TROUBLE AT PARTY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1931, Page 8

TROUBLE AT PARTY

GUESTS TOLD TO GO’

QUARREL IN STREET,

WELLINGTON, August 8

When a party held recently at a house in Adelaide Road had been in progress for some little time, a collection was taken up to buy some more liquor. One of the guests, who went away to get it, returned apparently intoxicated, but without any. Trouble ensued, and Die host told the guests to go. The gathering stayed around on the road outside the house, arguing and fighting about the liquor, and the whole neighbourhood was disturbed.

These facts were placed before Air E. Page, S.AI., in the Police Court yesterday, when two of the guests, Leslie Trevellyn Martin, and William Cruickshank, were charged with behaving in a disorderly manner. Cruickshank pleaded not guilty. The other defendant did not appear. A general invitation had been given to the party at a Communist ball some time previously, and between forty and fifty young people attended it, the sub-inspector said. There was a jar of home-brew and some bottles as well.

Two residents of Adelaide Road gave evidence that they were aroused by the noise about 10.30 p.m. They said that three or four of the men were fighting; the 'remainder were looking on. STATEMENT TO POI,I (lE. in a statement to the police which was read out in court, Cruickshank sai 1 lie attended the party accompanied ny three others—Silk, Watty Heller, ar.d Leech. They took no di nk wit., them, but there was a jar of hoinebreu en tap at the*-party. There were about fifty peop'e there. He had In on invited by “young Coulston,” hut he did not know whether his mates had been in cited or not. Silk collected money for some drink, and then an argument took place because no drink was pm cl need. He (I'd not know how the crowd came to he ordered out. When he joined the crowd there was a fight going on on the footpath between Sil.c and another. “T then rushed down and grabbed young Coulston, who was living about, and would have got hit, and .1 held him,” the statement went on. “He then cracked me. 1 yelled out, and Watty came over to me, and the man who, got kicked iin the eye grabbed Watty. 1 don’t know why he grabbed Watty, as Watty was not ligh ing with anyone then. FURIOUS STRUGGLE. _ !> “When he pulled at Watty he kicked my feet and 1 fell with them among their legs. 1 twisted the foot of .the man whom I now know as Martin, so that 1 could get up, and as I got upon, one knee I saw another chap come straight at us, and he kicked Watty with his loot and caught Martin in the eye with the toe of his boot and the heel struck Watty. Watty was then underneath M rtin This man kicked at Watty, and not at ■Martin ,whom he kicked accidentally. I think. He then jumped up and ran down the road, with : Leech after the man who kicked Watty and Martin'. “1 don’t think the evidence is sufficient for me to convict these two men.” th magistrate said. “If their story is true, the part they took was to endeavour to stop a, disturbance rather than promote it. I shall have to dismiss these charges.”