Police Court.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 52, 27 August 1894, Page 2

Police Court.

I ♦ THIS DAY. (Before Messrs W. Carthew and H. L. Sherwill, .LP's.) George Murphy and William Storey were charged with having caused a disturbance in the Salvation Army meeting at Feilding last evening, August 26. Mr Sandilands conducted the case for Captain O'Callahan of the Salvation Army. Defendants pleaded guilty under provocation. Clarke Lucas deposed : Saw defendants at the meeting of the Salvation Army last evening ; was placed as doorkeeper to watch these men ; they were mimicking the speakers, and witness told them to keep quiet, but one of them made an insulting reply ; the Captain was speaking when defendant Murphy went up to the wall to read a notice on the wall ; they then went to the door to go out, but it was against the rules of the Army to allow anyone to go out while any speaking was going on ; defendants mimickEd and made a funny noise while the singing was going on. By defendant Murphy : Had orders from the Captain not to admit defendants into the meeting, but Mr Thomas was at the door and he did not know defendants, and while witness was performing other duties defendants slipped in through Thomas not knowing them. By defendant Storey : Could not say if defendant was reading the notice relative to leaving the meeting while anyone was speaking. Hans Christensen deposed ; Saw defendants at the Army meeting last night ; drew one of defendants' attention to notice ou the wall relative to disturbances in the meeting ; Storey had his hat his hat on his head while in front of the notice and was fooling about ; Murphy rushed Douglas at the door and tried to get out ; he then pulled off his overcoat and struck Douglas on the right jaw. By defendant Storey : There was speaking going on when defendants went to read the notice. By the Bench : They did not try to leave while there was singing going on. John O'Callahan, deposed : Plaintiff was Captain of the Army at Feilding ; gave instructions to Mr Lucas not to ' allow defendants to come in ; defendants < walked along the aisle np to a notico i and the whole meeting was in a hubbub ; i shut the door with a view to giving them i in charge ; had been offered .£3 by Storey i if he would not prosecute, but would not take it. By defendant Storey : Would swear that ho bad been offered £3 not to i prosecute. i By tbe Bench : They were a bit lively > in the afternoon and thought it better to i keep them out in the evening. Samuel Wilson, deposed : Was at tho I Salvation Army on Sunday evening ; i there was a general disturbance in the '- meeting ; the Captain then told the » door-keeper to lock tho door, and de- > fendants then rushed to the door ; saw i one of the defendants in a scuffle and s heard him say *• Now boys for a free i fight," aud then Murphy struck Douglas under the ear. 5 By defendant Storey : Believed it was i Mr Baker who was speaking when dedefeDdants went to read the notice. James Morris, deposed : Was at the meeting and saw defendants who were talking ; Mr Christensen went and spoke ! to them. George Wickham deposed : Saw de- . fendants at the Army meeting last even- \ ing ; they were making a disturbance by ! talking during the meeting. [ By the Bench : The Captain was quite . justified in shutting the door and having defendants arrested. By defendant Storey : Knew defendr auts were the cause of the bother. T By tbe Bench : When the Captain orx dered the door to be shut defendants t caused a general disturbance. Albert Baker deposed ; While witness [ was speaking defendants went up to the wall, one of them having his hat on ; some one at the back of the hall inter- ! rupted Mr Woods while singing. For the defence defendants called ! Joseph Bellve, who deposed : Was ' sitting in the same seat as defendants, j. he did not think they were noisy. By Mr Sandilands : Did not hear anyj one disturbing Mr Woods while he was singing ; there was no tittering in tho \ meeting. George Thompson deposed : Defendant Storey was not causing a disturb- . ance when a member of the Army went to defendants and referred them to a , notice on the wall ; Storey then went up ' to read the notice and the Captain orl dered the door shut. By defendant Murphy : When defendants wont to the door two soldiers tried [ to stop them from going out. t By Mr Sandilands: Was a mate of } defendants ; saw one of the soldiers go . up and speak to Storey while singing . was going on ; his mates might have } " chipped in " while Mr Woods was , singing ; did not know why his mates were referred to the placard ; asked the , Captain after the disturbance, if he ' would let witness' mates off. By the Bench : Heard one of the soldiers ask one of his mates to read a notice on the wall ; they were not doing anything wrong at the time. Defendant Storey was sworn and deposed : They went to tbe Army in the afternoon and when the collection competition came on they threw up pennies. In the evening they were told to read a notice on the wall, which they did while a hymn was being sung, and tho doors were ordered to bo locked. By Mr Sandilands : Might have taken a chair in his hand, but did not remember doing so ; did not do anything to cause tittering or laughter ; did not know why Mr Christensen spoke to him > when tho doors were locked they tried to get out. By the Bench : Could not have read the notico from where they were sitting. Defendant Murphy was sworn and corroborated previous witness. By Mr Sandilands: Was a freethinker and went to all religious bodies to take notes, believed it was on account of throwing up the pennies that they were to be prohibited from entering the meeting : behaved in an orderly manner when he went to read the notice ; the disturbance commenced when four men caught hold of him. Constable Tuohy, in reply to Storey, deposed : Was told by Douglas that he (Douglas) caught hold of Murphy, before he was struck by the latter. The Bench in giving judgment said that defendants should havo been asked to leave the building when they commenced the disturbance. But they should not have tried to leave the building, after they had read the notice, while anyone was speaking. Defendants would be fined 20s each, or in default one mouth's imprisonment, with costs 7s, and solicitors fee 10a 6d. The Court then adjourned.