EXTRAORDINARY OUTRAGE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2662, 22 May 1894, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY OUTRAGE.

Invercargill, May 18. The tranquility which usually characterises Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, was disturbed on Thursday morning by the discovery that daring the night sundry depredations had been committed. Attempts had been made to enter several houses. Two large windows m Eicbardt’s Hotel had been broken, and Mcßride’s Hotel had been entered, and the beds and window sill in one ro un were found spotted with blood. Matters assumed a more serious aspect when it was known that the house of Mr George Mullis had been broken into, and his wife violently and indecently assaulted. About 2.30 a.m. Mr Mullis was awakened by his wife, who is in a delicate health. She told him that a man was in the room and that he had assaulted her. Mullis saw a man bolt through the open window. Blood was found upon the window blinds and on the bed clothing and on Mrs Mullis’s clothing. Mr Mullis apprised Constable Jones of tho occurrence. The two returned to the house and traced by spots of blood the course of tho assailant to Boynes’ jetty and on board the ketch Mystery. There they found a man named John Kern, well known in tho locality, in his bunk with his clothes on and traces of blood on his garments and hands. He stated that tho blood was,that of his mate, who was in his bunk. There was no one else in the craft ,so Constable Jones took Kern to tho lock-up, leaving Mr Mullis with his revolver to await tho arrival of Korn’s mate, a Gorman named Peter Klasky. lu a quarter of an hour Ivlasky appeared, and was bailed up by Mullis until the arrival of Constable J ones. His hands were found to bo badly cut and bleeding freely, and his clothes were saturated with blood. Tho two men wore charged before two Justices of the Peace with burglariously entering tho house of (Jourge d! nibs am! aUe.mpling to commit rape upon Grace Mullis, and were remanded until Monday next. Tho case i.-; pot regarded as serious against Kern, who states that lie was only helping his mate Jiomoj and that accounted for tho blood

upon his clothes. Klasky is a low-set German, of about 25 years of age, clean shaved. He had only been about a week on the ketch, and is thought to be a deserter from some vessel. Mr Mullis is slightly deaf; he did not hear his wife’s first outcry, and was awakened with difficulty to find her great in distress, her clothing and body being covered with blood. The German’s boot fits the footprints outside the window of Mr Mullis’s bedroom, and the had a marlingspike in his pocket. Kern had been drinking lately, and is violent when in his cups.