A MAN MONSTER.

NZ Truth, Issue 57, 21 July 1906, Page 4

A MAN MONSTER.

BRUTAL ATTEMPTED RAPE.

Fiendish, Cowardly Attack Upon a Young Married Worn^n.

Westport Matron Horribly Beaten By a Beast m Human Form.

Lively Chase After the Alleged Assailant.

Last Saturday night Westport was thrown into a state of frenzied excitement and furious indignation when the news got about that a. monster m human form had made a desperate attempt to. rape a young and very popular matron, the wife of Mr Arthur McDonald, butcher, of lower Henleystreet, and that, to further his diabolical intention, he had brutally beaten and injured his unfortunate vicitm. That the shacking affair could happen m a public street at so early an hour as six p.m. was matter for the utmost surprise and consternation, and it seems incredible that no one heard the poor creature's \ SCREAMS FOR HELP, and that a little girl, when called to, should have run away and fail to raise an alarm, indicates a degree of iiitelligence> ho higher ithan that of a jelly-fish. . The story, as told by the "Westport Times and Star," of last Monday; is as follows :•— Mrs McDonald had been visiting her. parents (Mr and Mrs Walter Fraser), m Lower Russelljstreet on Saturday, Just before six p.m.', she was returning home, wheeling a perambulator with a young baby. As she turned the corner of Russell-street into Hen-ley-street she observed a man standins; alongside a telephone post. She heard footsteps behind her and observed the man previously mentioned walking "behind her and imagined he was a friend who was coming to offer her an umbrella. The man caught her ud. and immediately committed THE MOST BRUTAL ASSAULT that has ever been recorded m Westport: The coward firsts without sayin''- a single word, struck Mrs McDonald behind the head, knocking her down m the muddy road. As • she struggled to her feet he Struck" her several times about the head and face, cutting her lips, blackening her eyes, knocking out some teeth, cutting her ear, and marking her face. The 'fellow used low language and .made demands which indicated that Iris object was to commit a more offence. Mrs McDonald asked the man if he wanted her purse, but he replied m the negative and de-iclared-his, foul, criminal wishes. As her screams brought no assistance and powerless as she was. the POOR WOMAN FEIGNED ASSENT •if the scoundrel would permit her to replace the. baby m the perambulator, from which it had been hurled at the first attack. He allowed -her to get up off the ground, and, as she was fixing the child, saw a little girl m the distance. Mrs McDonald called out to the girl and attempted to run towards her, but the man again seized her, and the girl ran away. There was " further strugo-lmg, extending over some little time, the fellow using foul language., Eventually Mrs McDonald saw her aunt, Mrs August, coming along, and dashed towards her. The appearance of this lady apparently alarmed • the Inhuman brute, and he made oft Mrs ' McDonaJd ran into Codyre's boarding-house ; she was suffering severely from shock and showed signs of the terrible encounter m her condition of blood and mud. Mr Murdoch McLean and others rushed out, but the scoundrel had disappeared. There were no passers-byi at the. time, and the residents m the locality would be at tea. ' A description of the ruffian was given to the police and Constable McKensie at once, from previous knowledge of his character and record, suspected that a man named Robert Raymond, alias Jack Rason (woo had come from Granity by the afternoon train) '('might have some connection with the affair. The constable set out m search of Raymond and found Mm m Palmerstonrst.,'near the Empire Hotel. He did not arrest him but asked him to come up to the police station as he wanted ,to ask him a few questions about an asault on* a woman. Raymond was not sober. He walked along with the officer, remarking . that he was always m trouble. When opposite the police station the man > V SUDDENLY WHIPPED ROUND and ran at full speed down the street ' and round the Te Aro House corner and temporarily disappeared, Constable McKenzie hurried through one of the business premises to the right of way at the rear of Palmers-ton-street, but could not see the q/uarry. He returned to the station and doffed his uniform, putting on plain clothes. With Serjeant Cullen he again searched the right of way and vicinity of the railway station, and eventually saw Raymond near the Union Co's office. The man madi off down the lane but after a sharp sprint the constable ran him down, arrested him. = charged. ., him with the assault and lodged him m the lock up On Monday morning Mrs McDonald unhesitatingly picked Raymond out, as he stood with four others, as her assailant saying ,as she pointed to him, "That's the man." On Friday Raymond appeared to answer the charge, before Messrs W. Gothard and Sinclair. J.'sP., when evidence on the lines of the story already published was given, m reply to which accused had nothing to say and was committed for trial at ths Sunreme Court Hokitika, on September 20.