RAZOR SLASHING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 301, 20 December 1937, Page 8

RAZOR SLASHING.

YOUTH'S FACE CUT.

DARING ATTACK IN CITY.

ASSAILANT DISAPPEARS.

A razor slashing—the first in Auckland within the memory of police officers of long experience—was committed in Queen s Arcade, onlv a few feet from Queen Street entrance, at on Saturday night, when an apprentice, Colin Richard Honey, a S ed ltS " su "^' rt 'd a long gash on the !cit side of his /ace by a blade razor wielded by an unknown man who rail into Custom* Street and escaped. Ilie attack took place when there were many people in the vicinity, but it was made so quickly that it was not noticed by any of them. Honey, who lives at 41, Wellington Street, was with his cousin, Victor Stedman. another young man, who is employed at the Ponsonbv Post Office. They had been to a theatre and, on leaving before the performance had concluded. were followed out of the picture house by two men who wanted to fight them. An argument that started outside the theatre and was continued as the four men walked a few yards inside the entrance to the Queen's Arcade ended in Honey being slashed on the face with a razor.

The assailant and his companion both dashed through the arcade and disappeared along Customs Street. Meanwhile Honey was bleeding profusely and was taken to the St. John Ambulance Station in Rutland Street. After reporting the matter to the police he was able to go home. To-day he was at his work at a factory in Freeman's Bay, wearing sticking plaster over the wound on his face. White-handled Razor. Interviewed this morning, Honey gave his version of the affair. "Vic and I were sitting in front of two men at the pictures," he said, "and as we were standing up when about to leave, I received a push from one of the men behind. It was so strong that it nearly knocked me into the other row of seats. We walked outside and were followed by the two men, one of whom asked us to come and settle the matter in a b&ck street. I told this man that even if I had been in his road he might have asked me decently to sit down, but both of the men insisted on fighting us. I told them there was nothing to fight about. They kept on arguing with us as we walked down the street When we got just inside the Queen's Arcade the razor-slashing incident took place."

One of the men was standing on my left side. I noticed that he kept his right hand in his pocket, but did not think anything of that at the time. Suddenly I caught a glimpse of him witlj a razor—a white handled one—in his hand. He raised his hand and I stepped back, but I not quick enough to make him miss. He brought the blade downwards and it cut me from just below the left ear to a point level with my mouth. I was completely surprised, and for a moment did not realise what was happening. But I remember the same man making an attempt to slash Vie with the razor, and Vic knocking his hand down. Immediately this happened the two men Doited for their lives along the arcade. That was the last I saw of them. By this time the blood was gushing from the wound on my face, and I went to the ambulance station."

Honey added that both men were quite sober.

The wound on Honey's face is fairly deep, and will probably mark him for life.

Detectives are searching for the two men concerned in the attack, but so far no arrest has "been made.