STAB IN THE DARK

Evening Star, Issue 20076, 17 January 1929, Page 12

STAB IN THE DARK

COLOURED SEAMAN IN COURT PLEA OF HOT GUILTY REMAND GRANTED TILL JANUARY 23. j Evidence for (lie defence only was taken in the Police Court this morning, when Arnold Hinds, a coloured quartermaster of the liloc-ml'ontein, pleaded not guilty lo the charge of assaulting Norman Maitland Childs so as to cause him bodily harm. Mr J. R. Bartholomew. S.M., was on the bench; Detective-ser-geant Nnttal! conducted the prosecution; and Mr A. C. Hanlon appeared lor the accused.

Detccti vc-scrgca lit Nuttnll, in asking for a remand till January 23, stated (hat there were two witnesses from the steamer Mainma whom it would he necessary to call. The ship had sailed tor other New Zealand ports. Mr Hanlon said that the Bloemfontein «as expected to sail at 2 p.in., and it was only fair that the accused should have the benefit of most important evidence able to be given by another quar-ter-master and the second officer of the ship. The accused protested that he was innocent, and these two men could give evidence to support his story, Edwin Branch, quartermaster, stated that lie remembered some disturbance which had taken place on board tlio ship last Monday evening. Witness was on deck, and ho saw two men come on board at a quarter past S and say that they wished to see over the ship. The shorter of the two said ho was (ho fifth engineer of the Maimoa, but witness did not know who the other was. They told Hinds they wanted to see the' engine room. They passed through the engine room to the third engineer's room, and the third engineer gave them permission. Some time afterwards witness and Hinds were leaning over the rail of flic deck, and soon after that they hoard talking on the deck, Hinds leaving witness to sco what il was all about. Ho beard Hinds say io two men: ” It is alter hours; it is time to go ashore.” One of (hem said: " I want to sec the captain,” and Hinds told him he couldn’t. The captain was ashore. Hinds took this man by the neck of the coat and took him to the gangway, the other man walking over to witness and the third engineer. The second officer came up, and the visitor who was still on deck appealed lo him, stating that they had been ordered oil the ship. Witness and Hinds had had strict orders from the officers not lo allow anyonu on board. The visitor said lie would sec the captain the next day about it, and the second uflicer saitl " All right.' 1 The man went down the gangway, but started using abusive language to the second officer. At about this time about half a dozen other lellows (com the Maimoa came along the quay. The man shunted: out, hoys. This man calls liiniscll an Englishman. He is onlv a dago" (rclcrring to the second officer). A little later some of the men called out lo the second officer that a man on the wharl had been -tabbed. At that lime the men tlie gangway a little distance and jumped back on to 1 lie wharl again. The second officer would not allow any of (lie Blocmloiilcin’s crew to go down None of flic men on Hie wharl attempted to go up. Witness did not sec Hinds go down the gangway with the taller man. He saw no Unite in Hinds's hand either at that time or afterwards, and he saw no blood about Hinds or on the gangway or on the deck ol (lie ship. To Dctcclivc-sergcani Aid tall; Hinds relieved him at 8 o'clock. 'I he coloured man on hoard who laid the sticking plaster over one of his eyes was Hinds. Witness did not see the taller man again after he had got down to the wharf. He could not exactly say whether ho had been pushed down by accused or bad walked down. To Mr Hanlon: The men who came ii hoard bad been drinking, and very bad language was used. William Robert Cherry, second officer of tlie Bloemfontein, said (hat, while sitting on a settee in the saloon lu heaid hurried steps outside on the deck. On going out he saw Hinds at the top of the gangway, and the taller visitor uas ashore running across the wharl. Branch, the third engineer, and the other visitor came along the deck. Ihe visitor said lie was from the Maimoa, and appealed against being put oil the slop. Then Hinds came along, and said tLey had been causing trouble. Witness said: That’s good enough lor me. Beal it ashore.” Ihe man used verv bad language and warned Hinds to come down and light, a procedure which witness lor hade. Ho a iso asked witness lu light, but tins request also was re fused. Later a man came around Iron) the hack of the shed amt fell down on the wharf, appealing to witness to conic down lu his aid. Thinking it was a , ruse to gel his crew down to light the ulh.T crew, witness did not go. Up till then there had been no talk ol slabbing. There was neither knife nor blood on Hinds. He did nut know if the man who ran across the wharl bad been drinking, but the man on deck ccrtainlv had had liquor. To Mr Nuttnll; He did nut see the taller man on hoard that night, and did not see him being pul down the_ gangway by a member of his crew. 'I he remark which came from the wharf about a man being stabbed was made before the mail staggered trom behind the shed. Witness gave no assistance at all: he had no reason to believe the man had been stabbed, ami ho anticipated trontile from the men who were on ilia wharf. Witness did not ring the police. , It was anno.meed that tne Mamma was to sail from Napier on February 2. and a remand till January 23 was granted.