USE OF PROVOKING LANGUAGE TO "SPECIALS."

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14838, 2 December 1913, Page 7

USE OF PROVOKING LANGUAGE TO "SPECIALS."

Most of the space available for tho public was occupied at tho Lyttelton Magistrate's Court yesterday morning when two men wero charged with using provoking languago to special constables. The cases wero heard before Messrs F. W. Anderson and L. A. Stringer, J.P.'s. Joseph Kirkham pleaded guilty to using obsceno language to a special constable in a railway carriage on tho 4 p.m. train from Christchurch to Lyttelton last Saturday. Ho elected to be dealt with summarily.

Senior-Sergeant Ryan stated that accused was a passenger by tho 4 p.m. train from Christchurch on Saturday last. There were several passengers in the ca-rriago, ono of whom was a special constable. Accused's mate toid him of this, and asked him to behave himself. Accused took no notice, and it was in answer to his mate that tho language charged against him was used.

lho Bench said that they had taken a firm stand regarding such language. Accused would be fined £5, In default ono month's imprisonment.

ANOTHER CASE,

John Healey, alias John Percy Inglcy, alias Melville, was then charged with using provoking language to a special constable 'in Oxford atreet, Lyttelton. on Saturday night. When asked how he would plead, accused said:—"Tho only thing I can plead is guilty, as I havo no chance of winning." Senior-Sergeant Ryan said that accused had been on the wharf seeing tho Wahine off. He made himself a nuisanco by booing and hooting, and had to bo taken off tho wharf. He wont into Oxford street, and accosting a 6_.cial constable asked him for a match. Tho '."special" turned to oblige accused, who then said to him: "1 won't take a match from you—l came to tell you what you aro. You aro a 'scab.'" Ho kept on in this strain until ho was locked up. The man, said tho Sergeant, possessed a very bad record.

The Bench decided to fine, him £5, with tho alternative of going to prison for one month.