COURT SCENES

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1928, Page 4

COURT SCENES

LONDON, April 20. “Glassing” is. a euphemistic term for a very painful and vicious attack favoured by degenerates: of a foreign breed. An ordinary tumbler is broken and the jagged edges are thrust into the face of the antagonist. This playful little game originated in 'South America, and I have seen it played in Chicago and in Rotterdam ; but I was surprised to hear of it having been used by two plump matrons of Brixfon nt the Lambeth Police Court yesterday.

Connie and Flossie arc what an independent witness naively-described as “two large ladies.” Flossie gave a party and Connie came as an uninvited guest. —-

(Shortly after midnight Hie party was turned into a prize ring, with Connie and Flossie taking up fighting positions at the fireplace. Each woman accused the other of being a “glasser.” Certainly a glass was broken, and Connie was c-ut in the loft, or drinking, hand, and Flossie hied freely from the right index finger. . Mr Gill, the magistrate, discharging Flossie, remarked that he could not understand how the wounds were received. “Glassing” is- something, new even in the work of an experienced magistrate like Mr Gill. It is not cricket, and I was dismayed to learn that Englishwomen. especially pluinp and rather attractive Englishwomen, should be well informed of this devilish and cowardly method of attack.

Separated from her husband, win paid her 15s a week alimony, Daisy, being a normal woman, objected to his dancing attendance on other women, and armed with a sense of injustice and a stout umbrella - she smashed the windows of his office, leaving the knob of her umbrella inside the office as evidence.

She paid 30s, the amount of the damage, but nobody could convince her that, having of her own free will separated from her husband, she had not a matrimonial control over his actions. Many separated wives are like that. Freedom hurts them more than subjection. It is rather pitiful, because an angry woman will in a moment of spite make a wreck of two lives. She d?es not mean to do it, but feminine intuition is too subtle for masculine logic. AA’illiam, who wore tho .white scarf of a baleful life, found two men fighting and, responding to his sporting instincts, kept back the pressing crowd, and adjured the scrappers to “get on with it.” “A'ou must not do that,” said a constable. - “Do what?” demanded AA'illinm.

“.Encourage them,” said a constable. “But they need encouragement. Look at them,” insisted AA'illiam. “Not on my beat they doli’t,” observed the constable, who arrested AA'illiam for insulting behaviour. AA'illiam, who was hound over, admitted insulting the policeman, luit privately ho remarked that nobody could have insulted the two fighters. A patient, tired-looking little woman shyly requested a summons against her husband, who expected her to keep house and four children on 8s a week.

“Does he drink?” asked the magistrate. “Drink!” exclaimed the small wife, with a queer sort of pride; “he has a gift for it. Ho drinks a bottle of whisky a day and a bottle of port at night, and then wants to argue.” “Take a summons,” said the magistrate hurriedly.

“I have lost my pension, so I must live on charity,” declared Thomas Holmes, a young man who had been convicted for larceny and begging. Thomas was certainly candid. Ho said he was so disgusted nt receiving only half-a-crown for a job of work at Brixton that to keep his -self-respect he begged for a living. Despite tho fact that he wore a pair of mustard-coloured trousers and yellow shoes coppers came to his cap until he was arrested and sent down for 21 days.

Three brothers went into Charing Cross Station to pass away the time. Bertie was a waiter in the 13 and, so he said, lost his iob because two customers,. after drinking champagne, left without paying. He told Air Fry, the magistrate, at Bow street Police Court yesterday, that he lived on the dole and his hanking account. Charlie said ho used to be a railway porter, bub lie overslept himself two' days in succession, and ho announced, “I have a reference From the company about it.” Tie, too, is on the dole.

Walter had been an hotel porter, lint now lives on the dole. He and Charlie are single men who live away from home hepanse they have had a row with their parents. Bertie is a married man whose mother-in-law gave him an excellent character.

A detective who had seen Charlie in the company of convicted thieves saw the three brothers being interested in luggage at Charing Crass .Station, Walter acting as watcher. The three brothers were arrested as suspected persons; and Charlie was sentenced to two months’ hard labour, Walter to cue month, and Bertie van hound over.

Three young men living on the dole, which provides them with necessities, turn to crime to obtain luxuries. And so it goes cm day after day, criminals being created by State charity.

When I .saw Annie Woods trip into the dock J anticipated a lively five minutes, and I was not disappointed. Annie is one of the Bow street regular customers, and she is always good for a diverting monologue. Yesterday she appeared with one black eye and two brown paper parcels, and no sooner had P.C. 188 E told the court that his prisoner had tried to strike him in the Strand, when Annie, discarding her parcels, said, without taking breath: .“You was standing at the corner of Wellington street outside a public-house near a tailor’s shop: you know the street as you go over Waterloo Bridge.. And gangs of people were knocking nie about, and I gets up to go for one woman, and she gives me another, and I come out with -tenpence and spent ninepence, and then you pinched liie. And you ought to be ashamed of yourself.” “Hold your noise, ma’am,” request-, ed the gaoler. “Yes, I don’t think,” retorted An- j

nie, “standing there and trying to look respectful.” “Twenty-two days,” ordered the magistrate. ‘Thank you, very much,” exclaimed Annie, “I’ll do something for you when I come cfut. And as for you (turning to the gaoler), keep your eye on the gang that’s murdering me. So long everybody!”