DISTURBERS OF THE PEACE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1902, 10 November 1913, Page 9

DISTURBERS OF THE PEACE.

BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE

SUBSTANTIAL • PENALTIES.

TWO mAMWAYMEN INDICTED,

Several further charges arising out of street disturbances in connection with the Strike wero dealt with in the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning. Mr. W. (J. Riddell, S.M., was on tho Bench. The Tramwaymen. Albert Nowson, a tramway conductor, was charged with having assaulted Frank Duncau Herrick on November 5; and John Paton, a tramway niotorman, was charged with having, on the samo day. assaulted a person unknown. The nature of the assault alleged against the motorman is that, during' the riot on Wednesday last, lie deliberately drovo_ a tramear into a horse which was being ridden by oiie- of tho special constables. Mr. H. F. Q'Leary, who appeared as counsel for the defendants, asked for a remand and for bail. Tlie cases wore postponed till Wednesday next, and bail was fixed at- £80. " Smacked!" " I turned him up and smacked lutii," said Special Constable James Henry, when giving evidenco against a little man named William Parker, who was accused of having attempted to provoke a breach of tlio peace on the King's Wharf en Saturday morning. Witness stated thst he saw Parker hanging about ths wharf and told lum to cither go to . work, or get • off the wharf. Parker became abusive, ■ with tho result that lie was caught, smacked, and handed over to the police. Oilier evidence was given to the effect that Pai'ker kicked one of tho constables.

Parker depi-M to give- evidence. Ho \veiit into tiie box, and tho Bible was offered liim so thai he could swear the ■usual oath.

" I Lave nothing to do with this, absolutely;" I'.o said. Ho was then sworn by afßriiiiition. Sis evidence ran: i was coming off tile wharf, aiid I met t'ho last witness (Special Constable John B. Davis). I said: "Don't you think you are doing wrong to bo here r 1 Would it Hot ho bettor to bo back ill your own place in tho country." There was lio obscene language, Then this big man (Special Constable Henry) came along and they

got me down and dragged mo along the gravel without a hat, The Magistrate: Tho evidence is aaainrt. you, defendant. You are fined £5, ifl default ono month's imprisonment. Defendant (walking out): The month will da liio. Idle ansi Disorderly Ruffian. John Harrison was charged with having, on Thursday, used threatening behaviour on Lnmbton. Quay with intent to provoko a breach of tho peace; further, he was accused of lining .all' idle and disorderly person, without visible menus of support. Harrison denied having committed an assault. Respecting the oilier charge ho said he must plead guilty, because lie could not go to work "white these men are out oil strike." Inspector Hendrey stated that Harrison was arrested because ho was Walking along lianibton Quay with two large pieces of metal in his hands, shouting that ho would knock the brains out of certain persons. He was not a waterside worker, nor a worker at all. Tho suspicion was that ho followed drunken men about with the object of robbing tliem. f >. > .

rect or robuing litem. _ . For being idle and disorderly Harrison was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. For his misbehaviour in the street he was fined £2. Ho went out protesting that it was not fair to imprison him for not working when men wero out on strike. £100 Bail. Frank Law was accused of having, on November 7, while a member of all unlawful assembly, conducted himself in such a manner as to cause persons in the neighbourhood of tho assembly to

fo.nr on reason-able grounds that tho persons assembled would disturb the peace tumultuouiily. Mr. H. E. Evans, who appeared for the said that lie understood tftat the police desired a remand in this case. He asked for bail. The Magistrate fixed tiro amount of bail at £100. tho ForßlcMen Word "Scab;"Peter Qtiinn, a particularly big, man, was charged with having used insulting words within the hearing of passersbj™ with intent to provoke a breach of, tho peace by calling out the word " scab'." Qiiinii denied the accusation. Ho ad-

mitted haying said "scab," but denied certain other W<>Ms. Special Constable Longbottem gavo evidence that Quinii had coB-ittitted the offence alleged, and that he had broken out of the ranks and caught tho asCUS>G<i. Quimi was fined £5, in default 21 days' imprisonment.