FIRE SUPERINTENDENT

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1925, Page 1

FIRE SUPERINTENDENT

CHARGE OF INSOBRIETY. [by telegraph—rr.it tress association.] ' CHRISTCHURCH, January 14. At the Magistrate’s Court- this attcrlioon, C. C. AVarner, Superintendent of the Christchurch Fire Brigade, was charged (1) with being drunk while in charge of a. motor ear in Stanmore Road; (2) with using indecent language in a. public place; and (3) with having behaved in a threatening manner. He pleaded not guilty. The charges arose ont- of a. recent accident in whicli Superintendent AVarner was involved. Frederick Charles AA'illiams. furniture manufacturer, said that on December 20. lie was in Stanmore Road, near the Bowling Green, when he saw AA'arr.er in a Ford ear, travelling south r.t about -10 miles an hour, on the wrong side of the road. The ear went over the Armagh Street erossng at the same high rate of speed, and just as AVarner got past that street, lie ran into a gutter. The car jumped about three feet in the air, and then continued on for about another thirty yards, and finally collided with a telegraph pole. The car turned over on its side, hut hy the time witness arrived on the scene, the ear had been put- on its wheels again, and was surrounded hy between 20 and 30 people. AVitness noticed AA'arner’s condition, and, in his opinion, he was drunk. There was lilood on his face and his hands, for lie had vecf’ivrd cuts in the .smash. After the ear /‘as righted, AATirncr climbed into it-, started the engine goin, and wanted to drive away, hut pedestrians advised him not to. and drew his attention to the fact that the wheels were doubled up under the vehicle. Cross-examined hy AH’ -Thomas, witness said he would stick to his statement that the ear was travelling at about 40 miles an hour, even if other witnesses —tramway employees—said it was travelling at ten miles an hour. AA'illiams denied that after he had had a fire at his furniture factory, AVar. ucr complained to him about the liltln Mato of his yard. John Ramunl Moore, dairyman, saul lie was attracted hy a crowd of people congregated around a motor car in Stanmore Road, oil the evening of December 20. Being interested, witness went close to the ear, and peered underneath it, thus coming under AVarlier’s eye. AVarner stumbled out of his car, lurched towards the witness and offered to fight him. However, witness was not “having any.” and ho backed -,w-iv “If I had stood up to him that day,” said witness, “I would have been a fool.” He had never scon a man m such a. “rotten temper.” or heard a man use such vile language as AVarner had used. AVarner followed witness as l,e hacked away, with clenched fists, and cursed at him. Witness asked him to moderate his language m front ot the crowd, which now mimliered between 50 and 00, and included mamwomen; Imt this seemed to have anything hut- the desired result, for AVtirdescribed the crowd in many iml printable words as a lot ol “louls . lie returned and attempted to start the ear. hut failed. “God help the children in front- of it. if he had,” said witness. Somewhat similar evidence was given by other witnesses, and the easo was tiien adjourned.