THE STABBING AFFRAY.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 291, 14 June 1907, Page 4

THE STABBING AFFRAY.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL On resuming at the Feilding Court yesterday, in the case of Rex v. Apostoles Repteles, M. A. Conway deposed: On the morning of the sth inst. two men with fish called at my house at Cheltenham, about 7 to 8 o'clock, but no fish was purchased; both men are in the Court now ; one of the men (Rapteles) was walking, and Gambitsis was driving a fishcartjl heard the men talking loudly outside my bedroom window, outside the end of the house; they did not remain long — only a short time ; I saw the cart go past my window, Gambitsis driving; llapteles was walking, close to the cart; I went to another window to see if they had closed the gate; I saw Rapteles running in my paddock; I did not see Gambitsis; I saw the covered-in cart drive away in the direction of Kimbolton; the man was running towards the road, looking at the cart; I cannot say if the running man had anything in his hand; I cannot say whether or not the men had their coats on or off; I think it was about three minutes from the time I saw Repteles till the cart went up the road; the distance -is, roughly speaking, ten chains; I saw Sergeant Bowden at my front gate on Bth June, when he took some measurements. By Mr Carty: Repteles was at my house about a minute before Gambitsis ; I do not know who spoke first ; Gambitsis usually drives to the place he drove to on this particular occasion; if either of the parties had been carrying the knife (produced) I think I would have noticed it; I noticed Repteles was carrying a bundle of fish; as the men walked along the drive I did not see the distance between them increase or decrease; I could see them for only a chain or so; there was nothing to prevent the man driving the cart from getting to the gate before the man walking; the running man was on the left of the drive from my house; if he Were chasing Gambitsis he would have to clear a fence, or come back and go through the gate; Gambitsis' cart was at this time a chain from the gate, on the outside ; I heard no cries as of any one being hurtj I cannot say whether Gambitsis was hurrying his horse or not; there was nothing to lead me to suppose a man's arm was cut or stabbed; I could not see the man in the cart; the last time I saw Repteles he was running from the drive, and I saw him stop, but did not see him after that. By the Bench: The two men seemed to be excited when they were talking; Gambitsis frequently calls at my place; Repteles could carry the fish and a knife in one hand, and I would not notice it. Sergeant Bowden deposed: At 3 p.m. on the sth of the present month I met the accused driving towards Feilding in a spring cart; it was near the reservoir on Kimboltonroad; when accused drove up to me I asked him if he knew Gambitsis, and he said that he did; he further said, "He came up to the house when I sell fish this morning, and \ye have a fight; he hit me with a big bar of iron;" I said, "Gambitsis says he struck you with a stick;" accused replied, " He hurt my shoulder with the iron;" I asked him to show me where he was hurt; he seemed reluctant, and I asked him if he knew me; I was in plain clothes; he said he did not know me, and I told him I was Sergeant of Police, and was inquiring into the trouble between him and Gambitsis; he then opened his coat and vest and shirt, and also removed the muffler from his neck ; it was the left shoulder he laid bare ; I carefully examined the shoulder, and could see no mark or injury whatever to think he had been struck by an iron bar; I called Mr Andrews off the cab 1 had gone in, and asked him to carefully examine Repteles' .shoulder; he said he could find' no mark whatever; he told Hepteles he could see no mark there ; under the accused's left jaw there was an abrasion about the size of my thumb nail, which did not appear of recent origin; I asked Repteles if he had a knife, and he said, "No, Sir, search me," holding up his hands; I asked him if he had a knife in his care, and he said yes, his fish-knife, and handed me the one produced; I said, "Do you know if Gambitsis is injured?" he said he did not know; I said, "He is stabbed in his arm, and says you did it with a big knife," he replied. "No, he did that himself;" he did not complain of receiving any injury except to his left shoulder; he said, "1 told him not to come to any house where I was selling fish to spoil the «j*lco; llu handkerchief, coat, singlet, and stick (produced) were handed to me by Gambitsis on sth inst., the handkerchief was wound round the arm at the time. By Mr Carty: My notes were all written an hour of the conversation with accused ; I did not examine the man's sides — only the shoulder; Gambitsis' brother was with me at the time; accused was quite frank in giving answers. W. W. Andrews corroborated the evidence of Sergt. Bowden. By Mr Carty: I am quite sure I heard used the words: "We had a fight," Mr Carty submitted there wa3 no case for defence, and it was not a case which should go to a higher Court. He was proceeding to say there was animosity between the rival firms. The Bench interrupted, and said they did not care if there was animosity. The question was whether accused inflicted the wound or not. Mr Carty argued the wound would have bled at once, and there was no blood on the man's singlet near the out. Counsel suggested Gambitsis made the mark on his arm, to work up a case against accused. Sergt. Bowden submitted a prinia facie case had been made out, and put in the '.'Criminal Code" to show what a wound was. The Bench retired to consider the matter. On returning, the Bench said it was their duty to say if a prima facie case had been made. Gambitsis' evidence was largely corroborated by that of Conway. They considered a prima facie had been made out. Accused was committed for trial, at the Palmerston Sessions, on 10th September. I Sergt. Bowden asked for the cas^l to go to Wanganui, as ho had be^^^J instructed by his Inspector^J^^^^H Bench, on the applJci^^^jj^^^^^H solicitor, sen^^^djj^^^^^^^^^^H Bail Wf^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H bwo^MJ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H