“THOUGHT IT A JOKE.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2923, 15 August 1925, Page 3

“THOUGHT IT A JOKE.”

COMAtITTEEMAN ARRESTED AT DANCE.

Ashburton, August 13

An unusual story of a man who thought it a joke to be arrested and placed in a cell at the lock-up was told before a Justice of the Peace this morning, when a man appeared on a charge of being drunk.

The defendant was a member of ;i committee holding :i ‘‘hard-up social” at Allenton, and was dressed as a very rough customer. The police had been asked to keep an eye on rowdies and a constable in plain cloths arrested defendant, who was standing at the door with another member of the committee. The constable asked, “What are you doing here?” and defendant’s companion, considering it a joke, replied. “That’s what I’d like to know.” The. constable did not know it was a fancy dross dance, and told defendant, it was such as be who spoiled dances. The defendant laughed; then the constable called him out, hailed a taxi and took him to (lie station, where, as defendant said, he was determined to see it through, and was not relaased till after 2 o’clock in the morning. After considerable evidence had been heard, the ease was dismissed, as several witnesses swore to defendant’s sobriety. The Bench said it was hard to explain the constable’s actions, but the defendant was also to blame for not doing anything to stop the matter going fnrher.