DAWKINS CASE

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1922, Page 7

DAWKINS CASE

HEARING OR EVIDENCE

ACCUSED ANSWERS TJVENIX-NINE

CHARGES

'ASSAULT .OF DR., M'EVEDY.

ASSAILANT EXPRESSES KEGBETi

After a' series of remands, to enable the polic© to collect necessary evidence, Charles Campbell Dawkins, the young University, student, •whose arrest in Christchurch some time back Caused a sensation in Wellington, where be was, - well known, came before the .Magistrate's Court to-day, to answer twenty-" nine informations, chargin^Eim withi having opmmitted indictable offences: Twenty-eight of the charges allege, thati he had been carrying out extensive operations as a housebreaker from the end of July to the end .of . No-, vember of last year, and. there! is a further allegation" that he was the perpetrator of the assault on Dr. P. F. M'Evedy; on the night pf 29 th November last. When Dawkins, a small man, wearing, a brown suit, entered the box, there was a large, attendance of the public at the rear of the Court. , Dawkms ' wore- a somewhat dejected air during the hearing of the evidence against him, only : occasionally giving any indication'of iaterest in the proceedings. ■ . ■■• The exhibits are contained in a tin trunk and an attache case, and include many articles of jewellery, post offico boxes/ tennis rackets, and ever, two Kelbui'n Tramway ticket*. There are over sixty witnesses. After detailing th© number of charges, Chief-Detective Kemp said that he had: agreed; with Mr. W. Perry, who appeared on behalf of the accused, that/, they should be taken together, Mr. Peiry said that Dawkins intendedi to plead guilty to all the charges. . THE CHARGES DETAILED. The charge against • Dawkins in respect to the assault . was.. as follows : "That on 29th November, 1921, at Wellington, with intent to do' grievous bodily harm to Patrick Francis M'ES-.edy, he did actual bodily harm to1 the said; M'Evedy" ' . " V;' Following is a summary of'the"breaking and entering charges, the date, householder, house., and value of articles alleged to have been taken being given in that order:.— „ ..,'.,'.'. 28th November, 1921; James ' HenryLuke , 16, Levy-street; intent: to commit theft. 27th November; Edward W. Jackson, 3, Harrison-street; £11. ' . ' .. ;, 27th November; May Carmichael, 10, Bruce-avenue; £2. ■ .., .„/ 25th November; Leonard Hoggard',;6B, Raroa-road; £10. . .' . i . 18th November; John D. Ritchie, 244, The Terrace; £13 9s. ■■',■■■: •'-. 17th. November; William N. Townsend, Hataitai-road; £28. „, S. ■.....' 17th November; George T. Jeffrey, 49, Hohiria-road; £16. 12th November; Ellen G. Burns; £6 0» 9d (property of Bosetta E. Boyle). 7th November; Hyman Eadousky,-26, Ohiro-road; £20. •■ ' '■'. '■"'.'.... 2nd November; Arthur R.. Meek,. 10, Mairi-road; £20.. .'■'■■■■■. -31st October; Manus Fredericksen-,-6, Grafton-road; £17 9s 6d. ■

27th. October; John Myers,l7B',' The Terrace; £82 10s. 26th October; Joseph P. Thompson, Maiiuroad, Ngaio; £138 10s. . ... I 25th October; Sophia Jane Fuiness, 5, Bixon-street; 30s. 2Sth October: George Dyer, 53, Devonstreet ; £27. 6s. 18th October,;' William F. Chambers, 68, Waipapa-road; £25. ".'.." . ;- 10th October; William R. Bock, 115, Hataitai-road; £90. Ist October; Charles J. Thornton, 32, M'Farlane-street; £32 10s. Ist October; Barbara M'Leod, 1, Ken-nedy-street ; £23 -ISs. " 20th September; Madeline Metcalfe; £9 ss. " 19th September; Joseph. Downes, 11, Palmer-street; £15. . .. : 28th September; William H. Millwaid, 15, Talavera-terrace; £5. 10th September (at Auckland);. Charles Ogle, Hamilton-road; £46 ss. ■ ■ 3rd September (at Auckland); Phillip John Skeates, Marine-parade; £25. 11th August; May Carmiehael; Ms (property of Vera Ferguson) and £10 (property of -May Carmfchaelj. sth August; Edward Puttick, 48, Mac-, farlane-street; £95,. Srd August; Eleen Jennings; £141 12s 6d (property of Ellen Jennings) and .£65. i 10s (property of Ethel Lewis). 31st July; V. B. Portman;' £25 10s ( (property of Portman) and £2 (property of Francis Mary Lafferty). , I DETAILS OF THE ASSAULT. The case' against Dawkins of having, I assaulted ■ Dr. M'Evedy was taken first. I Dr. Patrick Francis M'Evedy, residing at 15S, Willis-street, said that' on. 29111' I November he left his surgery about 8.15 I o'clock in the evening and proceeded to his house at the rear. When in the..act of returning to the surgery ■ some, ten; minutes later, he heard. the door between the garage and the., small,, dispensary close, and he came'to'the "conclusion, that there was somebody going ' into the surgery. He listened for 'a moment,, and then made up his mind to go through the garage and switch on .the lights. Just as he stepped inside the motor gate a flash,of light, appeared in front of his eyes,, and the next thing he remembered he was lying on his back .. against the garage dool1. He' had been struck a violent blow on the head. Before he war struck he did not see anybody, ■ but as he came to he saw some-

