WOUNDED SALESMAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 15 January 1936, Page 2

WOUNDED SALESMAN

MYSTERIOUS CASE AT WELLINGTON - y labourer charged r [By Telegraph—Press Assoeiation] WELLINGTON, This Day. James Logie, alias Kelly (33), a labourer, was charged to-day witli wounding Charles Crooke on 9th and 10th January with' intent to do grievous bodily harm. Crooke, a salesman, said he occupied Room 52 at the Columbia Hotel. ■ On Thursday, 9th January he returned to the room at about 11 p.m. He switched on the light as he entered and found in the room a man he took to be accused. The man asked him to come in and he felt lour wounds in his shoulder, but did not know what weapon was used. The assault occurred in the passage just outside the room, and the man rushed downstairs. He concealed himself and afterwards went to the bathroom to wash himself, and the housemaid came along and saw the blood. The following'.morning he went to the hospital and was seen by a doctor in the casualty ward. He came into the city and was in Lambton quay about.. 10.30 a.m. Accused approached and witness got a wound on the left side of the face. He thought the man in the box did it. He had no idea what it was done with, and no idea where accused went afterwards. ‘He went to a chemist and a. boy took him to the doctor, who stitched the wound.

Asked if he had received any wound on any other part of the body, he said: “A scratch over the heart oil the Thursday night, but it was nothing.” Mrs Paynter, housemaid at the hotel, said that her attention was attracted by somebody running downstairs, but she could not identify the figures, although she knew they were of men. She saw Mrs Rowntree, the proprietress, talking to accused at the front door. She gave witness a key and ho asked her to go to Crooke’s room and get accused’s lint. She found the hat on top of Crooke’s suitcase and walked to the door and ’handed it to accused. When asked, “Did it occur to you ladies to ring the police?” witness replied: "Mr Crooke said lie did not want any trouble.”