SINGULAR CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10012, 25 December 1895, Page 5

SINGULAR CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

[BY TBLKORAPH.—PP.KSS ASSOCIATION.] Chrmciicrcii, Tjesday. I? the Magistrate's Court this morning, [>r. De Renzy, T. D. Harman (solicitor), Richard Brown (bone-setter), and Alfred Reynolds (hairdresser), were charged with s» lulling Richard D. Thomas .solicitor). in his opening statement counsel for the pr:secutor said that on tho I9th inst. Th'nns received a telephone massage to ftcn I Harman's office. Ho went round £-.1 f.'und the defendants there. De Renzy i'.ii he wanted to ask Thomas what ho had iiii about him at a meeting of the Hospirn! Board, Thomas declined to give the hf'raiation, and turned to leave the offico. lieKe:.?y said " No. you don't. You said I cagi.t to be prosecuted ; -put up your hard-.'' Thomas replied that- he had a »»ak heart, and was physically unfit to Ci*s:at. Barman did not interfere. De Renzy then pulled up his shirt sleeves, struck Thorn.is in the face, and knocked tra against a window. Thomas then got cat oi the room." A letter was received from Barman stating that he was no party v the fracas; that it all happened so sadcr.'.y that he could not interfere. Reynolds *i ; i-ked by .Mr. Brown to go to the office t' wi-.ne-"- 1 a signature. Evidence was then Utn. The first witness stated that Do Levy had told him that Thomas had been cir.r.j slanderous statements about him - :ie H'j-pital Board, and asked the i'.ter to repeat them before witnesses, ■: that he (De Renzy) would be it: to clear hi-: character. That was thi reason the others were in th} room. T:.::ra- was in the room only about ten sir. .tes. A witness named Conway stated that Thomas put up his hands to defend i.ts-elt, that De Kenzy broke down his E-i'irl and punched Thomas in the eye. H>r:nari then caught De Kenzy round the *s.'t and pulled him away. After the Zviilt was over Thomas .said his heart "i ; hff-r.ed. and that he was unable to defe r .d himself. Thomas did not appeal to Ihrman to allow I;im to leave the room, : rr, ;,»r-on other than De Renzy preventt 1 Thomas from leaving. Witness tvl';r-T.od that the reason for bringing T!,oa;as to Harman's office was to ask him '•5 repeat ptatenionts made by him at a w+tii,,' of the Hospital Board. The case '•as not yet concluded. Five counsel are -w'H'-J, an 1 there iras a very large attendl'.'. if the public.