CHARGE OF INDECENT ASSAULT.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 966, 1 December 1882, Page 2

CHARGE OF INDECENT ASSAULT.

At the Resident Court today, Robert Carter Gowlaud was charged with indecently assaulting a Native woman named Miriama. MrHamerton appeared for the defence, and Mr Williams acted as interpreter. The evidence of plaintiff was to the effect that accused and a younger brother who were on horseback on Sept. 26th, met her at Whenuakura, and that the eldest boy committed the assault complained of. He caught her by the hair and threw her down, but she screamed until her son came, when accused and his brother rode away. Her son and a friend of his followed the accused. She saw the whip (produced) before. She saw it in accused’s hand. Mukaki stated that he was the son of the last witness. On Sunday last, the 26th of Nov. he was coming along by Sheahan’s ground where he saw two horses. Soon after he heard a woman calling out and dying, and witness then saw accused’s brother holding the horses. He did not know who the’woman was at the time. When he got near the- spot both accused and his brother rode away. He then saw the woman was Miriama, who said “These young men have been murdering me,” to which witness replied “ Yes, I have seen them.” Witness then went in pursuit of the young men. When witness came to a gate near Nicholson’s, he found the accused’s younger brother trying to open the gate. The accused turned round and showed light. He struck at witness with a whip. Witness took the whip from the accused, but by that time the younger one had opened the gate, and they both bolted. Witness still followed them, but could not catch them, so he called upon some other Natives to intercept them. When he got up|to them the other Natives had caught the accused. He then said to the Natives who had caught . the accused and his brother, “ I know them,-they are butchers from Patea.” (Left sitting.)