MURDEROUS ASSAULT AT MATAMATA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2083, 12 November 1885, Page 2

MURDEROUS ASSAULT AT MATAMATA.

Our correspondent .it Morriiis\ille, wiiting on Tuesday, «nyi:— "A mo-t cowardly affair happened to day on the lino. A gang of men were woiking about 18 mile-* from Monitisulle, and about 7 fiotn the Waitn.i budge, ulioh one young fellow named Matthias went to take a drink of water out of a billy, which it appeal-* belonged to a man named Hanlan. He had hardly got the billy to his lips when Hanlan, who had walked about 30ft. for tlie puipose, --tiuck him across the head with the nharp edge of hii shovel, knocking him down, and inflicting a Jeep wound from the temple to the tin oat. Hanlan was f-ccured by the gang, and the head ganger, C. McDonnell, went at once to the i ail way station at Matamata, about a mile distant, and w ith ' the aid of Air Firth's telephone, which has lately been erected to communicate with the iiulway, he wiied to tteigt.-Mnjoi Mc(ioM*rn to go to Morrhisville at once, and biing a doctor, if possible. Mr McDonnell then placed the wounded man and Ins assailant m a truck, and ran them into Morrinsvillo, where ho was met by Constable Wild and Di. Waddington. The doctoi pronounced it a seiious case, but, provided erysipelas did not set in, he thought the injuied man would tecover in ft week or two. Matthias, who is quite a young fellow, was a steady workman, and generally liked in camp. He is only . i recent ariival in the colony, and is well connected in Liverpool." Constable Wild arrested theoffendei, and bi ought him into Hamilton by yesterday's tiain. Tho prisoner is a young fellow, <i native of the North of Ii eland, and appears to be of a sullen di-position, though lie leadily answered any (juostiuiiit relatj\e to the locality of tho occurrence, iVc. Tlieio appean not to ha\e boon the slightest proMicatinn for the daatiiidly iiMsuult, The assulantwas jieifectly solmt and had had n<» dispute uithhis victim. Without the slightest warning ho t-ti nek him from bebehind with such force that tho wonder is he was not killed on tho spot. The telcjiam to .Set gt. -Major MdJnu-rn was only locpived a few minutes befoie the, departiuo of the train to Mori insville. It contained no intimation as to the natuie of the case, but Mr Mc<Jo\ern at once took btops to get the sei vices of a medical man. Dr IJeale was un,abloto go, but by a piece of good loituue Di Waddington was found, and he and tho Hoi gt,- Major readied tho station gato aa the train was starting. Olweivlng a xignal from Mi McGovern, with commendable promptitude tho di her shut off steam, and thus tho doctor wafc able to get on the train.