A BLENHIEM BRUTE.

NZ Truth, Issue 216, 14 August 1909, Page 5

A BLENHIEM BRUTE.

THE AUDACITY OF AMOS ANDREWS.

Condemned by Mr Justice Cooper.

Four Years' Gaol and a Flogging.

A young man named Amos Andrews, a big muscular fellow about six feet m height and a driver, who till recently was employed by Messrs Smart tsros.,' Maxwell-road, Blenheim, came to the end of his tether at the Wellington Supreme Court last Saturday, when he appeared for sentence before Mr Justice Cooper for an attempted outrage on a young woman named Annie McLean on the evening of July 28 last. In sentencing Am drews to four years' imprisonment and a flogging, his Honor said it was one of the worst cases that so far had come un-.' der his notice. Amos, who had pleaded guilty at the Blenheim S.M. Court, had nothing to say. In her evidence at the Police Court hearing, the youn\j woman said that at about 10 o'clock on the evening of July. 28 she left a friend and proceeded: to go to her home m 'Weld-street, by. Maxwell-road and Cardwell-street. When she turned into Cardwell-street she heard footsteps m the rear, and' looking round she saw a man at some distance behind her. Later on that man passed her and 1 looked at her. 'He walked on some distance and then slackened his speed. Next he turned and faced her. He did not speak, but would not let her pass. She then requested him to Jet her pass and DARED HIM TO INTERFERE Wl'fti ' HER, the while holding her umbrella at him m a threatening manner. She was agitatw ed and said something to him about. interfering with respectable peopie m a! public place. He made use of the words, "I would like to;" and also, "Now, come now." As she saw that the blackguard intended to harm her she turned and fled: m the direction of ?. Mr Fisher's rest-, dence. Andrews pursued and caught ber^ He threw her to the ground, and as she screamed he put his left hand over hec mouth. A desperate struggle followed, and she succeeded m pulling his 'hand from\her mouth. .She again screamed for help, and the ruffian desisted irom his fell purpose. She sprang to her feet, the accused being m a stooping attitude.; Help was jiear at hand, and the assail- . ant, perceiving someone coming,' ran oft m the direction of Weld-street. John Innes, Principal of the Martborough High School, stated that he resided at the corner of Caldwell, Stephenson. and Weld streets. Was at home on Wed-, nesday niglut, July 28. My attentionwas attracted about 10.10 p.m.. Mrs; Innes's maid came put and spoke to me on the landing. She called out that A WOMAN WAS SCRKAMING DREADFULLY/. He opened the door and heard a woman screaming. I drew on my. boots and ran out into the street. Could hear no sound then, but turned m the direction from which the sound had come, towards Max-,well-road. After running 50 yards 1 saw. a white object on the ground on the oth- . er side of the road. There-was no path.' I sprang to that side, shouting out as I did so. Then I saw two objects moving. Both rose from a , lying position.; The white one sprang to the right into the middle of the road, with cries of very evident alarm. The other ran quickly towards Weld-street. 1 followed and ran as far as O'Connor's house. By this time I lost sight of the figure. 1 returned, and< seeing no sight of the woman I called Mrs Innes, and found that she had taken her m. I met them both on my garden path. Asked the woman if she was hurt. I understood that no serious harm was done. The woman was too agitated to speak or give any statement. The three •of us went inside, and m the light she appeared greatly distressed. Her hair was down over her shoulders. Her jacket was muddy behind, and her skirt was also muddy, and she had a mark on her left cheek, which bled slightly. Her lips were bleeding . and had an appearance OF BEING ROUGfIM HANDLED. I did not ask the woman any questions, as she seemed too much put out. She mentioned the circumstances to Mrs Innes. I took possession of the cap, which Mrs Innes handed to him, and gave it over to Constable Lamb.* .J found an umbrella on the ground where. JL saw the white figure. ' :n:ya As the accused's lawyer announced that Andrews intended to plead guilty, other evidence, except that of arrest, was nofl adduced. Andrews, as stated, pleaded guilty, was committed for sentence to the Wellington Supreme' Court, and was brought before, Mr Justice Cqoper last Saturday, with the result above stated. guard 'Star' reporter" ? —No, iiot to me^ She seemed more taken up with McGrath, as shg thought he would mate a good spiritualist. She seemed greatly taken up. with him. ••'..,■- •... ■■■*"' Mr Matthews contended that there v;as no corroboration, and that the constables were accomplices. , Also, he urged there was no fortune-telling. —only reading of character. Phrenology had long been recognised as a science, and even such an eminent authority as Sir Oliver Lodge, of Birmingham University, who was a deeply-religious man, firmly believed that character could be read front marks on the hand or elsewhere. His client was 73 years of age, and two constables HAD GONE EXPRESSLY TO TRAP; HER. He urged that there was no corrobora-! tion. The Magistrate stated that he would, have to reserve his decision on the ques-r tion of corroboration. The other cases were, further adjourned. Subsequently the S.3VI. dismissed the case without prejudice. Sub-Inspector Hendry said all the other cases were 'on all-fours with Stepnerson's, and m that case the best thing would be to adjourn them indefinitely. "Then they will be dismissed without} prejudice," said Mr Cirtten. -i i