A TIN-POT CASE.

NZ Truth, Issue 127, 23 November 1907, Page 4

A TIN-POT CASE.

SERGEANT DALE'S OFFICIOUS-

NESS.

A Peeler Who Loves to Stick his

Snout Everywhere.

That over-^ealoua police officer. Sergeant Dale, seem* to have a fatal faculty for getting mixed up m cases deemed to be of a trivial ; nature, m wh-iefc the 4i&jpam of prosecution Is an wmme§®a¥il? hawlj measure. Two weMidi^s^, respectablelooking young ieMwis named Gerald Hannin and ArUmt Bmt had, a small discussion over a shilling m the Central Hotel on Thursday night week, and they emerged on to the footpath to continue the debate, which culminated m a blow being struck. Constable Quinn, who has only been four months m the force, pounced ■ upon the pair, and as Dale came up immediately afterwards, the young fellows found themselves m the booby hatch that houses the casual drunk. The police authorities at the station had sufficient uame to liberate the youths on bail at eleven o'clock, but they had to face the Magistrate next morning. Quinn's recollection of the affair was that Hannin called Bent a b liar, and Bent retaliated- with a blow m the eye, .while Dalc,couldn't say who made use of the expression. Bent got into the box and took the whole of the blame on to his own shoulders. Hannin accused him of trying to beat his mate for a shilling, and he persisted m the accusation, whereupon Bent called him a b liar and struck him. There was a marked difference between this evidence and the police testimony, and Mr Wilford, who appeared for Hannin. directed attention to it. He asked for a remand to enable him to call evidence m favor of Hannin, who was a person

OF EXCELLENT CHARACTER. and occupied a good position. Bent : "I ocqupy a good position, too." Counsel : "You have pleaded guilty."

Mr Riddell, S.M., remarked that the case was a trivial one. and counsel agreed with him. Sub-Inspector o 'Donovan suggested that as his Worship considered the offence a trivial one he might dismiss tie informations against both young men. His Worship remarked that sufficient punishment bad already been snffiered by the accused. He would convict them.— Mr Wiiford. c>a be&alf ef Hannin. objected to tie record of conviction, which mii&i be " "csed against him if he appeared as & witness m a case twestr Years liasce. He asked for a remand" to obtain evidence. His Worship said, ll Yery well." and adjourned Hannin's case till Wednesday last, while Bent was remanded for sentence. Bail was allowed.

On Wednesday the case was remanded -till Friday.

Yesterday, the hearing of the case was concluded, when Haimin gave evidence to the effect that Bent . appeared to be suffering under the delusion that Hannin had acted' dishonestly with regard to a disDuted "deaner." Bent called him .a b liar and struck him on the right eye. Being averse to figuring m a street row. Hannin didn't retaliate. They were m the Central Hotel from 8.30 to 10 p.m., and Hanfiin had three or four medium English shandies m the interim.

John Taylor, clerk in ' the National Bank, and Frank Luxfbrd, clerk to Ihe Taupo Timber Co., gave corroborative evidence. ,

Mr Wilford said he had gone to the trouble of calling evidence because, although m the opinion of the SubTnspector. the case Was a trivia? one. h conviction would seriously affect Hannin m his position.

His Worship said the eviHmep went to show how a very small matter might lead- to serious ronspnurrccs. Tn his opinion, it required thai Iher* should he stronger provocation thp.n had been alleged to. induce Bent, to call Hannin a b liar and strike him, hut some explanation was eivrn by the statement, of Lu\fo i "d. ' that Hannin accused Bent .of heating; him for a shilling-. Roth parties . .

WERE EQUALLY TO BLAME, but one of them appeared to hare lost Ms temper. Fortunately, or '-mfortimately, the police happened to appear on the scene and stopped the row N The young men had hp-en put to some inconvenience, and this would he sufficient punishment. The accused would be convicted and discharged

Thus our over-officious friend, Bobby Dale, who had on earlier dates interfered with the liberty of two reputable citizens, insisted upon the arrest of two respectable young men, whose conduct was described as "trivial" by the Magistrate and Sub-In-spector, and they were compelled to face the disgrace of arrest and Police Court proceedings. The Magistrate said that fortunately, "or unfortunately,'* the police were on the scene, which points to the fact ilhat his Worship did not consider the case of sufficient importance to merit an arrest. It is possible that the two accused will occupy prominent positions m the community some time m the future, and it is a fact that they will be unable to enter a wit-ness-box even twenty years hence without being asked if they did not at one time take part m a street row. This they owe to Dilly Dale.