A SENSATIONAL OUTRAGE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12666, 20 January 1912, Page 5

A SENSATIONAL OUTRAGE

POSTMISTRESS -BRUTALLY ASSAULTED. UNKNOWN ASSAILANT GETS CLEAN AWAY. (Per Press Association.) KIMBOLTO-N, this day. A dastardly outrage Avas committed at the post office at- Kiivitea, 12 miles from Feilding, at an early hour yesterday morning. About 1 o'clock Mrs Iveinahan, postmistress, avlio Avas sleeping Avith her daughter, 14 years old, Avas aAvakeued by a man, Avho had opened hcri windoAv. The man demanded the keys of the safe, Avhich the postmistress refused. She screamed, and the little girl ran across tlie road and aroused the neighbors. In the meantime the man dragged Mi's Kernahan through the AvindoAV, and brutally assaulted her Avith a heavy piece of Avood or an iron bar, hut by the time help had arriA*ed the man had completely disappeared. The Avoman Avas found lying unconscious and bleeding. She Was taken to Feilding for medical examination, Avhich showed that her arm Avas broken, apparently in, shielding her/ head. Her head was much bruised, and the victim is now in a private hospital seriously, though not dangerously, ill. Sergeant Bowden and DetectiA*e Quirk* quickly proceeded to Kiwitea, but though the whole district has been scoured, no trace has been found of the man. One or tAvo clues were followed up, but Avithout result. The affair is a shock to the district, as the postmistress, aa ho is a widoAV, is very popular.