RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

West Coast Times, Issue 648, 22 October 1867, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before G. G. Fitzgerald, Esq., R.M.) Monday, October 21. Dbunk a«nd Incapable. — Thos. .Tones, Patrick Casey, Charles Meade, Robert Careful, and Daniel Brown, were each iiued 10s, with tho alternative of four and twenty hours' imprisonment. Dbunk and Disordebly. — Joseph Mulligan was fined Ll, or in default eight and forty hours' imprisonment. 13 beacji of Police Obdinance. — Jossio Walker aud Kate Murray, for fuiious riding in Resell street, on the 13!h of Optobor, ( were each fined L 2, with^josts. BttffAOJT"6*F PCBLIC-HOUSE OfIDINANCK. — James G. Godhard and John tlnder-

hill, for neglecting to keep a light burning over the bar door of their respective hotels (the European and British Hotels) were each fined LI, with costs. Breach of Police Oedinance. — John Burko, for encroaching upon the limits of a public thoroughfare, viz , Hampden street, by erecting a fence thereon, wa3 fined Ll with costs. Assault. — Philip Reutz was charged, on the information of John Conner, with assaulting him on the 14th inst. Mr Rees appeared for the defendant. Tho charge, which was a very frivolous one, was dismissed by his Worship. Labceny. — Anthony Noble was charged with stealing a prayer-book of the value of 265, the property of Florence de Yore. Mr Roes appeared for the prisoner. — The evidence was conclusive, and the prisoner was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Assault with Intent to do Gbievous Bodily Ha.bji. — Anthony Noble, on remand from tho 12lh inst., was brought up charged with this offence. — Margaret lluddy was called, and deposed that she was the wife of William Ruddy. They resided at the Big Paddock. On the 9th of October witness left Hokitika about three o'clock, to return home. Shortly after witness had left the terminus of the Hau Hau Tramway she observed the prisoner walking ahead of her. She returned to Hokitika, and left again to return home after making a stay of about a quarter of an hour. Witness had not proceeded far up the line when she again met the prisoner. Witness called in at tho Halfway House. About twenty minutes after she had left the Halfway House, afc a place known as the first cutting, the witness put down three parcels she was carrying to tuck up her dress. She heard footsteps approaching, and on looking round saw the prisoner coming towards her from the direction of Hokitika. He carried a bundle of " supple-jacks " under his arm. Witness Avas standing on one side .of the line facing the cutting, with her back towards the prisoner. Prisoner came up to her, and struck her on the left side of the head with the " supple-jacks " he was carrying. The first blow knocked her down, and whilst she was on the ground he struck her three blows on the head. Witness screamed out for help, and a man who was cutting wood on the hill close by came to her assistance, as soon as prisoner heard the man answer the witness he ran away. Witness then got up and told the man what had occurred, and described the prisoner to him. He went off in search of prisoner. Two other men came up, and assisted her | .home. Witness felt very weak, in conse- j quencc of having lost a quantity of blood, and would not have been able to have got home had ifc not been for their assistance. Dr Toting ivas called in. Witness was confined to her bed for bix days, in consequence of the injuries she had received at the hands of the prisoner. It was between twenty minutes and half-past four when the assault was committed. To the best of witness's recollection she had never seen the prisoner before that day. He did not speak to witness before he struck her ; he did not say a word. On the 16th of October prisoner was brought to her l.oasc by detective Browne, and witness identified prisoner to be the person who committed the assault upon her. Cross-examined by prisoner — Prisoner was dressed in tho suit he new wears. Witness's husband was with prisoner when he was brought to the house on the 16th instant. Her husband came in before the detective, and prisoner. Witness saw prisoner some distance off coming towards the house, and identified him at once. Sho remarked j there was no necessity for him to be brought any nearer. — Re-examined by police. — One of the parcels witness carried contained a dress, the second some white calico, and the other a pair of hoots. — John Cameron, being called, deposed that on the 9th of October he was cutting , wood on the Hau Hau Tramway, within two hundred yards of,- the first cutting, and about a quarter of a mile from the Halfway House. About a quarter past five, or thereabouts, he heard screams of a woman. He went but of the bush, and saw the lasfc witness walking down the line. She was covered with, blood. &he held up her hand when sho paw witness and called to him to come to her assistance. Wihiess asked her '' who had done tliafc ?" She replied, a dark man, dressed in grey clothes, came up behind her in the cutting, and struck her two or three limes on the head with a stick. Witness told her to remain where she was, and ho would look about. Witness vrent up tho line in the direction he had seen prosecutrix coming from, but did not sea anybody. Two other men shortly afterwards camo up. The proseeufcrix, being recalled, identified the ,bonnefc produced to be tho one she wore on the 9th insfc., when she was assaulfced.^ The stains were caused by the blood from the wound inflicted by the prisoner. Daniel James Young deposed that ho was a duly qualified medical practitioner. He was called in to attend Mrs Ruddy, on the morning of tho 11th inst. Witness found her confined to her bed, and in a very weak and exhausted state. Her hair was matted with blood. She had three wounds on the head, one was extensive, being over one inch long, with a cross wound, about half an inch long. That wound wan on the back part of the top of tho head. On tho left side there nre two other smaller wounds. They were about t, in. long ; one of them was on the back parb of the head, the other on tho top. The two latter were not deep wounds. The wounds were such as would bo inflicted by a limber thin stick. Thoy did not appear to have been caused by a fall. A " supplejack" would inflict similar wounds as those described by witness. — Charles Robert Glass, being sn'orn, deposed that he was a driver on the Hau Hau tramway. On the 9th of October, the witness drove the truck that left the Hokitika station at four o'clock. On the way up, he saw prisoner about three minutes' walk on this side of what is called tho " Half-way Station." Prisoner was on foot. He was standing just off the line. He had some " supplejacks" iv his hand, and was dressed as he I ii 1 } at present ;' witness also saw Mrs i lluddy on tho line that day; she was ' about 100 or 150 yards ahead of prisoner. When '« witness passed her sho was walking. Witness is confident prisouer 13 the man ho saw. It was between four and five o'clock when he passed him. To the best of his recollection he had never seen the prisouer before. Reginald Fane, proprietor of the Havelock Hotel, was called — but his evidence was unimportant. Prisoner— after the usual caution had been given him by the bench-stated that he did not wish to make any statement at present. His worship committed the prisoner to take his trial at the ensuing criminal sittings o' # the Coutf, to be holden at Hokitika. Bail to be taken— prisoner in L2OO, and two sureties in LIOO each. The Court was adjourned till 11 o clock noxt day.