THE WAIMEA.

West Coast Times, Issue 636, 8 October 1867, Page 4

THE WAIMEA.

♦ ■ (from; oub own cokbespondent.) October 2. In the stabbing case at Piper's Flat the following additional ev'dence was taken on Friday last, when Somers was remanded for another seven days : — Dennis iVl'Kenna, a miner residing at Quinn's Terrace, Piper's, saw prisoner dancing at the Baud of Hope Hotel on the 16th September, and afterwards walk to where Gavan was sitting, and raise his hands in a threatening manner. Witness asked Gavan what was the matter, and was told that Somers had offered to fight with knife or pistol. Shortly afterwards saw prisoner going to dance and Gavan stand up, as' if preparing to fight. Believed they struck each other. Witness interfered and made Gavan sit down. Some time after was leaving the hotel to go home, and, on passing through the bar, saw Somers standing with his back against the counter. Gavan and prisoner then rushed at each other. Somers was in a stooping position, and appeared to make some shuffle, such as putting his hand into his pocket. He then brought his I hands together, and appeared to be opening ; a knife. Witness tried to catch hold of prisoner, to prevent his doing mischief. I but was caught by some person behind. Said to person who held him, ''Let me go or I will be stabbed." Witness saw Somers stab at Gavan several times, but did not see the knife. Prisoner then stabbed at witness, who broke away from the man who held him, and prisoner by the two shoulders and knocked him down. A man named Samuel Dodd then came and took a knife out of prisoner's hands. Prisoner endeavored to rise, but was pulled outside by witness and Dodd, who tied his hands and feet with two belts. Witness went into the hotel to see Gavan, who appeared to be weak, and was wounded in the thigh. Witness found his own trousers cut in two places, and a slight wound on his leg, though he did not feel the blow struck. Could not identify the knife produced. Edward A. Johnson, a legally qualified surgeon, residing at Stafford Town was called upou to visit Gavan at Quimrs Terrace, at eleven o'clock on the night of the 16th September, and found him suffering from a wound on the top of the left thigh. It was an incised wound about two inches long — not a clean cvt — it cut into tho muscle, which bulged out about the size of an egg. The skin was evenly separated at both edges, but the muscle being cut protruded about the size of a bantam's egg. Hearing that the knife had been broken witness probed the wound, but could not findlffie blade. " The wound was about a quarter of an inch deep. Witness only probed it with his finger. Did not consider the wound dangerous. He then dressed the wound, and had patient removed to his tent, and upon going there, Gavan complained of a pain in hia^sidel When in the tent found a wound on the left side of Gavan's abdomen. It -^ was a clean cut w juud. As the pentonium was not cut through, did not consider the wound dangerous. It was about half an inch long and the third of an inch deep. Both wounds were probably inflicted by the >• same "^instrument. Witness visited the patient next morning and found him progressing favorabb/. The wounds might have been inflicted by the blade of a small penknife. The wound on the thigh must have been inflicted by a downward stroke. The one on the abdomen must have been a straight lateral stroke. After examining Gavan, did not consider his life to be in danger.