MITCHELLTOWN STABBING CASE

New Zealand Mail, 29 November 1900, Page 66

MITCHELLTOWN STABBING CASE

At the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court on the 20th before Mr Jus- < tree Edwards, the trial was begun of i

Walter George Williamson, a young man who surrendered to bail on a- charge of wouaiding Frank Perrett with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Mr H. D. Bell prosecuted for the Crown, and the accused, who pleaded not guilty, was defended by Mr Gray.

Mr J. B. Nichols was foreman of the jury. It appeared from the evidence that on Monday, the. 20th August, four young people,. Sarah Mary Ann- Hoppy, Catherine Marguerita . ■ Hoppy (her younger sister), Walter George Williamson (the accused), and Michael Flaherty went to the performance of Dix’s Variety Company at the Exchange Hall. When in Upper Willis street, on their way back to Mitchelltown, where the girls lived, they were joined by Ernest Holz, spoken of in Court as John Robinson. -In Mitchelltown the party were accosted by three young men, Frank Perrett, William Warner, and John Charles Hamilton Moir. Going through Mitchelltown, Williamson and Flaherty were in advance, with Kate Hoppy, and Robinson and Sarah Hoppv followed at some distance. Williamson and Flaherty, when Kate Hoppy had gone into her house, turned hack to meet Robinson and. Sarah Hoppy. It was a dark night, and the street, which was not lighted, was narrow. The two parties met and exchanged words. Perrett’s party followed the others. Something more was said, and then there was a scuffle or something of the kind between Williamson and Perrett. A little while afterwards Perrett said he had •been stabbed. This was-found to be the case, and he became weak from loss of blood. He was taken to his father’s house, which was near at hand, and there two days later his depositions were taken by the Stipendiary Magistrate. The wound which he received was in the right breast, just above the nipple. It was caused by a knife, which went between the ribs and penetrated the lung. Perrett was in' bed for three weeks. He was away from his work for six weeks, and he still feels the effect of the wound.

Mr 801 l in opening the case for the Crown, said it seemed to be really beyond question that Perrett was wounded with a knife which was in the hand of the accused. The wound was a very severe one, and was the result of a blow which was evidently delivered with very great force. It would bo for the jury to say whether the wound was accidentally or intentionally inflicted. In the latter case, they would have to say whether the conduct of Perrett and his party was sufficient excuse for Williamson’s action. It seemed to him (Mr Bell) that nothing happened which would justify Williamson’s defending himself with a knife. If Perrett and 1 his companions had been kicked or chastised in any way like that fox accosting the girls probably there would not have been very much said of the matter. /

Evidence for the prosecution was given by Dr W. A. Chappie, Constable A. Hammond, Catherine M. Hoppv, Sarah M. A. lToppy, Frank Perrett, r Michael Flaherty, Ernest Holz, Willi am Warner and John C. H. Moir.

Perrett, who is a carter, said in his evidence that some of the statements in his depositions, taken two days after he was stabbed, were incorrect.

Flaherty, under examination, deposed that on the night in question the accused smoked cigarettes.' Witness had seen him smoke a pipe pretty often. The accused was left-handed. The girls Hoppy stated in the wit-ness-box that £liey were frightened of Perrett’s party, who were bigger men than they were with. Constable Hammond said the accused was a rouseabout at a hotel. When arrested he said, “ I stabbed no man.” Witness found a knife in the accused’s trouser pocket. He also found cigarettes and cigarette-papers in his room. He did not find a pipe. The box. of tobacco produced was pipe tobacco. None of the witnesses spoke of the accused’s drawing a knife on Perrett. Some of them said they saw him struck by Perrett from behind, and then swing round his left arm at Perrett.

Mr Gray said he intended to call evidence for the defence, and at 4.80 p.m. the Court adjourned till next morning.

The trial was continued in the Supreme Court on the 21st of Walter Geo. Williamson,, on a charge of .wounding Frank Perrett with intent to do, him grievous bodily harm, at Mitchelltown, on 20th August. Mr H. D. Bell prosecuted for the Crown.

Mr Gray, who appeared for the defence, called as witnesses Dr H. Pollen, Dr H. .Adams, the accused, Constable Hammond and R. H. Wedde. The accused deposed that he was 19 years of age. He had been working at a hotel on Lambton quay as a rouseabout for two years. When he was struck by Perrett on the night in question, he (accused) had a knife in his left hand. It was the pocket-knife produced in Court. He was cutting tobacco with it at the time. He was getting the tobacco ready with the intention of smeking it when he was on his way back to town. When .struck by xerrett he was very angry on account of what Perrett and his companions had been saying to him and his companions,, especially the girls. Perrett’s party were bigger and older men. Witness was.a bit afraid of them. He had not been often at Mitchelltown ; he had been there once or twieo before. He was not acquainted with Perrett and his companions. By Mr Bell: He could not account for there being a smell of menthol on the knife.

By the foreman of the jury: He

through driSEfoktßoilfSbWW5 b WW was accidcmtaHy inflicted th ® "'ound^v. The jury, of which Mr G R V l was foreman, returned a verdmk' O V Us - ■- half-an-hour’s retirement that k after soner was not guiltv of unintentionally. 7 ° f Strikln 3 the bW . His Honour: That course. ‘ s n °t guilty, 0 f ; .In directing that the accused L charged, his Honour said dls ’ : tho jury were right. Fe thn» was sufficient doubt to justify ft* there diet. But Williamson had LSf‘ r Ver ' great deal more careful next was cutting tobacco and harij a m 6 pute. This would do once R„+ - case was not altogether satisfactory if the same tiling occurred „ 7 ’ and time another jury would take the same view of it 7 Williamson was then discharged.