VIOLENT ASSAULT AND ROBBERY.

Evening Star, Issue 7474, 19 March 1888, Page 2

VIOLENT ASSAULT AND ROBBERY.

A dastardly assault, with robbery, waa committed in Crawford street on Saturday afternoon. A young man named William Slattery had during the day been drinking with two other young fellows, named James Charles M'Grath and George Anderson, and about six o’clock they went together down Jetty street and along Crawford street by the side of the railway line. When they had reached a quiet spot Slattery was assaulted by his two companions, one of whom struck him a violent blow on the left temple with a soda-water or gin bottle. The blow felled Slattery to the ground, and he waa at the same time badly cut about the bead by the broken glass. The two assailants followed up their first proceedings by pinning their victim on the ground and endeavoring to rifle his pockets; but, though badly injured, he managed to keep possession of bis purse, and all that the men were able to take from him was the sum of 17s6d in silver. What further might have resulted it is hard to say, but at this juncture an alarm waa given by a female servant in the New Zealand Restaurant who had seen the whole affair from a window in the back of those premises. A number of people soon reached the scene, and though the two ruffians escaped for a time their description was se clearly given that the police had no trouble in finding out who they were, and both were arrested during the evening. They were brought up at the Police Court this morning, and, as will be seen from our report, have been remanded till Wednesday, the complainant being in a very weak state through loss of blood, and therefore unable to attend the court.

FULLER DETAILS.

From what we have been able to gather concerning the affair it appears that Slattery, who is only seventeen years of age, had just come from the country with a view of going to Melbourne this week. M'Grath was an acquaintance of his, but be bad never seen Anderson before. Slattery, though visiting an hotel in company with the prisoners, did not get intoxicated, as he is not given to drinking; but he got sick through smoking. On leaving the hotel the prisoners, under the pretext of taking him to the railway station by a near cut, decoyed him down into Bond street, where Slattery became so sick that he got into a dray standing ona vacantsection between that street and Crawford street, in order to lie down. Anderson said he would go and get something to cure him, and went away, leaving him in M'Grath's company, and returning shortly with a bottle of gin, Slattery wonld not drink as much of the gin as they seemingly wished him to do in order to reduce him to unconsciousness, and they therefore proceeded to more effective measures. One of them struck him with his clenched fist a heavy blow on the jaw, and the other followed up by dealing him a tremendous blow on the head with the gin bottle, smashing the bottle and seriously wounding Slattery, The latter immediately guessed that his assailants meant to rob him, and had sufficient presence of mind to pull his purse, which contained about LI S, out of his pocket and hold it in his hand while he resisted the joint attack. The assailants apparently did not notice this manoeuvre of Slattery, for they proceeded to rifle his pockets, but had secured no more than the loose silver already mentioned when the alarm was given, and they had to decamp. The blows were dealt while Slattery was in the dray, as is evidenced by the fragments of the bottle and a quantity of blood being found in it; but the robbers were seen to drag him out of the vehicle and commit the robbery while he was on the ground. M'Grath and Anderson evidently knew that Slattery had money on him, for the first-named bad daring the afternoon asked Slattery to lend him L2, in reply to which request Slattery gave him L 3. When Anderson was arrested a quantity of blood was found on his clothes, which he was totally unable to account for.