WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XX, Issue 1112, 8 July 1863, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

Lvxeii Law at Jounsonvillk.—A singular case of •• lvnching," partaking a little of the romantic aud a little of the brutal, took place at Johnsonville on the 29th ult. It appears that a man named John Ilaromond, a laborer in the employment of Mr. J. Burne, of Johnsonville, had become acquainted with a young lady, some 14 or 15 years of age, daughter of Mrs. Brigot M'Laren. The parties residing in the same neighbourhood, and frequently coming in social contact with one another, it is nothing very extraordinary that their intimacy should have ripened into affection, and the affection into a still more tender passion. The sequel shews that the amorous pair " Loved not wisely, but too well," and the results of their illicit connection soon became apparent to the anxious and penetrating eyes of the maternal parent of the young lady. Now it would appear that Mrs. M'Laren felt herself called upon to wreak summary punishment on the author of her daughter's shame, and it will be seen from the following particulars, which we have gleaned, how she succeded in vindicating the honor of her sex. It appears that between the hours of three and four o'clock on the evening of the 29th May, Hammond was returning from work, when, passing Mrs. M'Laren's, he was called in, and the angry mother, with the assistance of her son, seized him and beat him about the head and face with their fists. He ultimately succeeded in releasing himself from them and ran up the road, followed by Mrs. M'Laren and her son, and succeeded in safely reaching the house of his employer, Sir. Burne. He was washing the blood from his face when they came in; they seized him and bound him with a rope, and again beat him about the head and face. He aslced Mr. Burne why he allowed this to be done, but lie made no answer. They then led him down the road into their own house, and again began beating him with their fists about the head and faceMrs. M'Laren's son said, " That will do, mother," and they then lashed him with a rope to the bedstead. They kept him bound for about two hours, when a Mrs. Tetley entered the house and laid hold of his hair, and beat his head against the boards of the house. John M'Laren, Mrs. M'Laren, and Mrs. Tetley then left the house, leaving him bound. Some time after tliey returned, Mrs. M'Laren called to her son Jolin to hold him while she cut his ears off. John M'Laren then held him while Sirs. M'Laren cut off a piece of his left ear with a pair of sheep-shears. Whilst in the act of cutting off his ear, Mrs. Tetley said to Mrs. M'Laren, "Don't do it; you are taking the law into your own hands." Mrs. M'Laren replied, "I will crop him." She then ordered her son to unbind him, and, while he was doing so, Mrs. M'Laren struck Hammond with a stout stick across the knee and on his side, and when he was loosed again struck him across the back. He then rau out of the house. It was about 11 o'clock at night. He remained at the house of Mr. Burne for about an hour, and then left the district, considering his life was in danger. It appears that after wandering about for some time, Hammond made up his mind to lay an information against the parties implicated, and the case was to come off at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, but was adjourned until Friday next, in consequence of Mr. Allen, who is prosecuting for Hammond, being engaged at the Supreme Court.—New Zealand Advertiser, June 16.