AN ASSAULT CASE

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 142, 18 June 1919, Page 6

AN ASSAULT CASE

CHAK.GE OF CAUSING ACHLiL'

BODILY HAitM.

Li f-h'e SfitfifrtratoVi Court to-day. before MivVP. 6. K«3dell, S.M., Jcsfloh M. Gilfespie was charged with havwg caused aotnal bodily harm to Robert Ft Euttar on the 2nd' June. Mr. C. ,W- Nwfcan appeared for the aceostvd. Dr. Buckley, house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, said that Bailor ™» brought to the Hospital at 11.30 p.m., suffering from a dislocation of thft left bumerus. He would not be'able to resume work for some weeks.

Butler told the Court that he went home to Newtown on a tramcar on which accused was a passenger. He got off at John-street, and while going up that street he was knocked over by a blow on the chin, which sent him off the pavement. Whan ho got .up he saw Grillespie going away. Ho so.id to Gillespie: "What did you do that for? You have broken my arm." Since the affair he had, in the presence of the police, seen Gillespie at his house. Gillespie said: "What a pity it wasn't me that done it. I would do it now if they (the police) were away." The police said: "Evidently yon have something against this man. Gillespie said he had, and lie added that there was a procession in Willis-street some time before, and. that he had said to a friend: "You ca.ll yourself a Britisher, working with a Dutchman. All Dutchmen ought to be exterminated."

In cross-examination witness said he had not spoken to accused for years previous to the incident. Accused travelled with him on the tramcar, and glared at him in an offensive manner. He was certain that it was accused who struck him.

It was further given in evidence that when first spoken to by the police accused denied all knowledge of Butler or of the assault, but, on being confronted with Butler, said: "Oh, this mongrel. What a pity he didn't get killed." He denied that he had assaulted Butler, and then said: "I wish I had. If you (the police) go out of the way and let me, have him for five minutes I'll settle him. This mongrel told a man who told me that he would not work wilh a Dutchman, that any man who worked with a Dutchman ought to be ashamed of himself. What a pity it wasn't me. I wish it had been." When served with the summons accused said that complainant had made unpleasant remarks about his (accused's) mother.

Accused, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for trial, bail being fixed at one surety of £50.