A CHRISTCHURCH ASSAULT CASE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10185, 25 December 1895, Page 3

A CHRISTCHURCH ASSAULT CASE.

(BY TBI.EG>BA£H.) • CBrlstchurch, Tuesday. At the Magistrate's Court this morning, Dr. Da Rena, T. D. 1 Haiman (solicitor), Richard Brown. (bone-setter, late dresser at the hospital), and Alfred Reynolds (hairdresser) were Charged with asaahltiog Richard D. Thomas (solicitor). In hie opening, statement counsel for the prosecutor said that on the 17th instant Thomas reseived a telephone message to attend at Haiman's office, He went roand and found defendants there. Dr. De Renzl said he Wanted to ask .Thomas what had beeo said about him at the meeting of the Hospital Board-, Thomas declined to Bay, and tnrned to leave the office, when JDr De'Renil 8a1d..." N0, yoa don't. Yon said I ought) to be proseonted. Pat np yont hands." Thomas replied that he heft a weak heart,' and was physically unfit to fight. Harmon did not interfere. Dr De Renal then palled np his shirt sleeves, and struck Thomas in the face, knocking him against a window. Thomas then got oat. of the room. A -letter was . received from Hannah stating . that \he was no party \rb the fracas, and that it all happened bo suddenly that he could not interfere. Reynolds was asked by Brown to go to the office to witness a signature! The first wltneeß. stated that Dr> De Rep El had told him that Thomas had been making slanderous statements about -him at the Hospital Boaid, and asked the latter to repeat them before witnesses, so that he (De Renzl) would he able to clear hla oharacter. That was the reason the others were in the room. Thomas was in the room only about ten minutes. A witness named Conway stated that Thomas pat np his hands to defend himself, but that De ReHzi broke down his guard and punched Thomas in the eye. Harman then caught Dr. De Renzl round the waist and pulled him away. After the assault was over -Thomas said his heart was affected, and that he was unable to defend himself. Thomas did not appeal to Herman to allow him to leave the room, and no person other than Dr. De Renzi prevented Thomas from leaving the room. Witness nnderstood that the reason for. bringing Thomas to Herman's office was to ask him to repeat the statements made by him at the meet* ing of the Hospital Board,