A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7700, 8 May 1903, Page 3

A SERIOUS CHARGE.

ALLEGED ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO BOB: • At the Magistrate's Court this afternoon, before 'Mr W. Minson, J.P., and 'Mr J. Murray, J.P., Tiuwnas Houlahan and Edwin Drapper were charged! with having, on) May 6, assaulted Chades H;nry Lee Waltea with, intent to Toi> him. Sufa-lnEpector Dwyer •conductedi the prosecution, and! Mr Donnelly appeared, for the defence. C. H. L. Walter, an auct oncer, stated that between :p.nv. and five o'clock on May 6he : had occasion to visit am outhouEe situated in a right-of-way near His Lo-rd-ship's Hotel, in tLichfield Street. He was approached! 'by a man, wSo said) he wanted to show< Vitnessv-something. He did) not lite the appearance of ths maUi and! warned him not to interfere. The man repeated the remark that he -wanted! to. show witness something four or five times. Witness again told' 'him not to interfere, and jaid that "toe would please himself." The accused tLoulaihaa was the man who accosted him. A little later Drapper appeared on the scene and the two men made strong efforts to force witness into an outhouse. He realised his position and. made a desperate struggle, getting partially away. While doing so, he was kicked on the left leg by HoulaJian. Houlahan then seized witness by the throat, but witness again; struggled free. Houlahan then made a snatch at his chain. saying, "I'll take the - — r-'s watch- I chain." ." Both accused tried to force witness^ into an outhouse, but he kept against the fence. He was struck on the head, and Drapper caught his beard and said, " I'll pull your head off." Witness challenged them. to come out into the lane if they wanted to* fight. Both accused stepped back and witness ran into the lane. The accused tried to get him into the right-of-way -again, but he stood his ground. Another ma.n came into the right-of-way, and said, " You're like me. You prefer the open." Drapper caught witness- by the beard and gave it a severe pull. Witness stood there and was struck a severe blow on the face by Drapper. . He retreated towards Manchester Street, when Drapper came up and said " Come and have a drink, old chap ; it's all right." Witness quietly said, •" It does not matter," and walked to Manchester Street to look for a constable. Not seeing one, he 'went to his office and rang up, the police station. Two constables came to his office and went with him to the Wellington. Hotel, where they found the accused in a private bar. The constables asked them to come outside, but they refused and were arrested and charged. Houlahan came to witness and said that they would apologise if witness would withdraw the charge. Houlahan said that money was no object to them, and he would give witness £15 to withdraw the charge. One of the constables was present at the time. Witness said that the matter was in the hands of the police, and he would see what they would say. Witness never met the accused before that day. He was carrying about £200 with him when the assault took place. He was not aware of the accused's knowing that he had the money, and he was perfectly sober. He had had no in-, toxicating liquor at all. Cross-examined by Mr Donnelly: If the men he met in the right-of-way were going from His Lordship's to the Wellington Hotel, they would haye 'to pass the outhouse near which the assault took place. (Left sitting.)