body scrambling- over the street .gate. Witness immediately rushed to the motorgate and called out for the police..as,he was running. Just as he- reached"the gate a figure, walking quietly, passed on the way up Willis-stoeet." He secured a good view of the man. v lt was tho. I accused. The man then glanted up and down' the'street, and bolted for. Dixonstreet. Some people in the vicinity tried to intercept the accused, who had disappeared round the corner of Bixqnstreet, however, before witness reached the street. Shortly afterwards two.men returned with a bag. As the result1 of the blow witness received, he was confined to hjs home for two weeks,,.and still experienced headaches. On 28th, December witness -dentified accused at. the Christchurch police'station, SERIOUS INJURIES. ' ' - Dr. E. G. Anderson, who carries oiv.a practice at 166, Willis-street, said that on the night of the assault he was called, to Dr. M'Evedy's surgery. He found" Dr. (M'Evedy bleeding profusely; front; the nose and two wounds in the - head.. Examination revealed a wound aboiit !£■: inches in length, above the left eye. The' wounds in hi? opinion had been caused.1 by a blunt, heavy instrument,,. .'vary.'. I likely by a revolver (produced). .'.Thd'. wounds were of a very dangerous^ na*; ture, and witness was worried for a day or two as to whether serious, complications would set in or not. To Mr. Perry : Apart from persistent' headaches, he did not anticipate any further serious trouble as a result of the wounds. . „;.,.. ... ! DAWKINS MAKES A STATEMENT. Plain-clothes Constable Johu -.Huni; said on 29th November, he received in-*' structions to go to Dr. M'Evedy's sur--1 gary, aud he arrived there about 8.50

pint. He. received a bag, containing a revolver, 'a sheath knife, and file, and some stockings.* The revolver wtis. fully loaded. "On 27th January last witness explained to the accused the venture of the present charge, and tho accused made a statement. In this. Dawkins aaid that on the night of 29th November he visited Dr. MTSvedy's surgery to see if-he. could ftnd anything he could take. .'"While .1 was in the surgery," the accused-continued, "I heard someone outside,, and I thought I was going to "be caught tliere. I commenced to leave the premises and as I did bo I caught sight of someone outside listening. It -was a man, but I did not know who he was. He was preparing to strike a-match. The thought flashed through my mind to stun him and escape I pulled the loaded revolver oiit of the hand-bag and moved quickly towards .the" man; and struck him with tli£ revolver. ... I wkh to say that "•when I saw the man at the surgery I bad no idea that he was Dr. M'Evedy. I "jhave no grievance against the doctor. He is the only man I have ever injured, ■arid it is an act I have regretted even mpro.than anything else." 'X DETECTIVE'S EVIDENCE. . •Detective-Sergeant A. E. Andrews, giving evidence regarding the breaking 1 and entering charges, said that on 28th ' December last, in company with Detective Hunt, he too'z possession of a box containing jewellery and other property "ini'tho room occupied T>y the accused at No. 9, Terrace Gardens. On 21st January last he received a quantity of articles from the Christchurch police. Both lots of,!property were shown to the accused, ,who admitted that they -were the proceeds of house-breaking. On 27th~SJanuary last he explained the charges to the accused, and the latter made a statement. On Ist February the accused made a further statement, and these two statements covered the various Wellington charges. On 27th January 'the accused made a statement regarding two charges of house-breaking committed in Auckland, and on 3rd February he made another statement concerning property sold by him in Christchurch. Dawkins, ■in v his statement, admitted having ■ entered variqus ho.usiis. In each instance, lie'said, he broke into the houses before 9 o'clock at night. He had not sold any property in Wellington, but had gold some'in Christchurch, and had pawned two rings in Dunedin. The accused had further admitted that he hail sold a quantity of jewellery to Stewart, Dawson's,' Christchurch. The total value of the stolen articles was approximately . £900, of."7which amount £§|50 worth had been recovered. In all the effects found the police had traced three revolvers of heavy calibre and 49 rounds of ammunition to fit two of the revolvers.

