"POWELKA WEEK."

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 41

"POWELKA WEEK."

CHARGES AGAINST M'MINN. PALMERSTON N., April 25. The cliarg.es against A. F. M'Minn, of discharging firearms at the dwelling-house of Neil Shields and demanding admittance to Shields' house and of violent behaviour and discharging firearms within the borough, were set down for hearing at the Court to-dav. The alleged offences occurred during " Powelka Week." M'Minn is also charged with assaulting Mr L. E. Laybourne and Mr E. Pratt, whom, it is alleged, he stuck up. M'Minn has admitted that he was the man who stuck up Pratt and Laybourne on the night on which Quirk was shot earlier in that evening, but he denied that he had stuck up Richards, who had told the story of a man who he' alleged to be Powelka jumping into his cart. M'Minn said he had been searching for Powelka all day and believed it necessary to stop these people to ascertain who they were. He fired three shots at Shield's house because someone rushed out of a shed he was searching. He had freely admitted these filings to Detective Siddells when asked about it.

Judgment was reserved in the case relating to sticking up Laybourne. The casa involving the sticking up of Pratt will he heard to-morrow. Both are cases of. simole assault. A POWELKA CHAMPION. The Powelka hunt was responsible for s, case of assault which came before Mr A, D. Thomson, S.M., to-day. The parties were Herbert Vaughan and William Abbot Weeks, and the case arose out of defendant, an old man of sixty years of age, throwing a large stone at plaintiff and striking him during a heated discussion as to the character and personality of Powelka. Herbert Vaughan, a farmer, of Awapuni, said that on April 12 last he was at the factory at Awapuni supplying milk. Defendant and others discussed the Powelka incidents at some length. Weeks took the side of Powelka, and said that the latter was a better man than witness. Witness said that Weeks must be Powelka's confederate. Weeks got in a passion and held Powelka up as a hero and an innocent man. Witness came down and shook defendant. He turned to go away, and Weeks picked up a large stone and threw it, hitting witness on the top of the head. William Abbot Weeks, sixty years of age, said he had a friendly argument to begin with about Powelka. Vaughan was in°his cart and witness was on the ground. Witness said the man must be given a trial before he was convicted. Plaintiff called witness a confederate, and swore at him. Witness swore back, and plaintiff jumped out of the cart and hit witness three times before he retaliated. Witness threw a stone, which grazed plaintiff's head. The Magistrate said that trouble was brought on by Weeks. If the scuffle had ended the quarrel he would have treated the matter lightly. The throwing of stones altered the complexion of the case. Defendant was convicted and fined £2 and costs (£1 15s).