A THAMES CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12602, 17 June 1904, Page 6

A THAMES CASE.

[BY TELEGItAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Thursday. The Police Court was 'occupied the whole of to-day in hearing the charge of attempted rape,"preferred against a Frenchman named Louis Henri, upon a young Maori woman. uamed'Kangi Toma. Messrs. J. L. Walton and J. M. Foy, J.P.'s, presided. Sergeant Darby 'conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Clendou appeared on behalf of the accused. The woman, in her evidence, stated that the alleged offence occurred at Kauri Point on the 4th iust., and that the accused at the same time threatened to do her injury with a knife. Foi the defence, it was acknowledged that a dispute took place between the parties concerned on May 30, over a loan of money and two blankets, which accused had given the woman, and that during the dispute accused had threatened to cut the blankets into pieces with a knife which he held in his hand, and which lie had just previously been using to cut tobacco for his pipe. A complete denial was given, however, to the charge of attempted rape, and of threatening to use the knife on the woman, and a witness was produced who substantiated the accused's evidence that on the date the alleged assault was said to have taken place— the 4th inst., he was gumdigging with four other men some four miles distant from the Maori camp. The. Bench stated that the evidence in support of the charge' was not sufficient to commit the accused upon, and • therefore dismissed the case. In reply to Sergeant Darby as to whether they thought the evidence was sufficient to charge the accused with a common assault, the Bench replied in the negative. '