THE DAILY COURT LIST.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1918, 28 November 1913, Page 9

THE DAILY COURT LIST.

SEVEN MEN CHARGED. THE BARROW LOAD OF MISSILES. Seven strike cases were called on at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr. W. G. .Riddell, S.M., continued the healing of the charge against George Draper of having aided divers persons t:> assault special constables in k\:itherstqn Street on November o. ChieiDctectivo Broberg prosecuted, and Mr. F. 1-Loldsworth defended.

The evidence for the prosecution was beard on the previous day. The allegation against Draper was that he wheeled a barrow of missiles out of the timber yard of Messrs. M'Leod, Weir, and hopkirk (where he is employed) for rioters to throw at. tho mounted specials who were passing at tho time. James Mitchell Ramsay, an employee of Messrs. M'Leod, Weir, and Hopkirk, stated that be had noticed a man wheeling a barrow of bricks out of his employers' timber yard. That man was not Draper, who was in working attire. Tho man with the barrow was fully dressed. Robert Chain, a sawyer at the timber yards, stated that he was standing at the Fcatherston Street gate when tho horses went by. There was a crowd of thirty or forty people in the yard. After witness returned to where ho was working ho saw a man wheeling out a barrow. He was certain that that man was not Draper. Thomas Mahoncy swore that Draper did not go more than a few feet from tho engine-room door, and did not wheel the barrow. Tho man who did take tho load of missiles out was a well-dressed person whom ho did not know.

A machinist at tho yards, Thomas Clarke, deposed that tho man who wheeled the barrow was not Draper,'hut a well-dressed man in a blue suit. Witness admitted that ho did not interfere with tho man. Jacob Smith, AYilliam Newman, and Charles Piper also gave evidence, in Draper's behalf. All tho witnesses were soarchingly cross-examined by Chief-Detectivo Broborg, and tho result was that tho statements of several of them varied. , His Worship convicted Draper, and fined him £o, in default one month's imprisonment. Draper was also required to enter into ;\ recognisance to keep tho peace for six months, and was ordered to pay £1 16s. witnesses' exand 13s. Court fees. Chief-Detoctivo JSrobcrg .then withdrew the chargo against Draper of having taken part in the riot. Tho charge, ho said, would only be supported by the samo evidence.

THE MAN WITH THE BANGERS. HIS MENTAL STATE. Sydney Claridgo was charged with having taken part in a, riot in Taranaki Street on November i. Inspector Hendry prosecuted, and Mr. H. F. O'Loary defended. Constable Longbottom stated that on tho night of November -1 the upper portion of Taranaki Street was in a'state of riot, and Claridgo was in tho crowd near the Koyal Tiger Hotel. Claridgo throw something at the horses, which exploded near their feet, and caused them to prance about a grea't deal. Ho caught accused, and found a number ,of bangers (rockets) on him, and n long ,bar : b'f 'iron.partly concealed in his coatsleeve. Acoused did not give his name for some time after ho was nskod to do so, but several people present said that his namo was Claridgo. Tho disturbance was a very serious one, and tho .Royal Tiger Hotel suffered seriously. One constable was badly injured—he was knocked off his horse—and was still in a somewhat serious way.

Senior-Sergeant Dew, of Mount Cook, deposed that, at tho time indicated on the charge-sheet, several hundred people were engaged in attempting to wreck the Koyal Tiger Hotel. , As to Claridge's part in the affair, the sergeant bore out Constable Longbottom's evidence. To Mr. O'Leary: Inquiries which ho had made about Claridgo had elicited the information that tho man was considered to be "a- little bit soft." Constable AVroblinski, from Christchurch, who was on duty in Taranaki Street at the time of 'the riot, confirmed the evidence of the previous, witnesses, and said that the police task that night was a difficult and dangerous one. Only a "Boyish Man."

Mr. O'Leary said that tho facts could not be challenged, but he w ould ask tho Court to reduce the charge on tho ground of accueed's intellectual condition. Claridgo was 29, but had the mind of a boy. He was once a prominent member of tho Salvation Army. Ho used to sell tho "Warery," but now he. sold other publications. For some time psioj' to the riot he had been saving his peiico to buy crackers for Guy Fawkes' Day, and that was why ho had the explosives in his possession. Tho iron bar was ono which -he picked up in tho street, and, as it was long and thin, ho was taking it homo to hang a wardrobo from. llichard Hawkin, manager of tho Empire Manufacturing Company, was called. He stated that Claridgo had been employed at bottle washing at the factory for several years. Ho know that accused was looked upon as a boyish man. Ho was, however, a good worker, and a man of quiet disposition. 'Witness was prepared to enter into a bond that Claridgo would keep the peace for six month". Tho magistrate said that he was prepared to reduco the chargo to one of the, use of conduct likely to provoke a breach of tho peace. To this.count a plea of guilty was entered, and Claridgo was lined £2, and required to enter into a bond to keep tho peace for six months. He was allowed one week in which to pay the line.

OTHER CASES. PASSAGE IN A'HOTEL, BAR, James Alexander Douny was charged ivilli using obscene language to the licensee of the Koyal Tiger Hotel. Accused pleaded that if ho did uso the, language lie did so boeause In; v:as provoked. Two special constables gave evidence to the elt'ect that they had heard Denny use the language. .Denny asked each witness if they liad not been in ijie si:;ponny liar of tho Koyal Tiger while 'he was at the fourpenny bar, and if they bad not invited him round to drink with them, and then .hit him. Jioth witnesses stated thai they liad not been in the hotel. Denny war. lined £5, in default '21 days' imprisonment. 'Old Man in Court. A grey-headed old man, William Parker, was helped into the dock to answer a. charge of having taken part in the Waterloo Quay riot of October HO. On the application of Chief-De-live Hroherg he was remanded till December 4.

Remanded Cases. On Ihe application of Mr. I'. .1. O'llegan the ease of Charles Johnson was adjourned till December I. Johnson is charged with having assaulted Ouy Ilaveloek Kingdou, a special constable, on November 19. A remand till December !> was made in the case of Albert Anderson, who is charged with: (1) Having taken part in an unlawful assembly in Manners Street nu November 18; (■_') assaulted Philip Power, u special constable.; (3)

taken part iu a riot on Queen's Wharf on October .'ill; and (-1) assaulted Arthur Hardy Kitehing. Mr. !'. J. O'lie-gmi. made the application for the remand. Hurled a Bottle. Albert Powell was charged with "assaulting Constable Joseph Jackson Wilson, on Wednesday night. Inspector llemiry i.tatcd that it appeared that Powell tried to sneak behind a special constable'to hit liim with a bottle. Mo was detected, and Heel. Constable Wilson, however, blocked the way, and Powell hurled the bottle at him with all bis force. The missile did not strike the constable's, head, but, caiighc liim on the shoulder.

Powell was sentenced to twenty-ono days' imprisonment. His Expensive Pastime. Lewis Vivian Moore was charged with having used obscene language in Customhouse. Quay. Ho pleaded guilty. Inspector Hendry stated that .Moore bad been convicted at Pac-roa in June last year on a charge arising out of the Waihi labour trouble. Moore was lined £J, in default L'l days' imprisonment. The Magistrate (to Moore): "I dor.bi very much if the game is worth "Jie caudle; if the use of- one obscene expression is worth the fino you have gee to pay for it."