THREE CHARGES OF ASSAULT

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 16, 20 January 1916, Page 4

THREE CHARGES OF ASSAULT

ACCUSED SENT FOR TRIAL.

. James Cook, a man of big build, was charged before Mr., D. ,G. A. Cooper, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon with assaulting, early on Christmas morning, so as to cause actual bodily harm, Henry Wilkinson and his two sons, Henry and William. The occurrence is alleged to have taken place in Jew's boarding-house, Lambton-quay. The charges were indictable, and accused was represented by Mr. H. F. O'Leary. Dr. Henry stated that the injuries inflicted were severe, but not serious. Henry Wilkinson, a, waterside worker, said that - early on Christmas morning he heard somebody in the room occupied by his two eons. He called out "Who's there?" and somebody said "Come and have a drink." After a time witness got out of > bed, and went into the other room, and said to accused: "What are you doing in here? ' Trying to lead my boys astray?" Accused replied: "What's that you say?" Witness said: "Well, it looks like it, drinking beer in their room at, this-hour." After, further altercation, witness went back to his room, and got into bed. Later, accused broke down the door, and came in, and hit Wilkinson with the heavy bhckle which was attached -to a leather - belt. The two. sons appeared on the scene, and accused attacked them all with the belt, hitting them severe blows about the head. Both sons were completely knocked out, ' and witnes himself became unconscious owing to the loss of blood.

To Mr. O'Leary: Witness did not call accused a "scab. There was no other reason for the assault except that witness had suggested accused was leading his boys- astray. He did not see his son Wjlliam strike accused. Henry Wilkinson, junior, said he saw accused in his' father's room, and he saw the latter struck by accused with the buckle of, a leaf her belt. The two sons put Cook out of the room, but later they saw him hammering at the door with the buckle. Witness received a blow which knocked him out. • ■ ■

William Wilkinson said that he. was going to bed just after midnight when Cook went to his room and invited him to .have a drink. Witness refused, and tried to induce accused to leave, but the latter declined to do so. Then witness's father was aroused, and he induced Cook to leave. A little later Cook went io his father's room, but was put out of that also. Cook then knocked at the door with the buckle on the_ belt, smashing the panels and forcing it open. Witness himself was stunned with a blow from the buckle, and he did not see his father attacked.

To Mr. O'Leary:, Witness was not fond of fighting, but he admitted that, last October, he was convicted of assaulting a man named M'Laughiin in Jew's Boardinghouse. It was not true that witness first.struck accused,

- John, Hamill, who shared a room with Cook, heard the.latter say that he wanted satisfaction, and that he would demand an apology. Cook seemed very excited, and witness thought he was. dangerously so. " "I was hiding," said witness, "and 'I heard^ Mr. Wilkinson call out, 'Murder!'.. 'Police !' and 'Help !' I thought Cook might have turned on me.'

To Mr. O'Leary: Before he took the belt from the room accused had received a blow on the face, and the,cut caused was bleeding freely. He did not know that the Wilkinsons were a- fighting family, but he knew that William- wanted to,fight .him on one occasion.

Sergt. Wade also gave' evidence. To all the charges accused pleaded not guilty, and. he was committed to the Supreme ' Court fqr trial. Bail was reduced, to "one surety of £40 .