FREE FIGHT A COURT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1243, 25 December 1885, Page 3

FREE FIGHT A COURT.

At Ade’ai Ic, on November 30, William •unhyi’-tJiivernhunt engineer and surveyor, was coin iii r.ted for tria* <m a eh irge of tb ducting Catherine T- resa Waugh," under f'jurteeYi years ol age, an I refusing tor return t(ie child when demamlat by her mother, Mrs Prince, whoso daughter she was. was corroborated hv his" wire. pleaded that he had not sarrendeWed th" child owing to the'ill treatment'ahe stiff red by her mother, who frequently dr nik. At the conclusion of the case-a scene of unparalleled disorder occurred. The defendant was on the point of givin, thejiecessaiy hail fir his li>-eratioii, who" the mo herof- the girl -the latter having’ appeared as a witness for the defendant, with whom she had Jlej-i). si Jting—whJet p ejenr, in ‘ C 'Urt made a . movement towards 1 her cliild, with the object of securing her. Mrs Gunby was,-however, apoatenily preparol, for the. sortie", an* ■ she sarang in front of the child, who was i ninediaitely surrounded-by the rest of the females with whom she had been con versing. Nothing, daunted, ■ Mrs Brine (forced her way to -the child, who was screaming piteously, land had managed to get hold of her arm, when the wnole of the counsel engaged in the case were seen to j nn inthe m'.lee, A seene of iodesurii-able confusion en-uerl, several law clerks, policemen, private'detectives, and others who were in the building dashing violently against the mass, of., shrieking wonrin and struggling men,- and giving .to the scene the appearance of a general .free firiit,...Backwards and forwards the'maas swayed, and as the conflicting parties each hv! a firm hold of the poor girl 4 appeared as though she wonldt he literally dragged to pieces; and the fecreams that emanated from her lips and deathly pallor of her countenance went to strengthen- lhat idea. Several of ! those who'j lined in the disgraceful ftffdr were incited to do , so by the ilNtreatraent the child. was receiving. - At first the general desire appeared to bo to secure possession of the girl j but a bellicose spirit seemed to take possession, of the males engaged in the ' straggle, and they allowed the women to continue (the unmerciful struggle for the girl, whilst they pulled each other hack from the surging so. no. At one time Mr Kingston wits seen on the outskirts of tho crowd with his high J hat knocked from its perpendicular, and Mr'F. \V, Hacker was struggling in his arms the picture of rage • whilst the next minute Mr Holland had-seised Mr Nicholson who had been straggling with great bravery against the attack of an articled clerk and » muscular looking policeman,

I and twisted him round in n mariner that at hue time threatened to i. send that I,gentler.' man to earth. So. professional was the twist, injact, that Mr Nich dson evidently recognised the superior abilities ".'of the opposing; 'faction, And retired liehind the cle k’s table, gesticulating wildly to Mr Beddonie, who bad b en s-oUliy watching the proceedings from his desk Mr Ntcbol-. son ro;e&idly called out " Can't you do anything in this matter? ” Mr Beddome, however, vernainc-h mu‘e. and Mr Nicholasm, receiving no snpp rtf-om that quarter returned to the. fi -nr of the budding, and was so -n - afterwards again oouspieUons in the struggling crowd. The nest combatant to letlre was Mr Hawker, wrio, having been rehevel by Mr Kingston, had rasher wifh such valor into me tight that his opponents had considered it necessary to use greater violence. With the result that the face of Mr Nicholson's partner presented the appearance of a pugilist’s. Thi-i gentleman also considered it necessary to appeal to Mr feddmoe' fur as {stance ; tint the Magistrate remained silent. At this time the girl, who had for some time been crying bitterly called out “Take me away ! Take tu# away I managed to break from Iris grasp of those who held her. and rushed towards the tailings, with the evident id j cc of throwing herself am mgsfc the spectators, lust, however, as she reached tne lie place the parties secured her a >uin, and with a rtl-h tne struggle was transferred to the northern end of the building. There Mr Chipp, who bait appeared as a witness for- the def nca, and had sr.u k close to the g rl throughout, was brought forcibly to the ground, and ha prosf* e body at one time threatened to bring. several others down. At this period quire 25 persons were engaged in the scrimmage, and the struggle was continuing with tin-, abated vigor, when Mr Barley (ex constable) suddenly lifted up the girl, and, shaking off all opponents with an almost superhuman effort, rushed out of the eastern door, closely fo lowed by Mrs prince an) two or three others. On si le a cab was standing, and into this the girl was chrost and rapid y driven off. As the mam who ba>l obtained pdas salon of the girt was lecognisei a-* one- of Mrs Pi nice's faction, the result wss looked on as a victory for the nioth-*r, Mr Bad-lome having previously ord- red the doors «f the Court to be shut, only two or three persons had made their exit. When order had been restored, be remarked s “I will sign warrant! for everyone oncenual in the riot, and everyone charged shall lie looked op 10-night.” This annonceaient wa» fo.lowed by a profound silence. One by one the solicitors aud otheis left the building tlu-ir depart ure being the signd for ton I cheers or hiss-gi according to the views entertained by those wh*> riad wi‘iieg-ed the struggle j from the body of the Court,- Age.”