KOPAKI ASSAULT CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18117, 15 June 1922, Page 8

KOPAKI ASSAULT CASE.

TRIAL OF FOUR ACCUSED. "A MURDEROUS ATTACK." CASB FOR THE PROSECUTION. • •-., •-.-■■•-. THE. RANGER'S EVIDENCE. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] HAMILTON. Wednesday. The Hamilton Supreme Court was crowded to-day when the Kopaki assault] case was commenced before Sir. Justice j Herdman. Herbert Holgate* Alfred j (Jiover, Leonard Glover, . and Kichard j Daly were charged that at Kopaki on March 18 they attempted to murder Wil- j Ham .T. Routledge, and caused grievous: bodily harm to James Courtney: Mr. H. E. Gillies appeared for the Crown anfl, Mr A. Hall Skelton and Mr. Vernon for, thfl licensed Mr. Gillies said Routledge, a ranger i for the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, and a big man, who might be easily taken for a • policeman, went to the boarding ] house at Kopaki in the course of his duty. , Apparently he was mislaken for a police spy, and was murderously and brutally assaulted by the accused and then thrown into the creek, the men using such language as to plainly indicate that tney , intended to finish him. ...... of . .! In evidence, Routledge said that alter tea Holgate asked him to have a drink of'whisky. Witness thanked bun, but refused the offer. Hoigato seemed to resent the refusal. About an hour later HolgaU. returned to the room and asked his business. Witness said he was not curious about Holcate's affairs, and resented bin* asking. Holgate was rational, but had, had liquor. He went out, and witness lay down- on the couch in the dining-room for the night. Later on witness was aroused by the four accused Holgate sat on the feat opposite witness, and asked it he was a police officer. Witness said he- was not Holgate apparently did not believe this, and then asked what \he was. Witness did not tell them, but asked fhera to go away. After a while they left, and witness heard them singing in an adjacent whare. All four were under the influence of drink, but were rational. Sudden Attack in Boom. | They returned to the room adjoining his, and started throwing crockery into his room. Witness got up and started to fasten his boots. Then suddenly the four rushed into the room, and blows and kicks from all sides were rained upon him by all except Holgate, who stood at the doorwav inciting the others on by saying, "Kill the —," or "Kick the —. YVit- • ness then saw Courtney, who asked them to play the game and leave the man alone. * He was told to mind his own business, and he was knocked over on to the conch. At this stage the light went out, and witness managed to escape out of the house. He feU over a low wire fence, and the next minute the accused were on to him, punching and kicking him. Holgate was not there then. Witness struggled | to get up, „ but as he was nearly unconscious ho heard Glover say "Let's go through him." Witness did not see Holgate again that night. Daly had i hold of his ankle and was trying to break it and Grundy had a hammer lock on his right arm. They asked him to admit he was a polieeman. Glover tore his overcoat off, and his waistcoat was torn off and- he received kicks about the body and legs. Witness lay inert and was dragged by the feet to the creek, a distance of about 46yus. Hiding Place Hot Discovered. On reaching the creek he was rolled over the bank into the water. This re- '. vived him and he struggled out on the opposite side and crawled under a plat-1 form. Witness heard the accused hunting ' for him but they did not find him. Just before they left he heard one say, j "the will be dead by thia j time, any way." When they were | hitting him, they were too capable to be very drunk. After the men went away witness made across country to a house, and the next morning received medical attention. Witness rode part of the way next morning to Te Kuiti, but had to be assisted on to the horse. He missed a wallet containing £7 10s, and the police ' returned it next morning minus the money. Witness did not recover from the assault foe three weeks, and still felt the effects of it. Cross-examined, witness said no one asked him to apologise to Holgate. He had 'heard since that Courtney was issuing a writ claiming £500 damages from the accused. James Courtney, farmer,' Kaitangaweka, said that after tea at Fletcher's ] witness accepted a drink from Holgate, \ and went to an adjacent whare with Holgate, where he saw the other accused. He had several drinks. All were quite sober. The others reckoned that Rout- j ledge was a police spy. Witness went with Holgate to meet the 10.30 p.m. j train. They met Maclndoe and returned I to the whare. Holgate said they would throw Routledge over the bridge into the creek. Witness said. " You might drown him," to which Glover said, " If you don't nhnt up we will throw you j in." The accused went toward j Fletcher's. Witness saw them enter the j , house, and then heard the sound of ; . breaking crockery and loud voices". He | . went inside and saw Routledge on tha ground. He told them to be men and j let him alone. Witness then received a shower of blows from Glover, Grundy and Daly, and was knocked on to the floor. Routledge escaped and the ac- * cosed' rushed after him. "I Win Cnt His Throat!" Witness went out to see what the accused had done with Routledge. He did nob see the latter, but saw the accused. Witness asked them what they had done with Routledge, and he was then rushed and knocked over, Holgate " sooling" the others on. Glover said he had a stumpy pocket knife, and would cut wit- . ness' throat. Glover searched his pockets, but could not find the knife. After a while they let him up on the understanding that he was to say he had had a fight with Daly. Witness, in order to get away, gave the promise, and they let him get up. They walked down the street, and Glover, pointing to Grundy, asked witness if he had seen him before. Witness said he had. whereupon Grundy said ho would choke him, and attempted to do so. Glover said, "Just say the word, and I will cut his throat." Witness had a slight recollection, after Glpver's remark, of being gathered up and taken away somewhere. He was at Fletcher's when he woke up next rooming. Daly was there when the. doctor and Serpeant > Fearnley arrived next morning. Whon the query was put as to how witness came to be knocked, Daly replied, "Oh, I had a fight with, him last night." Witness passed no comment at that time. He was sober that night. Holgate "Ashamed of Himself." In cross-examination witness denied that he was implicated in the whole affair. He had issued a writ against the accused for £500 or £600 damages. He did not { know,, that Holgate was the only one who had money. \ Dr. McCrae and Dr. Zobell gave evi- | dence regarding the injuries sustained by I Routledge and Courtney. ? Sergeant Fearnley said that, at Te Kuiti, on seeing the condition of Routledtre and Courtney Hol S ate said he' was ashamed iIJ»! na 1 lf -4 and . w * nted »o make a clean ™TJ f *. In * Writt «" statement he said he got six bottle 0 f whisky A numberof them had drinks, and after a He tftr I"*" thlinfliSce He said he remembered describinu Routledge as a police >.py but dM „lf ber much eta Ho was nrt t a r< ? mem ; did not remember B Sg P ßo^,i Unk ™ d the row in the house LaS ?u *?* P witness arrested Grundy SdOW th **t y „aid later that they did not ranembe/ what hatpenea tbejecused were quite mJFS* *J , Court adjourned until to-morrow, ' iflMfc