BRUTAL ASSAULT

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 80, 28 December 1928, Page 10

BRUTAL ASSAULT

TWO MEN ATTACKED BY FOUR OTHERS TENNIS PLAYER INJURED Dominion Special Service. Auckland, December 27. A brutal assault by four men in a motor-car upon two visitors to Auckland near the entrance to the Ellerslie racecourse in the early hours of this morning was responsible for the default of Mr. A. W. Smithson, of Canterbury, in the men’s singles of the New Zealand lawn tennis championship meeting to-day. He was one of the victims of the assault, and is suffering from shock and bruises. Mr. K. Welsh, of Hamilton, received a bad cut on the head and is also suffering from shock. Smithson and Welsh were walking home when a motor pulled up near them. The car contained four men, who appeared to be under the influence of liquor. One man asked the visitors to jump in and have a drink. They refused, however, and thereupon the men in the ear jumped out and began to attack them wildly. Smithson and Welsh managed to get free and ran through the entrance to the racecourse towards the house of Mr. A. C. Hill, the racecourse manager. Welsh was apparently overtaken, and was struck by one of the assailants, and when falling, he struck his head on a kerbing. At this stage, the assailants evidently realised they had gone too far, as they made off. The visitors managed to reach Mr. Hill’s house, and Mr. Hill rendered first aid. Later, the victims of the assault were able to proceed home.