THREE FAMILIES—ONE HOUSE!

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3576, 16 July 1912, Page 7

THREE FAMILIES—ONE HOUSE!

SQUABBLE ABOUT ROOMS ENDS

IN FIGHT.

WOMAN CHARGED WITH STABBING A MAN. i[?EE PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, July 15. On a charge that on the evening of Saturday a week back she had. stabbed John Inkster, a fisherman, with a knife, Annie Monahan, a married voman,, about 37 years of age, appeared at the Police Court this morning. She pleaded “not guilty.” Sub-Inspector Hendry stated that an altercation arose in a house m Alexandra Street between Inkster and Monahan (accused’s husband) about the reams in the house. The altercation ended in a scuffle between the two, in which they both came to the floor. It was alleged that then Mrs Monahan went and stabbed Inkster in the back of tlie thigh and he went out of the house and made a complaint, which resulted in his being taken to the police station and. then to the hospital. Next day accused was arrested, after inquiries had been made, and she suggested that Inkster had come by the wound as the result of falling on broken "lass in the room. Dr. Abbott, who had attended Inkster at the hospital, stated that the wound was clean-cut on the outer back portion of the thigh, a little above the knee. It was about an inch long and an inch and a-half deep and was apparently inflicted by a pointed and possibly sharp instrument. There were no indications of glass in the wound. The man would lie three weeks yet in the hospital. The wound was such as might have been caused by some one striking down with a pointed instrument while Inkster was on the ground as had been stated. Accused : [More likely lie did it with ones of his own knives which he was trying to get into my husband. John Inkster, who had to be carried into Court, said that he resided usually in No. 93 Alexandra Street, which he shared! with Mr and Mrs Poltrich. He had the two upper rooms. The Poltriclis came on the Friday of last week to stop in the house. Mr and Mrs Monahan went into the house also on the Friday and they complained about witness having too much of the house. On the Saturday evening witness went into the Poltrich’s part of th© house—a front bedroom downstairs. There were present also Mrs Poltrich, Mrs Monahan and Monahan, and the trouble started over the rooms. Monahan caught hold of witness and they had a struggle in winch both of them came to the floorAA'itness was on top and Mrs Monahan went behind them and stabbed witness in the leg with some weapon and then ran and jumped into bed. Witness got up saying: “I’m stabbed,” and went out into the street, where he met a man who took him to the .police station. * It was not possible for Monahan or anyone else in the room but accused to have stabbed him. He and Monahan did not roll over after they fell to the floor and there was no broken glass on the floor at the time. To Accused: You stabbed me and then jumped into bed. I didn’t have a knife in my belt and never carried one in my life. “You had a knife in your hand ana did it vourself!” “No!” “And you picked it up and ran out the door!” “No!” “It’s a lie! You did!” Sergeant Murray and Constable Blake gave evidence as to Inkster’s condition when he reached the Police Station. They also stated that when they visited the house in Alexandra Street they found bloodstains in tlie room referred to by Inkster, but coulci find no pointed knife or instrument such as might have caused the wound. Neither was there any broken glass m the roon\. Inklster himself Lad no j knife when lie was taken to the police station. _ This was the case for the prosecution. Accused, who was not represented by Counsel, pleaded “not guilty” and reserved her defence. She was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, bail being allowed in two sureties of £SO each.