STABBING AFFRAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 33, 8 February 1929, Page 8

STABBING AFFRAY.

ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE

SEAMAN ACQUITTED

FLAT DENIAL OF GUILT

(By Telegraph.— Press Association.»

DUNEDIN, Thursday

After ten minutes' retirement the jury to-day found Arnold Hinds not guilty on charges of attempted murder and assault. Hinds is a coloured native of the West Indies, and a British subject. The charges arose out of an incident on the wharf in which a taxi driver. Norman Maitland Childs, was wounded by a knife being plunged into his chest. Dr. Ernest Edward Butler said Childs was admitted to hospital at 10.15 p.m. on January 14. He was in a shocked condition and had an incised wound about two inches long on the left side of his chest. The wound had penetrated the lung. Detective Robert Lean gave evidence of the arrest of accused on January 15. Inquiries were made on the Bloenifontein and Maimoa, and into incidents in the cabin of the Maimoa from Dinky-Di.

His Honor: That seems to be authoritative. (Laughter.) Accused said he came from the Barhadoes. He did not have a knife in his possession. He was not allowed to carry a knife, as steel affected the magnet of the compass. He had never been ashore until lie was taken off the vessel by the police. Addressing the jury, Mr. Justice Adams said Childs was called on the telephone to take six bottles of beer to a ship, and in company with six other men he consumed liquor on the Maimoa. After returning to the rank he was called to the* Maimoa by a man named Tamlin. When the taxi was passing the Bloemfontein a discussion arose as to the driving screws of ships and Tamlin and Childs went on to the vessel and were allowed to pass to inspect her engineroom. The time was after 9 p.m. Accused, who was quartermaster on the ißloemfontein, stated to the police that he did not see any strange men on board except at 8.30 p.m., an hour previous to the time Childs and Tamlin said they were on the ship. Accused warned theni against being on the vessel. The men

said they were engineers on the Maimoa and they went down into the engineroom. Mr. Adams, for the Crown,°had admitted that there were some improbabilities in the statement. It was accused's duty to see that men did not go down into the engine room and stay down there for an hour. Child's state*ment detailing the altercation was read. He said Hinds rushed him and be felt a knife going into his chest. He called out to Hinds, ''You have used a knife.'" The statements of accused and Taralin were al>o read. It was for the jurv to say whether there was corroboration ofI the stories of either accused or Childs.