BIRKENHEAD AFFRAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 73, 26 March 1923, Page 7

BIRKENHEAD AFFRAY.

TWO FARMERS HURT. DISPUTE OVER A DEBT. As the result of information that a I farmer at Glenfield, a small farming settlement at the back of Birkenhead, had been shot in the head on Friday evening. Constable Biddick hastened to the residence of Dominic J. Walls on Saturday morning, and found that there had been trouble between Walls and a neighbour, Charles E. Flower. Walls had a wound over the left eye, which required the attention of Dr. Meikle. Later Senior Detective Cummings and two other detectives arrived on the scene, having received word from Flower that an assault had been made on him, and they found that he had some fairly painful wounds on the head. Walls alleged that on calling at Flower's place to get a settlement of accounts in respect to some wood sold, he had been threatened with a gun, and received his injury in trying to wrest the weapon away from Flower. Evidence of a struggle having taken place was plentiful, but the circumstances and the nature of the wounds justified doubts about a gun having been fired. A pearifle found at Flower's house was seized, and after having statements from both parties the police decided to have the affair ventilated in court by way of summons charges against both men. The case is set down for hearing on Wednesday.