DUELLIST ACQUITTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 531, 7 December 1928, Page 9

DUELLIST ACQUITTED

STRANGE SYDNEY STORY men fight with swords SYDNEY, Thursday. The jury acquitted John Thompson at the Darlinghurst Sessions to-day on the charge of wounding 'William. Gibb In a duel with swords, and he was discharged. At the Sydney City Police Court on November 17, John Thompson, aged 40, was committed for trial on the charge of inflicting actual bodily harm on William Gibb. The police said they had found two bloodstained swords in a house at Paddington. Gibb denied that he had challenged Thompson to a duel. Tie said it was only a friendly fight. Doth had fought in the Great War. Witness also said he was a retired welfare officer from New Zealand. lie and Thompson had gone into a newspaper shop together. Thompson threw a bag of eggs at him. Witness went home and Thompson came there later, comparatively sober. He exclaimed: “Jimmy Gibb, you are a dead man.” The two men then commenced to fight with swords, said witness, and he was wounded on both arms. Thompson’s version of the affair was that he had drawn a sword in self-defence.