THE DUNEDIN STABBING AFFRAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9399, 4 January 1894, Page 5

THE DUNEDIN STABBING AFFRAY.

j THE INQUEST. j "BY telkqraph.-—press ASSOCIATION. J - - Donedin, Wednesday. The inquest touching the death of William Mudge, who was fatally injured in the ' stabbing affray at South Dunedin on Christmas Eve, was held to-day. Richard ' Dobson and Eberhardb Kufner were pre.aonb in onstody, and were represented by j. Mr. Hanlon, who did nob cross-examine at r any "length the witnesses called by the » Crown Prosecutor. Nine witnesses wore *- called. 1 The evidence is nob of a very con- ' necbed nature. , 11 Edwin Alexander, who was sent for after 1 Mudge had been stabbed, and who got an i. express to take him to the hospital, said on I the way Mudge remarked, "I'm dying. t My hand is cold.". Mudge was one of the , quietest men he had ever come across— » good-tempered, good-natured, and not n quarrelsome. Dr. Hogg, who received Mudge ab the ■ Hospital, said the wound was an incised » one, a little over four inches long, extendI Ing from a point about six inches : below • the centre of the groin downwards, and inwards for four inohes in the direction of i the inside of the knee of the left leg. i Dr. Burnett, who made the post mortem, ' said : " I attribute the man's death i So—loss of blood consequent upon the injury to the femoral vein." Thab was i quite sufficient bo. account for death, alt though the artery was not injured. The ' knife produced would be a likely weapon to • s cause the wound iiv the thigh. It would ' take pretty nearly the whole length of the blade, and the blow would have had to be i made with considerable violence. As much > blood would come from from the vein as if i the artery were wounded, bub ib.would nob come fast. The putting on of a bandage, i which was done, was all that could have 1 been done. If half-a-dozen medical men ' had been present they could have done no > , more than the constable did. ~ ;• Charles Ashton, nephew of. the deceased, 1 who was accommodated with a chair, being 1 still weak, gave evidence that seeing two ' men attacking the man named Donaldson - he interfered, and he and one of the men i had a- set to. The two men afterwards 1 walked away, appoaring quite friendly. 1 After some time he was on his way home t with his uncle Mudge. When he reached > his own gate he saw two men standing a ' little further on, and he told his uncle they ■x had better go on, as he was frightened to > go- into, his own place lest the men ' might do some damage. They walked I on, and when opposite Mrs. (Jreave's gate > the two mon sprang on them, one saying, I "This is him." He received a blow on the i head with a stick and a Stab on the leg. Dobson held the stick. He could not say - who stabbed him. He was also stubbed on the wrist. The blow on the head had I affected him, and he was too weak to do anything. He told his uncle he was stabbed, and did not recollect anything else. He did not see his uncle stabbed. He had-never had a quarrel with Dobson or Kufner until he interfered on behalf of his - friend Donaldson. , . ,'.,"". :> IJ' 1 James Donaldson said he stayed at Hub- , ton's Hotel all the evening. He saw Kufner and Dobson there. Kufner had a pocket- ' knife', which he could not swear to, and was } saying that at 18 paces he could pick r out anybody with the knife. .He had 1 seen a woman killed in the country ' caused from a boy throwing a knife 1 in a particular way, which ho illus- ' trated afterwards when out with Counter. " Dobson and Kufner came towards the I man. Dobson seized him by the throat and ' the right arm, Kufner being behind with ' the stick. After some blows had been 5 exchanged the two mon went away. Wit-ness-then described hearing what appeared to be a row, and with others going up and J finding Ashton and Mudge stabbed. David Cuddie, who lives opposite where ' the affray occurred, in his evidence said > some quarrelling was going on opposite his ! house about 10.15. On going to the door he saw two men and a woman, the quarrel ', being apparently over. ■ Tho woman, who was [ Mrs. Greaves, was crying, and belling ' the neighbours '-that- two men hud'been molesting her. The two men were talking of what they would do to the men with whom the.y bad been righting if they could get hold of them._ Shortly afterwards Ashton came ' along drunk, and appeared to turn into his ' own house when the two men challenged him to fight. Ashton came out, but refused to fight, and Mrs. Greaves went up ' and implored them nob to quarrel, saying " Ashton was not the man. The three men went away in company, but the two soon ! returned. The foreigner was telling Bellet, a neighbour, that he had been hit, and how his pipe and walking-stick were taken 1 away. Shortly afterwards the two men ' were coming up the street, and witness heard the Englishman who was with the foreigner say, " Here are the now." They went to meet them. The next thing witness heard, was, " You have stabbed my nephew 1" or " Would you stab my nephew?" A scuffle or maul followed, and then some men came running to the place. He heard someone call out to watch the knives. He afterwards saw Mudge leaning against the fence, and he said " I'm done I for. The German has stabbed me." Mrs. Greaves was in the street, and must have seen the stabbing. The inquiry will be resumed to-morrow.