STRUGGLE WITH MADMAN

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1932, Page 4

STRUGGLE WITH MADMAN

battle of wits at WAIHEKE constable just escapes injury LUNATIC ARMED WITH SLASHER. BARRICADED HIMSELF IN SHACK. ' By Telegraph.—Press Association. , Auckland,. Last Night. After a long and desperate struggle with a mental defective at' t Waiheke Constables Hancox and Worts succeeded in overpowering the man, handcuffed him and brought him to Auckland by launch. For two .and a-half hours a battle of wits was waged; and had it not ben for the tact exercised by both constables the man .might have injured them or suffered injury himself.

For nearly twelve months the man has lived alone in a small shack lent by the owner, who only periodically visits Waiheke. Complaints • have reached the police from time to time about the man, who for many months has been entirely dependent upon charity. The shack in which he lived, was not fit for human occupation, and unsuccessful efforts were, recently made to persuade the occupant to come to Auckland and be placed Under some kind of supervision. Residents were afraid of him, and it is alleged that he made a nuisance of himself by tying gates and fences with wire. REFUSAL TO ENTER jHOME. Last week-end Constable Hancox went to Oneroa and suggested to the man that he should enter the Wolfe Home, but he became indignant and refused. Yesterday both constables proceeded to, Oneroa with a warrant for his arrest on a charge -deeming him _ to be a mental defective not under ■ control. The constables reached thb , shack shortly before 1 p.m. They had some difficulty in gaining access to the section, aS the gates and fenced wOre securely wired. The warrant was read to the man, who replied that he was not leaving the island for anybody. He ran oil . across the fields towards the Sea With both constables in pursuit. After the man had covered a mile and when near the beach he evaded the constables and ran back to his shack. He locked and bolted the door and afterwards barricaded himself in. No coaxing would entice him out of the shack, so the front' door was partly smashed with an axe. “KILL FIRST MAN IN REACH.” The madman threatened, to kill the first man who 'zime within reach of him. He armed himself with a slasher and a long piece of steel with a particularly sharp point. With this he poked at the constables through holes in the walls whenever they came near. Constable Hancox then commenced to . break down the iron chimney at the rear of the one-roomed shack while Constable Worts stood near the front door in case the man ran out. The occupant saw the constable standing near the door, and creeping up poked the piece of pointed steel through An aperture in the door and jabbed at the constable. The piece of Steel struck Constable Worts* trousers, tearing a hole five inches long. The constable narrowly escaped serious injury in me stomach. The front door was then smashed right in. This considerably, aggravated the man, who ran out of the shack waving the slasher, menacingly over his head. He charged at both constables and chased them off the section, afterwards returning to his shack, . - still waving the slasher and warning the constables not to go near him. RESORT TO STRATEGY. The constables then resorted to strategy to entice the man from his lair. Constable Hancox commenced, to attract his attention and annoy him by throwing clods at him to force him to come out, hoping that Constable Worts could approach from behind.'and. secure him. The mnn rushed from his shack with a piece of concrete iii onO hand and a heavy board in the other. With the board he shielded, his chest. By this time Constable Worts had hidden himself behind a bush. Noticing that the man was not armed with the slasher he rushed, at him but could not prevent him from again reaching the shack. Then the man charged Constable Worts with a piece of board. * The men closed with each other and a terrific struggle ensued. The madman and constable rolled over and over and into «. 3ft. ditch, the-constable being underneath, wedged on his back with the man on top of him. He had both hands in a vice- . like grip on the constable’s throat and was trying to throttle him. Constable Hancox went to the assistance of Constable Worts and shortly afterwards the man was overpowered and handcuffed, but not until he was stunned by a blow with a piece of teatree. It was 3.30 p.m. when he was handcuffed and placed on a launch bound for Auckland.

This morning the unfortunate man was examined and later consigned to a mental hospital.