Serious Stabbing Affray.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3355, 7 November 1889, Page 2

Serious Stabbing Affray.

The Cbristchurch Telegraph gives , fuller particulars of the stabbing affair briefly published in bur teles graphic columns on Monday last. At ■ about two o'clock yesterday (Sunday) i moraing a serious altercation took i place near Wreaks and Collie's corn I 6toro, St Asaph street, betweon > George Duncan, a draper well-known r as a most respectable citizen, and a t man named John Thomas. Tho i result of the altercation is that l Thomm lies in the Cbristchurch ■ Hospital suffering from soveral stabs , about tho neck, and Duncan is , detained pending Thomas' recovery. > The assault was carried on in tho i presence of no witnesses, and there ; is ouly tho oath of one man agaiiißt the other. Neithor story tallies; but ■ from what can be gathered it would appear that there had been provoca--1 tion. How much, and by whom it i was first given, are questions whiclii can only be decided on more , complete evidence than thai which ; was forthcoming yesterday, Duncan is a married man, with a family, and visitors at Black and Beattie's shop in High-street will ' remomber him as one of the assistants behind the counter, Since he lelti that establishment he has been with Messrs E. Stiange and Co. Yesterday morning, shortly after one o'clock ho left home for Mr Botiningtoii's, chemist,to purchaso medicine for ona of his children who was suffering from croup, On his way he called at the White Horse Hotel, at the comer of Luam and Montreal street. Ho had a drink of brandy and soda. Tendered aLI nolo in payment, and recoived his change. In a small room, the light of which shone through the crovice between tho blind and tho window frame into the stroot, were three men, and Duncan joined two of them in throwing dice, The third, who was. Thomas, stood out until one occasi^ whon a shillling was put in for him, Duncan is slid to have lost a few shillings at this game, which was alternately " dry " and "wet," the latter meaning that the winner should " shout," and th& former that the winner pocketed the ■ pool. This throw, in which Thomas stood, appears to have been Duncan's last, lor after it he left the hotel and niado his way to Bonning- ' ton's to purchase the medicine, which was his object when he left his homo. While at tho door of the chemist's ho has accosted by Con- ■ stable O'Sullivan, to whom he reported that he had been assaulted by a man near Wreaks and Collie's store, in St. Asaph street. The man who had followed him from the White Horse, asked for a shilling, ■which Duncan refused to give to him. The man then struck him. A scuffle ensued, in which Duncan struck his opponent with a knife, and the latter ran away. Duncan had boon using the knife to cut «jfc tobacco. ' •

During the time Duncan was going from Wreaks' store to the ohemist's, his opponent, who turned out to be John Thomas, made his way to the Hospital, when, upon presenting himself, about 2 o'clock, ho was admitted, and, having told his story, was examined. It was [found ho had sustained a severe wound on the neck extending from the spine up to a line with the left ear abovo the collar, It was an inch and a half deep, and the instru-'' A menl used cut right to the bone, TP There were soveral other small cuts, and tha left ear was severed. Thomas

niuoli exhausted, Had the wound lioen a littlo longer it would havo roached the jugular vein. Thomas, in big statement, lays all tho blamo on Duncnn, whom ho could uot identify. His vorsion of the affair ia very different from that of Duncan as told very briefly to the coiißtable lie met at Donningtou's. Thomas alleges that lie met a man aud asked liim for a matoh, and was A. refused in knguago not at all polite, W Tho man also called him a—liar, and Thomas replied, " If you call mo that again I will bide you." Ho repeated the assertion and blows were exchanged. Then a moro serious scuffle ensued, in which Thomas was struck with a knife, and ho afterwards made his way to the Hospital, whoro he was attended to. Hospital authorities communicated with the police, and Chief Detective O'Connor who visited tho man, took his depositions, at about tho same time that Constable O'Snllivan and Duncan were in conversation in High street. A visit was made to tho scene during the courso of yesterday, and - tho appearance of the ground indicated that somo sort of a struggle had taken place. Tho instrument with which the wounds had boon ' inflicted, and which in the struggle had boon brokon, could not be found. Upon inquiry at tho Hospital last night we learned that there was every prospect ef Thomas recovering. Jhough ho lud lost much blood, ho 1 tlio Hospital'in timo for that attention which was necessary to him in his then exhausted condition. I