FATAL STABBING AFFRAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 2 January 1903, Page 5

FATAL STABBING AFFRAY.

A QUARREL AT A RESTAURANT.

A fatal stabbing affray occurred at Walker Bros.', . restaurant, in Park* street, 'Sydney, on December 24th, Thomas Moss, employed as a donkeyman, being so severely wounded that he within ! twelve hours. A cook named John Coyne, who is alleged to have inflicted the wound, has been arrested.

The affair appears to have occurred shortly before 7 a.m. According to the dying depositions- of the injured man, taken at the Sydney Hospital, Coyne, whom he knew by the name of' Carroll,, arrived at work under the influence of liquor. Shortly afterwards he commenced cutting some meat at a table in the kitchen, and as Moss was throwing some wood from the 16ft for the stove the accused began to swear at him and call him names. He took no notice, however, : and went to a table to cut some parsley. Coyne, he. alleges, followed him, still calling him names, and Moss told him that the best thing he could do was to go back to his work. He then continued cutting the paraley, but as soon as he turned his back the accused hit him on the back of the head with his clenched fist. Moss dropped the knife he was using and hit Coyne with his fist "somewhere about the neck." A struggle ensued, and whilst they were clenched in each other's arms Moss alleges that the other man stabbed him, and, seeing what he had done, exclaimed, "Oh, let me pull the knife out."

As soon as the knife was taken from his body Moss fell to the ground exhausted, and he was carried into another room, where the injury was temporarily dressed, and he was afterwards removed to the hospital.

An examination showed that the wound was a most extensive one, the knife, which had a blade about nine inches long, having almost completely embedded itself.

The accused was present whilst Mloss' depositions were taken, and he showed signs of great emotion, anc| several times exclaimed, "We were always the best of friends, and are now. The man fell on the knife. He knows he did." Before leaving the hospital Coyne asked the injured man if he thought he Really intended to do him injury, and he said, "Yes, I do. You drove the knife right into me." The accused then asked him if he would forgive him, and he replied, "No, I can't." . '

Later in the day the accused was charged at the Central Police Court with wounding Thomas Moss with intent, and on the application of the police was remanded, bail being refused.