urging them to do what they did. James Courtney, who went to Routledge’s assistance, was also handled very severely, and.had he not, had sense enough to agree to tell the police that he had a fight with Routledge he would probably have lost his life. Routledge said that during the assault Holgate urged the others to kill him. When hiding in the scrub after escaping from the creek he heard one man remark: “Oh, well, he will be dead by this time, anyway.” Courtney gave evidence that when ha interfered on Routiedge’s behalf he wm

severely ill-treated, and later, when asked what they had done with Routledge, he was again knocked down, and Glover said: “We will cut his —— throat; I’ve got a stumpy pocket knife somewhere.” Glover searched his pocket, but coTild not find the knife. Witness eventually got. away by promising that if interrogated by the police he would say he had a fight with Daly. Later Grundy got witness down again and said he would choke him. Glover said: “Just say the word and I’ll take him away and cut hie throat.” The case is proceeding. It is creating much interest, the Court being crowded. '