AN ATROCIOUS ANIMAL.

NZ Truth, Issue 80, 29 December 1906, Page 5

AN ATROCIOUS ANIMAL.

BRUTAL. ATTACK UPON MARRIED WOMAN. Entirely Inadequate ' Sentence.

A most outrageous assault was perpetrated on a respectable married woman by an unprincipled scamp at Christohurch late the other night, and people think .he was lucky to escape gaol. The. blackguard's name was John Steedman, a painter by trade, 28 years of age, and a resident of the city for some years. Tho victim of his outlandish violence was Mrs Clara Chivers, -wife of Alfred I Chivers, who runs a music establishj ment m Manchester-street. The fellow, who was under the influence of i grog, was arrested just after the j occurrence, and boohed that night. J Next morning he was remanded. l When the case was called on Mrs Chivers, a fine, well-made woman' of aanple proportions, but rather ner--1 vous, told her story. At half-past ten on the night of the happening she had switched off the lights m the shop, but notioing by the light of outside lamp that the window was rather dirty inside she decided to clean it, and thus put m time- until her husband came home. Presently she saw the door pushed open by a men carrying some fruit and the rolled number of a weekly newspaper "who said, "Are . you coming out tonight," or something like that; As he did so he caught hold of her bosom, tearing her blouse and smashing! her hrooch. Such -atrocious conduct surprised her, and she smacked the brute's face. She 'had never spoken to the ruffian before. She managed to push him out,, but he shoved m again making use' of "dirty talk," talk which she never' had addressed to her m her life before. It ■was pret-tv evident to her that he had been drinkin-e - . and she snatched ■un a feather duster, and made a vigorous onslaught on the thing the intruder calls a face. Then it was Ms turn to„ chip m and he knocked

I her ' down like the gentleman he was [ and kicked her under the right should* er blade.- Quickly .she arose, hut fell [ again, being tripped by. her 'dress. j Three more biffs did this hell-hound give her, and she screamed out. , After he had done with her he backed out saying, "That will fix her." As a result of. the vicious onslaught by this , hybrid specimen of degenerate huipanity the woman had several bruises ; on her body, and had been shaking ever since. A couple of detectives came- -along just after the assault, and she; gave the baleful, beery, woman-basher m charge. Steedman, said Mrs Chivers, had a mate with him at the time, but he .didn't interfere at all, except to pull Steedman away on one occasion.

fl -The witness was cross-examined by Lawyer Vincent, who appeared for tlri-s hog of the paint pot, who ought to be tarred with his own brush ; but Mrs Chivers stucK to her story, and again commented upon the objectionable . language used towards her. She would allow no man to catch her by the bosom as this felloW Steedman had done ; she had been taken at a disadvantage ; had she been given a fair chance she could have thrown the man out and kept him* out.

According to Dr. Irving, who examined Mrs 'Chivers' next morning she had a .bruise under the right shoulder blade, another on the right thigh, and one on* the groin. There were also marks on o ne of her arms. The bruise on the groin was the worst, and it must have taken a hard knock t-o effect it. A nice place to kick a woman, to be sure !

Restaurant keeper Blodorn, wlio happened to be out with his Avife and daughter, deposed to seeing two men- come along, and one of them, going to the door of driver's shop, made a remark to some one (presumably Mrs Chivers) inside. He thought it was "Let us in,'" or something like that. Didn't know whether defendant entered the establishment or not because witness passed on. But after going a few yards he heard screams and returned and saw accused either stumbling or falling out of the shop, Mrs Chivers was cry excited over something, b'jt witness knew no more,. .-,-,-

It happened that 'Tecs Reagie

Ward and Gibson were r-trolling along* Manchester-street at .he time, and were speedily apprised ol what had happened. Mrs Chi vers complained of having been assaulted ; her upper lip was hruised and swollen, her blouse was disarranged, and she appeared to have been pulled about. They found the skunk Steedman standing ' about twenty yaids away ; he had been imbibing bar rubbish. They questioned him, and he denied having been aear the shop. However, this unblushing lie would not go down with" the 'tecs, who marched him back, and the victim of his brutal bashings secognised him. Steedm-an then spun the Yarn that he and his mate were looking m the window when Mrs Chivers came out and struck him m the face. He thereupon went into the vhop and asked her why she had done so, and she attacked him again. He had never interfered with the woman at all. Ward picked up a heavy-weight newspaper off the floor, and ran the Differ m. But m the meantime one StrMing, ■ Steedman's mate, had told a similar story,.

The accused, John Steedman, told the Court his version of the scandalous affair. He amd his pal went down to the station to see someone oft to Lyttelton. On returning at 10.30 p.m. Hp saw a light mi n driver's shop window, and on getting m by the doorway he saw a lady standing on a chair. When she saw* them watching her she got down, put the chair back, opened the door and struck him twice with a cane. Then she cleared inside and fell over the chair. That was how she came to be prone on the floor. He never o.ttempted to grab her by the breast at sd\. When she came at him with' the cane he tried to defend himself hf endeavoring to get it from her.

He gave no provocation at all. Chief 'Tec Chrystal asked why the woman screamed a s had been sworn to be a witness, and accused replied that she did so whan she fell over the chair. He absolutely denied having used obscene language to Mrs Ohivers. "Have you ever been convicted of an offence of that kind ?" asked the 'Tec. "Well, five years ago I was lined for swearing m the street." "Are you not a man of violent temper ?" • u No." Didn't you hit the complainant over the head with a roll of paper ?" "Decidedly not." Mr Vincent here interposed that Mrs Chivers hadn't said that accused had done so. ' 'But he did, ' ' interposed Mrs Chivers, from the body of the Court. In answer to further questions accused denied that he had kicked the woman ; he hadn't iron toes to the boots he wore that fright, but they had nails m them.

Tlie other participator m that night's "fun" was John Alexander Striblinp- who said he was foreman for Friedlander Bros., of Ashburton. He corroborated Steedman's statement. "How many drinks did you have that evening?" -queried the Chief 'Tec "About six beers." "What, pints ?" (laughter.) "No, mediums," "Why did you look m the window at that hour ; was it because you saw a lady there ?" "No, because there was a light."

In cases oE this sort it is the usual thing to trot along evidence as to character, and William Andrews, and the rubicund face of Thomas Gapes were desoernible m the witness box. Both spoke well of Steedman, but Gapes smilingly added that the fellow *ff*as a little bit frolicsome when off duty. Which means a lot. Magistrate Day believed the story of the complainant, and said he wouldn't be doina: his duty if he didn't inflict a penal t- of £10 and costs. As. scallywag Steedman didn't have a tenner about his clothes he was given a few days m which to bum hisfriends for the necessary.