REVOLVER AND KNIFE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 145, 4 June 1913, Page 5

REVOLVER AND KNIFE.

ALLEGED ASSAULT. At the Hastings Court this morn ing. Iw'fore '.I:. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., John Mlti -i Smit h was charged on remand with assnnlting I- I* Bloxsome by pointing a loaded revolver at. him on May 24th. Accused was also charged under the Crimes Act with that on the same date he attempted to dincharge a. weapon loaded with destructive material at F. H. Blox some. Accused was represented by Mr. E. J. W. Hallet.t. and pleaded not guilty. Francis Henry Bloxsome, wool Inner, resulirig in Railway road, gave evidence that at about. 6.3 J p.m. on Saturday, May 2-lth, aecns cd came to his house ami mot wit ne *s* wife at tiie brick door. He enquired for witness, and he (Blox some) was calk'd by his wife. When lie came over to accused, witness heard his wife say. ‘'Hello ‘Yorky,’ come in and have some tea.” Accused said he did not. want, any tea, but. was hard up ami wanted sonm money. He asked witness for £l. 'Witness asked accused what use £1 wo:i 1 d b e 1 <"> him f<* i' on e m,t 11 it. A< ■ d replied tliai that had nothing to do with v>itncss. arid he was tilled to the ntimcy ;im.i would hnv** it. Accnsed r.fer) <-d to *’■ >ine J»re vio u s bus in es s t. ra n s aclions, saying witness promised him £l. Wit ties.said In* might liave givi'ii him a Al i f 11 e ha d asked in a difl e rent in a n no. Smith (hen notted. witness :<■ come out li'it" a paddock, and drawing a revolver pointed it nt witness. He said “If this (the re vol ver) won't do. tliis will,” ntio produced a knife. Tried to persitado Smith and then seized hold of him. .ireused said “It is m>t loaded. Il is (l iih -it is only a bit of a lark. Wdi: l>e good friends again.” Wil mos held accused till he put. tin* revolver in his pocket A police const-ihie had been sent for in ■td.ie meantime, and on arrival look Smith a way. Witness did not <"»«’•■ accused any money Accmmd had l.cen out will: witness ovensionaLy, and alleged that some wool tliat wit tiers had paid for was not correctly weighed, and the £1 rel'orrcd to * y accused was asked for by him. oth *rwii;e he would toll witness’ clients. To .Mr. Ila'lrnt : Smith hnd nm asked for the £1 previous to ti'ic • ■■■. i ;img ot May 2-lth. \\ itness di i not ask Smith what (lie- £! was owing for. and did not know that Smith was claiming a pound from him until the evening in question. Did not cousidtr he owed accused £l. Accused mentioned two rr three stations. Turn bull’s, <1 Kereru, as one, wliere he alleged witness had used false weights in weighing wool lie purchased. Accu.i cd had been working lor witness for £1 per week-and tucker. There wtv-i never a question of commission bo tween vvitness and accused. Witness did not lose his temper when nmis :*d a.'-k: d for Hte pound, but put his hand mi (Smith's shon’der and tol.i him to get out. Witness had a loot temper, and it gut him into- trouble I when lie assaulted a. man some time ago. Tire man was taken to a hos pit id with a broken ril>. In the court proceedings which ensued, wil ne s s w; i s ac<j 11 i 1.1 ed. Al >o u t iw ■ > years ago witness caught hold < f accused in lhe Grand Hot.el. Smilh had sent a. letter to witness in widen he stated thril. ho (Bloxsome) owed liirri £s<) for wages. Saw Smilli : n the hotel and asked him if what he said in the letter was true. iSmit’i said he did no I. know what was m the ’ettc-r. Witness said lo lib".

"For two pins I'd jam it down your throat.” Did not know that Smith carr i c (1 a re v<>l v e r wh e n travo 11 i n g through the country. ami did not., know why lie should do so. Knew lie carried a .sheath knife. Could not say if accused was intoxu U I when he came io witness’ la me lie was nearly always in a muddled run dition from drink. Further cross examined by Mr. Hai’.ett .witness said lie had q.'dwii to accused since lie was arrested. Told him he was sorry lie was in trouble, but said it. was not si together his (witness’) fault. Sag g'sted to Smith that he slimild plead guilty, and told him to say he o-< drunk and that would help him Said this to accused because lie was sorry for the position he was >n. Did not want, to have the case Impt out of court. Did not s.iy it wool i tie better if Turnbull's mattir w-is not, brought out in court. Had no arrangement with Smith wheicli', he (Smith) was to receive a commission Oil the piireha.'-r:- ITi-m I'uru bull's. Evangeline Bloxsome. v ife <a tin previous witness, gave corroborative l V idl 111'! . Constable McGrticr deposed that he vent to the scene of the distil, b ance wliei-e m-ciisi'd denied poinlriii; ilm revolver or that it was loath u. He Immk’d it to witness. On arrival at ide police station with accused, he found it- was loaded in four chumbei A erm-cd also had a sjiemu knife (produced). To Mr. Hallett : Accused was not of .sober habits, hut was harmless vvb.cn ni iirnik. At ll.is stage the first charge wm v. ,iidi drawn, Aecm-ed reserved his defence and was commit led to the next sittings of t iic Supreme Court nt Napier for trial. .\:i aiit>li < ■ n t n.i i for bad w= ref used. Tin Magistrate sttid lie d.i.d not l.liink the .accused was lit. to be a t kligi-. T'lii case wr.. cue in wlmrii human bie was al st-ikc, and he (Mr, -i i’l b v > w is iu,t g. miir 1 u I aku l lie i six i) ;i111!' >, of ,mlmll > 11w • I tt> bail.