THE DUNEDIN CHRISTMAS EVE TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 16, 19 January 1894, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN CHRISTMAS EVE TRAGEDY.

KAUFNER AND DOBSON COM

MITTED FOR TRIAL.

(BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Dunedin, thia day. Katjfner and Dobson, who were arrested on suspicion of having been the men who cau?ed the death of a cab proprietor named Mudge, by stabbiug him in the street on Christmas Eve, have been committed for trial. It is by no means easy to get at the exact particulars of the case from the evidence of the different witnesses at the inquest, but this much appears clear that Mudge was stabbed by one or two men on Christmas Eve, when interfering to protect his nephew who had been attacked and wounded before him. The statement of the nephew, Charles Ashton, at the inquest, was that on Christmas Eve as he was going home he saw two men attacking a man named Donaldson. He interfered and one of the men then turned on him. After a slight encounter, which does not seem to have been much more than a sparring match, Ashton's opponent and his mate walked away, evidently bearing no drudge. Ashton then continued on his way home, and wad shortly afterwards joined by his uncie. They had not been walking together very long, when two men suddenly sprang out on them, one saying "This in him," aud Ashton received a blow on the head and a atab in the leg and wrist. The stick, Ashton aver?, was held by the accused Dobson. He had just time to tell his uncle that he was wounded before ho became unconscious. A man named David Cuddio who resides opposite the spot where the affray occurred, declared that he paw Aaliton come up the streeb with his uncle, the murdered man. At the same time he saw two othor men go to meet them. One wast a foreigner, and the other an Englishman. He heard the Englishman exclaim, "Here are the now." The next thing this witness beard was a voice, presumably that of Mudge, cry out, " You have stabbed my nephew!" or, "Would you atab my nephew !" A scuffle ensued and several other men joined the group. He heard someone call aloud to look out for knives, and shortly afterwards saw Mudge leaning against a fence evidently wounded. While irTthisposition Mudge exclaimed, "I'm done for. The German has stabbed me. The two men who have been committed for trial were arrested the same evening, but cbere was no opportunity of ascertaining from Mudge whether either of them had stabbed him, as he died of his injuries very soon after he was attacked. Both the accused had knives in their possession when arrested. Dobson'a had fresh blood stains on it, and he admitted that he had subbod a man, but declared he had done so in self-defettee. At present there Beem3 to be no one who can actually swear to seeing either of the accused strike the blow. Probably at the trial further evidence to elucidate the aflair will be forthcoming.