PUGILISTIC STEWARDS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3196, 21 September 1917, Page 6

PUGILISTIC STEWARDS

BLACK EYE AND BROKEN NOSE. A case that oocupied considerate time in the > Magistrate's Court yesterdav morning and caused a great deal of amusement was that in which Charles Ray Coburn, steward on an oversea_veasel, was charged with assaulting Lawrence Kelsey, another steward on the 6atne vessel. Hr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., presided, aud Mr. H. P. O'Leary. appeared for the accused.'The complainant stated that he was,lying in his bunt on the evening of September 18, when the accused came into the cabin and tried to go through his trousers pockets. There was a violent struggle, and eventually the ivccused went away to bin quarters. Next morning he heard accused, -who was coming towards the cabin occupied by -witness, threaten to assault him. Accused was carrying. a knife, and struck atf witness, causing a wound on the hand. There was another fight, which .witness said could not be called a fair fight as the accused ran away. In cross-examination, witness admitted that on the night m question he was under the influence of liquor, but not drunk. He was defending himself against accused. Mr. O'Leary: The accused states that he had his nose broken, his eyes blackened, his teeth knocked, out, and was bitten by you on the ribs. What do you say to that?—"l was defending my self*" Mr. O'Leary: You got the best of the battle, and the accused was really the man assaulted. ' ' j , Continuing, witness said that ■when the fight was resumed the following morning he threw a cuspidor at the accused in self-defence. The accused Coburn in his evidence stated that lio went aboard soon after 10 o'clock in the evening, and had with him n bottle of whisky to "give the boys a pull." He saw Kelsey in his bunk, and invited him to have a drink. The lattor said: "Get away, 1 don't want to have anything to do with you." This led to an altercation, when Kelsey got out of his bunk, struck witness on the face with a bottle (he had two bottles of beer in the cabin), kicked him on the cheek, and knocked his teetli out, and also bit him on the ribs. Witness was knocked under the bunk. The next morning tho two met in an hotel between (i and 7 o'clock, when Kelsey questioned Coburn about some clothes. Both men returned to the vessel, when the fight was renewed and the police called in.. The Magistrate said that both men were drunk, and the only sober witnes* saw nothing of the commencement of the quarrel. He dismissed the information.