Levin S. M. Court

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 August 1915, Page 3

Levin S. M. Court

A OAJLU.U.UAI .muui iiiiAivL

Several charges arising out oi a brawl an Uxtoud-ata'eeo >on Saturday nigiit were heard at the Levin S.M Uourt on Monday morning beiore Messrs I , '. 0. Remington and jl'. \V. Uoldsmitli, J's.P.

The accused were Uouald A. Cameron ohargeu. .witn assaulting the polico, resisting the police aud damaging.a police coa-t valued at lUs ud; Thomas A. Cameron (who appeared in military

luulorni), threatening uohaviour ana assault; Hector McDonald, assaulting the police, obstructing the police and damaging a police helmet valued wt Us (id.

Constable liagrio prosecuted and Air U. iUoukhoru appeared ior the detendants.

All tho defendants pleaded guilty lo tlii-; several charges laid against them

Constable iiagrie saiu mat on Saturday evening between iu.3O and ll o'clock ho was on duty with Constable Ureggan in Oxford-street and saw TCameron behaving in a.' disorderly manner in front of Harris's uutenor ;hop. lie (Cameron) was under the influence of drink and Constable tireggan took him in charge. Ronald Cainoion oauic up and interfered saying thab tho wrong man had been arrested. He advised Ronald Cameron to go away, but lie followed and persisted in interfering ami witness then arrested him.. Thereupon Hector .McDonald interfered and in Bristol-street tripped him up ant: struck and kicked him. Hβ called on the bystanders to assist him but uono did bo. Constable Greggan let hi 3 man (T. Cameron) go ana came back to witness's assistance. I. Caniorou then came up aud struck Constable Greggan, cutting his late. The cut required several stitches. They got tho | two Camerons along 'to tne gates entering the station yard, and then H. McDonald appeared with a batten oif a fence, and it appeared that i'urther tiou/ble would ensue and tliey juade no attempt to proceed with ithe arrests just then, but waited until matters cooled down. Later he met T. Cameron and McDonald in the street and iLey came to the station quietly. K. Cameron gave himself uip next morning .Nothing -was known about the antecedents oi the two Camerons but McDonald had been before the Court on several occasions and a hue was no punishment to him.

Atr JJlenJihom auid that T. Cameron was a member of tlie Expeditionary I'orco and had come to t»ay good-bye w his friends and relatives in Levin. He got under the influence of drink and that was the cause of the trouble. K. Cameron was also under the influence' of drink and took it on nini;;elf to interfere with the police. Hector McDonald also joined in the l'racus. He thought that if T, Cameron was handed over to the military authorities to be dealt with the case would ho well n:et. lie thought that a fine would meet the case of It. Cameron. H. McDonald nad volunteered ixxr service; lie had passed the doctor and expected to bo called on any time. Active tiervice tended to make better and useful men, and he suggestd tnu-t McDonald u<j given the chance to proceed to thri Uont, instead of being sent to gaol a> suggested by the prosecution.

On the ih'est charge i. Cameron was convicted and discharged, and on tho second he was lined £i and ordered to pay £1 Is medical expenses, ii. Cameron was lined £2 on the first charge, on the second ho was convicted and discharged and on tho .third charge ne was ordered to pay lUs damage done to tho constable's coat.

Regarding H. McDonald, the iieneh said that he presented a problem. At first they thought they would send him to gaol for three months without the option of a nue, but on second consideration they thought, seeing that he had volunteered for the front, that a heavy line would meet tho case. Un tiie first charge he would bo lined £10 on the second charge convicted and discharged, an don tho third charge ordered to pay Us Od damage done to a police helmet. This sentence was inflicted on the distinct understanding that McDonald joined the torces for the front. This sort of thing could not bo allowed to go on, and Jf he came before the Court ho would receive the full sentence allowed by law.