At this stage Mr. Perry said that he desired to ask Detective-Sergeant Andrews some questions, and also desired to/ : put Dawkins in the box to get his answers to certain questions included in the depositions. . : .

The Magistrate (Mr. W. G. Riddell) adjourned the case till the afternoon.

Besuming his evidence this afternoon, Detective-Sergeant Andrews was crossexamined by Mr. Perry, and said that a good deal of stolen property that had been recovered in the last farv months could not be identified. Accused had begn straightforward in his explanations and had done/ everything; possible to connect up the various charges. It could not be said definitely-that £350 .worth of.property was not accounted for, as some of the estimates' might have been rattier, high. . Mr. Perry indicated to the Court ihat defendant disputed one of the charges, in Telation'to Carmiehael's at Brooklyn. It was suggested that either the charge should.be withdrawn, or that it should be dismissed because a priraa facie case had not been made out. Dawkins said that he did not break into the house on thelltK August. ' ' i The Chief-Detective agreed to withdraw the charge. DAWKINS GIVES EVIDENCE.

Called by Mr. Pewy, Dawkins entered the witness-box, and said, he was 25 years of age. At the time Dr. M'Evedy was struck the revolver he had in 'his possession was loaded, and had been loaded by himself when ne had obtained it some months previously. He had never fired it,- although he had intended to try at. "I never carried it on any previous job on which I was engaged, said accused,; ' ivho ■ admitted that lie had two other revolvers in his possession. The day he struck Dr. M'Evedy he had been cleaning out his wardrobe, and after he returned his goods he found that he had misplaced ihis keys. 'For that reason, lie put the revolver in a handrbag. When he went out he took the bag with him as it was. He had not used either of the. other, .two revolvers and did not tako them to Christchurch. From Mr. Myers' 6 house he took twq bottles oi -whisky, but he was a non:drinker and supposed he "took the bottles just foi .the'i sake .'of- taking them." When hfc 'entered Miss'Metca-lfe's place on The Terrace he had no idea that any Victoria College students lived there. For grime time past he had suffered from dizziness in the head arid gastric trouble. •He^was on active service for two year*. '.To the Chief-Detective: Of the thres revolvers traced to his possession, tho ammunition he had/fitted two. He had no idealthe revolver was in the bag when he ■set Sift ;the, night Dr. M'Evedy was assaulted. He could not explain why 'he .stole thb, revolvers, and lie did not recollect thafc.'he had a. revolver until he , -was cornered by Dr. M'Evedy. That was the only explanation he could give for.using the revolver on the doctor. The dheath knife he carried was for prisl.ng open windows. The stockings in! the bag he wore on his feet when he was in a house. For five months he had been in the trenches on Gallipoli Peninsula, and was invadided to Egypt. He Jeft the Peninsula, having been bombed at' Quiim's' Post. .' In addition, ho also suffered general debility and gastric trembler;/He went away with the Third Jteinforeeihents." "■'."' "■' '■ '. ■COMMITTED FOPv SENTENCE. Accused, pleaded guilty, and was committed, to the Supreme Court for sentence. His Worship ordered the return of .all'the stolen property to the respective owners.

In the coJi'Se of. his address on war gTaves at Christcliurch, the Rev. M. MnlImeux said that it had .often been asked whether photographs of graves in Franco , and Belgium could be procured for those who were not next of kin, and in reply lie.' wished" to say that he would -be " pleased to,take photographs for anybody, i whether next of kin or not, and, if he < were provided with the namo of the cemetery, the plot, the row, and the ! number of the grave, he would undertake to supply tho photograph within a few weeks of his - return to Eranee. There ■was" no fixed charge for doing so, but a donation to. the St. Barnabas hostels would be welcomed. Last year he had ' taken 841 such photograv>hs and had to travel 7000 miles to do so. Those who knew" the country would understand what that involved. Hearing was continued in the Supreme C'ouTt to-day by Mr. Justice Hosking in 'the-trial of "John Neil, charged with hay- • ing"assaulted and. caused actually bodily (harm to. John..Barrett, at Wellington. The. caso;;was concerned with ' trouble 'between Neil and Barrett at the Tramway I'ower-houseY' where they were employed as firemen. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey conducted the'case for the Crown, and Mr. ■O. A. L. Treadwell appeared for the Uiiaonto, w"ho 'had ip\ea<ied not guilty. ;