POLICE COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 95, 8 May 1900, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

Monday, May 7th.—Before Mr. R. lJ ' Stanford, S.M. 1 KIVAL EXPRESSMEN, 3 John F. Hooker was charged with » assaulting and beating W. J. U. Frceth j at the goods shod on May 3rd. 1 Mr. Sponce (Mr. Roy) appeared for . the prosecutor, and Mr. Weston for the . accused, who pleaded " Not guilty." 3 Evidence was given by the prosecutor (manager of the N.Z. Express Co.) that j he was in the railway goods shed on j May 3rd, and while standing on the 3 edge of the building Hooker, with whom j he was not on friendly terms, came and j bumped into him, remarking, " If you 3 speak to any more of my travellers as you did last night I will knock your j head off." Witness replied that he would speak to anyone he liked, and j. accused' then struck him a blow with j his open hand on the side of his head. Witness then said, " I've been longj suffering enough with you, Hooker, but s I will bring you up for this." Accused _ then made use of most abusive language 3 and took hold of him and dragged him round the shed, witness resisting, j McNiccoll interfered, and Hooker a walked away. On one or two occasions a he had been roughly handled by Hooker. * The friction was caused through their e being in opposition. He had been under medical treatment for the last Q four years, and was told that violent B knocks might bring on an old comg plaint. He felt afraid of Hooker be- _ cause he had an ungovernable temper. 1 In cross-examination, witness admitted that Hooker had a monopoly of 1 travellers' trade, and that ho (witness) e had obtained the weighbridge, preg viously in Hooker's hands, but had got it in fmr competition. , W. Hughes stated that he was present., but did not take much notice, as j ho wa ■ not anxious to got mixed up in j any iows. Had not heard any bad 3 languigo, and Hooker seemed cool. M. >S. McNiccoll, a clerk at the j goods shed, said that Hooker had hold f of Freitli and was dragging him along by tie shoulder. Hooker seemed exj cited tnd Freeth looked pale. Witness _ said lw would not have any wrangling, B and Hooker let Freeth go, saying he was no* going to hurt him, that he y was jipt taking him to seo' a receipt. MiVWeston said he would not call j any witnesses. The matter was too s crivial—fH mere storm in a tea-cup. It seemed jihafc Hooker had had a j monopoly of the commercial travellers 0 who cam* to this town, and Freeth had . been cutting into his business. Thii®, of _ cour.se, lo? to some lUtle annoyance between t}em, but nothing of a serious v nature. I\ appeared that there had [ been some'dispute about some coal, t and when : n the goods shed Hooker 1 had endeavmred to give satisfaction f by showing ?.'i-eth tho receipt, and in doing so had "Might hold of him by the t arm, and Fnvth lu;d resisted being led. f Woitiq, said he thought tho 3 ma tter might bo met by a line of 2s 6 ' y and andthat tho defendant ought j be bound over to keep tho peace for j six months on his own bond for £ i 0. i t VIOLENT ASSAULT. . Joseph Ilannam was charged with |. causing grievous bodi'y harm to Jaco l, , Johnston, at Mokau, on May 4th. I Rebecca Ilannam, wife of accused, stated she hid been keeping house for . Mr. Johnston, a bootmaker at Mokau , She had not seen the accused for four t years until last Friday, when ho came to the back door of the cottage and sa d, " I suppose you don't expect me I here' Witness said, " No." He then said, '• It's fine games you've beencarry- . ing. \Y itness ran to the shop, fol'owed by defendant, who said, " I.V e s got something in the bug for tho pair ( of yo'i." Ho had a canvas bag on his shoulder. When he saw Johnston accused made use of oflensivo language. . Johnston repl.ed that if accused used language like that ho would have to go out of the shop. Ilannam then said, ( "I've got something iu my bag for which I will servo a long sentence for , both of you." Then he deni mded of witness, but slie said she had no ( money, lie asked where all her monev had gone l'or these last four years, aiui !/said if she gave him some he would clear out to Auckland. After being (]uiet for a few minutes accused rushed round the counter with a soldering iron and hit Johnston on the lioad. Johnston then staggered to tho wall. A second blow was in tended for witness, but it struck Johnston on the side. Johnston, after a tussle with accused, put hi in outside, and witness went for tho police. Whon witness came back with the police Hanuam was gone Johnston's wounds, which bled profusely, were dressed, but he had been spitting blood e\er sine-'. • Dr. Walker stated that he examine ! J Johnston, and found a small lacerated wound on tho left temple. The i-.-ft eye was black. At tlie lower angle of tiie j iel't shouldor-bliuio wivo two slight, bruises. The man seemed nervous, .ind had evidently had a g,;od fright, but there v.: :. j Mgu ut iiiterual injury. J. Johnston corroborated Mrs. c Ilannam. a Constable I? usscll gave evidence as to a accused possessing a solderiug iron a similar to that described by Mrs, v Ilannam. a Constable McAnerin proved arrest- a ing accused between Mokau and Awa- i kino. Accused said Johnston came between him and his wife, but lie (accused) had given him a hammering " be >vouW remember him, by.

iii ■ ■——-gsrs^ Witness searched for the iron, bat did not find it. , Accused reserved his defeuce, and jwas committed for trial at the Mxt I sitting of the Supreme Court, , Bail was allowed in one surety of £3O or two of £ls,