AN ALLEGED ASSAULT.

NZ Truth, Issue 94, 6 April 1907, Page 6

AN ALLEGED ASSAULT.

Excitement on the Waikare.

There was ari extraordinary occurrence aboard the Waikare on her trip from Dunedin to Lyttelton 3ast week, and -the outcome was the arrest of a big fat bloke named Walter Smith for assault and robbery. Smith, is scullery man on hoard the Waikare, and the outrage, if one can believe the victim of it, was a most amazing one. A tailoress named Polly Money, who lives at Dunedin, was a passenger, and she was dozing m her cabin at four o'clock m the morning, so her story m Court runs, when she saw a hulk- j ing fellow enter. The light was. on, I arid as she knew the man had no right there she had the wits frightened out of her. He put out the light and closed the door. Then she asked him what he wanted there, and he made the curious excuse that he had to stand by the bed to get the motion of the boat. He stood (there a few minutes, and the girl didn't know what to do about it. At last she thought she would endeavour to get out. She asked the impudent intruder if he knew where the stewardesses' room* was, saying that she was going to be sick. The /brute's reply was that she wasn't going to the stewardess' room. The girl decided to have a go ■' for it, and got out at the end of her " berth (the top one). Then the blackguard assaulted her, catching her by the neck with both hands, and said that if she dared to scream out he would kill her. He pushed her into the t bottom berth, and cursed ftind swore at her. When she stood Up again with the object of making a dash for the door, the scoundrel got her by the throat, and after a struggle she was pushed on to the floor. ' When she arose the villain noticed that she had a nurse m her hand, and this he snatched. It contained £3 3s 6d, and she implored him not to take it, as it was all the money that she had. The only rrsponse of the rascal was to shake his' fist m her face, and at the same time threatening her if she screamed. Then he darted out of the cabin witli the boodle, and the girl started off m hot pursuit, singing out "Murder " m order to attract help. She met the nightwatchman, and informed him of the outrage, but he had heard her screams prior to this, and was making for the sppt from whence they came, when he met the scullery man, Walter, Smith, who appeared to I:o very excited, and was making for the steerage companion-way. The watchman (Ed,*avd McLeod) stopped him and said,

" What's the matten' up there?" Smith muttered something about a woman getting blazes up there, and darted on. Miss Money was close behind, and was screaming. She accused the sculleryman of having robbed her, and was much agitated and frightened. The watchman then went to' the .galley to interview Smith. He asked him what sort of a game he had been up to m the fore-cabin. Smith's reply was a hearty curse, and a threat that if McLeod didn't clear v off he would knock his brains out with a shovel. He rushed to pick up the shovel, and McLeod thought he had better get out of it. When the chief officer was informed of the dastardly deed he waltzed Smith along to the door of Miss Moneys cabin, and asked her if that was the individual 'who had maltreated her. She replied m; the affirmative ; she was certain of it. Then the pair were taken to the captain's room, where the girl narrated the facts, but the accused said ahe had made a mistake as to identity ; he wasn't her assailant: No trace was found of purso or money by the .police when the vessel wjas searched at Lyttelton. Smith was taken into custody, and the above statement was elicited when the case was heard at Court. The accused denied being thc man. He was m the galley at the time of the assault, and a greaser and fireman were standing outside. There was nobody on the vessel who could betaken for him that he knew of, but at any rate the charge against him was quite untrue, so he swore. The. bench committed him for trial. As there was no sign of poor Polly Moneys money she had to send home for more. .