THE DAYLIGHT ASSAULT CASE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12603, 5 March 1903, Page 7

THE DAYLIGHT ASSAULT CASE.

I Tho hearing of the charge against Thomas Ramsay and John Oairns of having, on February 16, assaulted and'robbed Thomas Reid of £285 ill' money was resumed at the City Police Court before Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., yesterday afternoon, Mr Eraser appearing to ■prosecute, Mr Hanlon for Ramsay, and Mr Irwin for Cairns. Adelina Victoria Irvine, residing in Richardson street, deposed that sho was at home on February 16 last, and about .10.30 that morning, having occasion to go up town, she noticed tho two men whom she afterwards identified at the police station. They were standing against the iron fence behind tho Engineering Company's premises. To the best of her belief they were tho men now m the dock. The men were talking together: Coming back about an hour later she noticed the same two standing a littlo further round in Richardson street still talking together. Witness saw them a third time about a. quarter past 1 o'clock a little further along thb same street by the paling fence. She next saw them at the police station. To Mr Hanlon: Sho passed nuite'close'to the two men, and had to walk out of their road. To the best of her recollection ono was dressed in a light sui' and the other.had on a mixed coloured suit with a dark hat. The one in tho light suit had on cither a cap or no hat at all.. The mixed-cob'ired suit consisted of dark trousers and light coat, The men wcro not facing her. Sh"v had no doubt that the men sho saw the second time were the same. Sho took particular notice of one of them, tho ono that was "not a bad-looking sort of a Johnny." ' ■ To Mr Irwin: It was about a quarter past 11 o'clock that she identified tho two accused at the police station, it could not have been after 12 o'clock. Mr Irwin: Will you contradict tho evidence of three or four respectable people who will swear that, between 11.15 and 12.16 Cairns could not have been within a mile of the place?. "Witness: I am a bit doubtful about that. To the best of my belief ho was tho man I identified. (Continuing:) Sho might possibly liavo identified neither had they been dressed differently. Sho had seen neither of tho men before the morning of February 10. The police came to her, and asked her if she had seen any suspicious characters hanging about, and sho described the two men to them. To Mr Frascr: It was by their faces that she identified tho men in tho police station. And sho told the detectives that ono of tho men she saw in Richardson street had a closely cropped reddish beard. Isabella Clark, residing in Richardson street, doposed that shortly after 10 o'clock on Feb'ruary 10 sho saw two men up by Sargood's factory, and saw them again half an hour later further down tho street. At the police station she identified two men whom sho took to be the same, and these were the men now in court. Sho did not take particular notice of either of them. She saw them both about 11 o'clock, a third time that same day, in the same locality, fho thought it peculiar that they should loiter about there. To Mr Hanlon: When waiting at the police station for identifying purposes she smv Hanisay como through tho swing door and across the passage in company with the police. She saw lit handenffs. She did not see gaol slippers on Ramsay marked with a "brood oriow." Elizabeth Cranfield, residing in Richardson street, opposito Sargood's factory, gave evidence that, being outside the house that morning at 10.15, two men hanging about Sargood's on the street attracted her attention. She saw, them later on, about 11.45, and then sitting down. Witness saw them again shortly after 1 o'clock. In tho morning thev were looking in the factory windows. She saw them again about 2.30, and going down towards Willis street, coming from tho empty section next the foundry, with a wooden fence around it. The two accused were like the men slie saw. She was. more positive about Ramsny than about the other, because the other hod his fnce somewhat blackened. She got a good,look at tho l'aeo of the one sho believed to be Ramsay. Site could not swear that the two accused were the men sho saw—they were like them. To Mr Hanlon: Ono man hod on a light suit and cap, and the other a dark suit and what ' looked like a hard hat. One was fair and the other dark, and one had a beard. Slie was on the other side of tho street. At tho polico station she saw nothing of Htnnsay till elio identified him in the yard, and sho did not notice that he had gaol slippers on. Jane Carter, residing at the corner of Tewslcy and Richardson streets, deposed that, on February 16 last sho was in her wnsbliousc in the afternoon. The window looked out on the corner. She was washing, and hearing the Tattle of a cart looked up, and saw the prisoner Ramsay in a cart. It was about a quarter to 12 o'clock the first time he passed. He passed later about 2.30. She had not the least doubt that Ranisav wa3 the man she saw—she saw his face perfectly.

To Mr Hanlon: She had a " middling " wash to do that day, and was finished at 2 o'clock. She "put her eyes on Ramsay all right," from tho time ho appeared round the corner till he went out of sight, perhaps half a. minute. He had a sack at his elbow and another further down in the cart, and. she thought this peculiar. &he saw him white he covered about 30ft of read. Sho identified Ramsay at the police station without the least difficulty. Witness considered it was quite impossible she could bo making any mistake about the man. She could not recollect how she found out that Ramsay was tho name of tho man sho saw. Further hearing of the case was then adjourned till next day at 2.15.