THE MAGICIAN AND THE PUBLICAN.

Evening Star, Issue 3017, 19 October 1872, Page 4

THE MAGICIAN AND THE PUBLICAN.

At the Greymouth Police Court on Sept. 28th, James Johnston was complained against by Louis Haselmayer with having made use of abusive and insulting language in a public place, on the 2oth instant, with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, Louis Haselmayer being sworn stated: I am a professor of music and magic. I became acquainted with the defendant two or three weeks ago, I met him in the street. He recommended me to stay at his house in place of Mr Gilmer’s I went to the defendant’s hotel. My agent, .Robinson, had been stopping there. I asked for my agent’s bill when it was a week due, and it was presented to me by the •waiter. The bill amounted to L2 2s, wren I said the agent had informed me that 80s was the amount agreed upon. The waiter said, “Our usual charge is L2 25.” I [asked for my own bill on Monday. It was handed to me on Wednesday, and it was charged at 10s a day, making L 3 10s per week, in place of the L2 2s as agreed upon. I then went to Mr Johnston, who was in a private room at the side of the bar. I complained to him of the charge after having made an agreement for L2 2s. The defendant denied having made any agreement. He said the witness should be treated the same as a commercial traveller. The defendant then said to me : “ You are a liar if you say 1 made an agreement.” I then said ; “To deny having made any agreement looks like swindling people.” The defendant then raised his fist, and standing close up to me said : “Do yeu want to fight. I replied. I was not in the habit of fighting. He said he did not wish it either, bat he would get the barman to fi*>ht me. A cross action was heard, in which the relative positions of the parties were reversed. The Magistrate dismissed the information as against Haselmayer with costs, and reprimanded Johnston for having, in his capacity as landlord of an hotel, made use of the uncalled-for and unwarrantable expressions shown by the evidence, He would be fined ho and costs on the first information. The

costs of the Court were LI 3s 6d; three witnesses, LI 10s; and professional costs, LI Is. The second information would be dismissed, each party paying his own costs, as he did nob consider it necessary, under the circumstances, to bind the defendant over to keep the peace.— Star.