LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1847, 5 September 1913, Page 11

LAW REPORTS.

FORECASTLE SCENE. SAVAGE AFFRAY ON S.S. KUMARA. MAN BADLY HURT. THE SEAMY SIDE .OF SEA LIFE. Midnight on Wednesday last was enlivoned, so far as the steamer Kumara was concerned, by a hand-to-hand fight between several seamen and firemen. Tho fo'c'sle was crowded with seamen, trimmers, and firemen, and matters became serious, when ono man (Anderson) was practically knocked out, and a doctor had to be called in. According to the police statement Anderson's face was bruised and cut, and lie had also sustained a somewhat 7 severo wound above the right thigh. Following on this outbreak of hostilities, Joseph Maynard, Florence Allan, and William Cleaver wcro takon off the. ship under arrest. At 2 a.m. yesterday Anderson collapsed, and the doctor was again called. He ordered Anderson's removal to the hospital. Proceedings followed . in the Magistrate's Court, when the three men arrested were charged with assaulting- Louis Anderson so as to cause him actual' bodily harm. Police Inspector Hendiy mentioned that the ship was to sail for London yesterday, and that the accused desired to call witnesses. , The Court adjourned so that these witnesses might bo summoned, and, j iVhen the sitting was resumed, the magistrate intimated to the accused that the offence with which they were, •charged was a serious ono, and they . would be well advised if tliey. secured the services of a solicitor. The men agreed to this course, and, as Mr. Dickson was 111 the body of the court, his Worship called on him. Mr. Dickson consented, and was allowed a quarter of an hour to confer with his liowlyfound clients. The first witness called was an A.B. named Kiernan, who stated that Anderson, who was a fireman, was in his bunk, when Maynard approached him. Anderson got up and caught hold of him and the pair camo to blows. In his opinion Anderson commenced the rumpus. Maynard presently called out, and Allan, a seaman, - came running in to assist him. It was soon apparent that tho newcomer was gotting the worst of the fight, as lie was of short build, and Anderson was a much largor man. Tho struggle continued, and Maynard and Andersoin presently flail over a small open iron grate. About this stage Cleaver camo in to assist Maynard, and eventually Anderson, after receiving. severe injury, wont back to his bunk. Karl Junsen, a foreigner, and a.sea-, man on the vessel, described the affair iu very lamo English. Thomas Kelly, A.8., statod that ho saw Maynard lying 011 the floor, and Allan went to liis assistance. Later ho saw Allan and Anderson fighting in tho forecastlo. Max Stoov, a fireman, gavo a different version. He stated that whilst Anderson was lying in his bunk, Maynard camo up and used certain language, Aifdorson rose from his bunk and said: "Are'you looking for anything?" and then tho encounter began. Allan and Cleaver arrived at this stage, and Allan exclaimed to Anderson, 'Til show you what fighting is." Blows followed. After further ovidonce, his Worship adjourned the case until Wednesday next, when the evidenco of tho doctor and the injured man will bo taken. Bail was allowod in the sum of £60 for each accused. The three accused were then signed off the ship's artiolos, and received their wages: The Kumara sailed; last night for London'. OLD OFFENDERS & NEW 'ACTS. James Oliver Armstrong, with a record of forty-nine previous convictions, admitted that ho stolo (1) a quantity of leather valued at £3, tho property of J. E. Butler; and (2) a roll of linoleum valued at" £4, the property of Walter Freeman. The magistrate- sentenced accused to three months' ■ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. James Pomfrct, an old man with a bad record, was sentenced to '.one month's imprisonment for stealing' a , coat and vest, tbo property of Allan } Ward. UNPROVOKED ASSAULT. 1 Charges of assault and damage to a property were admittod by Frank Kollermonn, and it appeared from the proceedings that accused had commitj tod an unprovoked assault on Win. _ Aubrey, whose only offence (remarked Inspector Hendry) was that he was inr dustrious. This assault culminated 111 r' tlie complainant being driven through e a window. Accused was fined £3 foi !, the assault, while, in respect to the oliarge of. breaking a window, he was fined 205., and 'ordered to pay the cost . of a new window. L EJECTED MAN'S ACT. '• After being forcibly ejected from the e New Zealander Hocel on Wednesday. Thomas Reeves threw a -stone at on< . of the windows. For damaging this J he waß fined 205., and ordered to paj ' 40s. damages. For a breach of hh prohibition order ho was fined £3. THE REVENGE. Alleging that she had been robbec of £2 10s. by a servant, Sarali Fallooi I ■ in revengo broke a plate-glass window ' valued at £17 10s., tho property 0! David Coronno. The woman had liac ' a bed at Coronno's in Vivian Street > and she subsequently returned and com mitted the, offencc. A sentonco of tw< months' imprisonment was imposed. OTHER POLICE CASES. For stealing a pair of boots, Josepl John Barrett, a seafaring man, wai fined 20s. Tho boots wero the propert; of Albert Walter, and thoy wore stolei from the barquo Titania. A fino of £3 was imposed upon Ed Robinson, who pleaded guilty to , ; charge of using objectionable language Joseph Robinson was fined 40s. foi j insobriety.