A Boarding House Trouble.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3534, 12 June 1890, Page 2

A Boarding House Trouble.

The Landlady .Assaulted.

In the E.M Court thia morning, before Messrs M..Giisrliierg and \V. H. Bnetiraiu, J.'s P., Eilward O'Keefe w'ns charged by Mrs;N. Gordon of the Avgyle boarding house with assaulting and unlawfully beating her on the lOih inst.

Defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr rWnsill appeared tor plaintiff, aud stated that tho assault was a most aggravated and cruel one, and ho would ask for tho extreme penalty allowed by law, Mis Gordon, sworn, stated she was koeper of the Agyle Boardinghouse. Had seen accused previously. He camo to her house on Monday night, and was there, on the following morning. Acousod had his tea on Tuesday evening ; she ordered him out of the kitchen. He then had his tea and asked for buttered toast, but the girl refused to give it him. He would not pay the girl & came along the passage. Witness met hira there and asked for his money. He refused to pay, and struck her over the back with a whip, He lifted it a second time to strike her. Sho was considerably bruised by the blow. He did not strike her the second time. She at onto toll him to go, when ho paid her aud left, ftivo accused no reason to strike her. Accused dared her to tako liini into Court,

Accused: Didn't you grasp the whip out of my hand? Witness: No. Accused: You took the whip from me and then I paid you. ' ■ Witness: I did not take the \yhip from yon. The Bench: Did defendant stay in your house 1 * Witness; He stayed on Monday night aud paid for it.

The Bench; When he struck you was ho the worse for liquor ? Witness: Oh yes,' he was drunk,

Istliol Gordon, daughter of the prosecutrix, deposed that she had soeu accused ou Monday night, Saw him also on the afternoon of Tuesday, when he came for his ton, and wanted it in the kitchen, Was uskuit to go into the dining room, which he did, and had his tea. He asked for bread aud butter toast, and us be could not get it he lelt tho room. Tl)e waitress asked him to pay, but he would not. _ Tho Bench: Do you know why he did not pay 1 . Witness: Because he could not get bread and butter toast,

Witness, continuing, stated that accused went down the passage, and when her mother asked him for payment he struck her with a whin, Ho was about to strike her again, when she took the whip. Her mother then showed him the quickoat way ouUf tho house, and, (10 then left, oa!lin/r her a bad name.

To the Bench: Wa< in the pvi<ge when accused struck her mother, Maud weary, employed at the Argyle - Boarding'jouse as waitress, stated that she saw accused on Monday night. Ije had bis breaMast at tho bouse on the following morn ing, and came for his tea at night. He asked her for buttered-toast,"bu't she told him he could not got it, Accused' was drunk at llietiuje, ■ He would not pay for his tea, and when asked by Mrs Gordon he refused. Ho then rose a stock whip and struck her on the shoulder.' When leaving ho used abusive language to Mrs Gordon,

Accused : When I refused to pay you in the dining-room you did not follow me to tho passage, Witness: I did; you paid me, Accused: What made me stay in the kitchon; it is not very inviting for anyone to stay in 2

'Air Pownall: Th it's enough, jou need nof add ipsult to .injury. Accused: What induced me to raise tho whip to Mrs Gordon ? To this question thtro was no reply. - Accused: Was Mrs Gordon alright when she took the whip from mv hand ? Witness: She was.

Accused stated that ho went'iito tne boarding house on Monday night, under the impression that Mr MoOoll was keeping it. He. went in to tea on Tuesday night, and he found Mrs Gordon qui'e incapable, • She rushed at him in the passage,' and cqllared his whip, Sjie asked for p'ayraont for hu tea, and lie gave, hey ti shilljn». The Bench; Were you drunk at the time! .'

Accused: rlo, J was pot drunk, I take very little drink. Mr Pownaji; Did you' not send a lawyer to try and square tj|e matter 1 Acoiii-ed; 1 did not; j went toi Mrs Gordon and tried to settle the affair.

Mr PownalJ.:Do you know Mn Skipper? Accused: I do j bufc'l'jjid not know he was a Inwyey. Jho Ben ill were of opinion that an assault was coipmittetl, but that it was not a yiojent #. A (jno of $1 and posts pr 48 Wit! JRiprisonmept would bo Inflicted,; , Tho accused was allowed time in which to find the amount. ':