AS UNWARRANTED ASSAULT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2689, 27 September 1905, Page 81

AS UNWARRANTED ASSAULT.

INVERCARGILL, September 20.

Before Mr M'Carthy, S.M. to-day, Cecil Hazlett, charged with striking Lieutenantcolonel Hawkins across the back with a whip, was fined £5. The magistrate refused to bind defendant over to keep the peace, as he had made an apology in court and given an assurance that he would not molest complainant. The matter has excited some interest locally. Hazlett, who is not a volunteer, was in a restaurant where the annual meeting of the Mounted Rifles was being held on the 25th ult. He borrowed a whip from one of the guests, and as Lieutenant Hawkins passed him. in leaving gave him one backhanded stroke across the back with the whip. He had previously done the same thing to tile owner of the whip, and also to another defendant. He had published an apology in the local papers in which he described the assault as "Horsewhipping." This was held to be an aggravation of the offence by complainant. Marked newspapers played some part in the case.

A writ for libel claiming £600 damages has been issued against a brother officer of Lieutenant-colonel Hawkins, who wrote on the subject of the assault to a local paper vr^th some warmth.