POLICE COURT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8830, 14 July 1890, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

Saturday, July 12.— Before 0. C. Kettle, Esq., R.M. ALLEGED ASSAULT ON MAORI WOSIAN. Arnold George was charged with assault on Mere Ripo, on tho Barrett Road, on 1 May 12. 1 The greater part of the evidence was heard on Monday last, when the hearing was adjourned till Saturday. Mr Pardy represented the police, and Mr Roy appeared for the accused. Major Brown interpreted for the police, and Mr Stockman was present as interpreter for the accused. (Continued from Town Edition Saturday ) Mary Jane George, continuing, said that Mere Ripo told her that she expected she would be shot some day by pheasant shooters, as they would not see her when she was picking fungus or pottering about her grounds. Thus when she saw the man carrying the gun she got frightened. This was all the conversation, The natives know Mr A. George as Apariri, and his children as the boy Apariri. Mr A. George's father's name is William. Witness knew of no other Alfred George except a son of that name. Alfred George has four sons, viz., Percy (about 22), Arnold (about 21), Harold (about 15), and Alfred Oscar (13 years). By Mr Pardy : Witness remembered telling Constable Hendry that Mere told her that the man had hair all the same as her daughter " Jessie's, which is reddish." Mere said this. Mere was bleeding from mouth and nose, and witness might have said that she feared Mere would die. She suggested that Mere might send her son Dan to tell the police. Mrs Crozier urged that witness should send her boy in to the police, but witness did not, as the boy was too small, and, moreover, she did not want to be mixed up in the matter too much. By His Worship : Mere gave me to understand there was something done to her beyood striking and knocking her down. More has not been away from home much during the last three or four' years, on account of being so decrepit. Arnold j George had 'been, she thought, away from home during the last two years, but had visited home occasionally. John Veale Dingle, farmer at Tataraimaka, stated that he had heard of the assault on Mere Ripo. He heard of the assault on May 13— the day after. He fancied the assault occurred on the Monday, as he understood it was the day before he was told. It might have been on the Wednesday he was told. He was driving fat stock into Moturoa" on May 12, and when he came to the tollgato ho saw a person jump Mr Newman's paddock fence, and cross the Barrett Road in the direction of Mr. A. George's house. The person was a stranger to witness. This was about 3 o'clock. He was a tall man, about 30 years of age, rot particularly stout, but taller than accused, and had a lot of hair on his face. He had red whiskers. He had a light suit on. He must have been a nian six feet high. He was certain that the man was not accused. He fixed the day, as he generally came in on a Monday. He was not certain as to this day till he saw his books. When the man got near Mr George's house he stopped, turned, and went down at the back of Blagdon. When he got to the slaughterhouse at Blagdon he saw a party standing on a by-road, hesitating which way to go. He was not certain if it was the same man. Did not see the gun close enough. Tho man had no dog with him. He did not know by what name the Maoris knew Alfred George. By Mr Pardy : The time he saw the man was about three o'clock. The place where ho saw the man was three-quarters of a mile from where the assault was said to have been committed. He tried to shirk him in every way. By His Worship : The neatest witness was to the man was from 200 to 250 yards. Carl Christiansen, a farmer at Omata, deposed to having seen a man with a gun near his place on a Monday or a Tuesday. This was the evidence for the defence. For the Crown Mere Ripo was recalled, and denied that she had the versation as stated by John Hooker. Constable Scully was also called as to Christiansen's evidence. After Mr Pardy and Mr Roy had spoken His Worship considered that a prima facie case had been made out, and committed the accused to stand his trial at the Supreme Court Sittings in October next. Bail was allowed, accused in his own recognisance of £100, and two sureties of £200 each. The Court rose.