BRUTAL ASSAULT AT ONEHUNGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9187, 17 October 1888, Page 5

BRUTAL ASSAULT AT ONEHUNGA.

A most brutal and unprovoked assault was committed at Onehunga on Monday night, between eleven and twelve o'clock, on Mr. Ralph D. Stewart, head teacher of the Onehunga public school. It appears Mr. Stewart, accompanied, by Mrs. and Miss Picken, was returning by tram after hearing the lecture at the Opera House, when four sailors belonging to the Takapuna, who were in an intoxicated state, got into the tram, and commenced hooting, singing, and using bail language. Mr. Stewart remonstrated with them, but without avail. On arrival at Epsom, Mr. Stewart requested the 'busman to prevent them from riding inside the 'bus, and one was removed, but the ringleader, a sailor named John Becker, refused to move, and challenged any person to put him out. On arrival in Onehunga, at the corner of Church and Queen streets, Mr. Stewart and his lady friends left the 'bus, being immediately followed by Becker, who without further ceremony struck Mr. Stewart several violent blows on the head, face, and chest, one of which knocked him against a fence and dazed him ; indeed, had it not been that two of Becker's friends came to the rescue Mr. Stewart would most probably have been badly injured. On recovering consciousness Mr. Stewart, accompanied by Mr. Lord, went to the police station and informed Sergeant Greene, who very promptly ran his man to earth, and taxed him with the assault, which he admitted, stating ho would do it again. Yesterday morning a warrant was taken out for his apprehension, and he was arrested on board the.s.s. Takapuna. He was charged at the Police Court, before Dr. W. R. Erson andC. C. Fleming, J.P.'s, with unlawfully wounding and assaulting Ralph D. Stewart. He pleaded guilty, stating that he knew nothing of the occurrence, and attributed it to tho fact of his being under the 'influence of liquor. Mr. Stewart addressed the Bench, saying the case was not of so little importance as they most probably thought. The assault was a most unprovoked and cowardly one, and if treated leniently by the Bench a similar occurrence could only bo expected. He thought for the safety of the travelling public, particularly ladies, an example should be made of the accused, and as he was coming regularly to the Manukau, he should be bound over to keep the peace, otherwise they had no guarantee that a repetition would not occur. The Bench considered that it would be a hardship to send the man to gaol, as he was a stranger in the place and not likely to find two sureties, and therefore- he would be fined the sum of £o, costs 17s, and lOsb'd the cost of a hat which was destroyed, making in all £4 7s 6d.