NEIGHBORS UNDER FIRE

NZ Truth, Issue 1177, 21 June 1928, Page 7

NEIGHBORS UNDER FIRE

But Magistrate Declares Truce Iri f j Napier Street War yji .; . ■ '■■ . ' ; ' '•■ yVt%M|P (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) 4^^^ Should you see a white: flag unfurling to the briny breezes; of ■Freemm^o§M Bay from the housetop of No. 12 Napier Street, you may take ''ii'cs^t^i^m ■signal of a temporary cessation of hostilities on vthe McLaughlin-De ' Sairm^^^ battlefront. An armistice has been signed. y -.l^ll^lS FOR the next six months, at all] before the court on a previous '-'occaoXJM _ events, it is hoped that Napier ion on a charge of assault. > He vhs^i^S Street will be free from the cordite never been in 'court' before iri^^his-'lifipp® fumes of a neighbor's feud which have "Have your "children ever throvpii^l^ enveloped the locality ever since Mrs. watef out of the top windows into m^-f^ Evelyn De Senna declared -war on the client's backyard ?'^"Never.'v 'if.. #j^ family of John McLaughlin, her next- "Has your son used a catapult ''''ijtr^&nm door neighbor. .-■' the windows?"— " No." »"||'ii^ Magistrate Hunt ordered the signing «Ha_ Mr. D. <!«n_ __,«-_. V a_£'*^4Sl ? a T^l'F^'T^^^^ Placed y^^oS Eva?^*^ brought the bellicose lady to the Auck- £ aye t & £?™ wSmari fo^lfiW land Magistrate's Court last week, months" •?."" ' .' •™W''^..C^S praying that she be bound over. ."• J. 'J""' ' . . . ' v :- c *'. i |?.?^i According to McLaughlin, Mrs. De Magistrate Hunt: "Why doesn't; sSfc_^l_t| Senna sounded the war- drums some mind her own business instead of ■worWJ&m time ago and saddled , her prancing rying about the children?" . : /-._V^_f||| war-horse for a prolonged qampaign Counsel: "What about your .boy .l^!^ against his household of six children. the chemist's shop who insulted . Wi*i|;#rS As Mrs. De Senna claims a similar has he ever done so?"— " No." / V^^Mflfi number of offspring, forces m that re- "About . th^fe son m ' the ;-chemiss'^(^| spect were numerically even. shop . . ." ' '■_■ J, ' JJjosstf& But "Bellona" De Senna, it seems, Magistrate . Hunt:' 'Tm hot goingr^CrSSl had her opponents at a disadvantage allow you to ask about the characters;:,^ m the matter of verbal artillery. of each of the family." And 'witness .'"ofl§ W L, f .„.„ tu. „r t L, was allowed to leave the box. Vy#Vp ,^ll_fr Jf hmr Si lv _.rmv " How many children has 'she?y in^l hZ own mouthnlLl T™! &' <^ ired the magistrate of ' def end^it-s .. li her own mouthp ece i appears to counsel. "About eight," replied^h^V # r^S^S S^^ff^"-^'?^™ lightning-loaded "Archies", and th Sr"^ .... t^S^V *1^ air-tearing whizz-bangs with i^S^Xi^^^,;^^ ll^? B^^ • -,„;.r„i. „ „»_,^w ■ lacked m height, .Evelyn' De • Senna ■•H-^is, manifest accuracy. toddled round to the witness-bo^ ?ti^^ To say nothing of a little machine- tell the court heir version" of the c&su&^Sl gun play from the parapet of her own belli.' ~ '■'■-'- J'J^JX^M backyard whenever the McLaughlin The wife of a Ci.y Council driverf'S^ children ventured within range of that she told of incessant aggressivOhess.*_m®l§l section of her oral gunnery. the part of complainant's family./ y^i§ On the other hand, the McLaughlins* The children had let slip the v dogs^ofWS modus operandi of attack, if Mrs. De war and perforce she had' to' ebhveH'S^ Senna is a reliable war correspondent, her dwelling area into a verltxtbli_¥ S^fi was to drop a barrage down on her "tented field." %' ; - : ?i-^j$$ijm backyard from the vantage position The father had made no effdrt^tdl^P of their upper storey, where the juven- persuade his youngsters to desist froip^lii ile members of the family were con- their warlike tyranny. ; ' ':'."'. .■':f''^'.-/?;^^ solidated with sharp-shooting shang- m, "».•«*»•*-. _ic 'i:, ; „i,'^Si| hais and an inexhaustible supply of _, JJ a S'>££*? ' "S^T? T tJ fe S;^ peas i N °t ' have spoken to him about ">>ij The marksmanship' of the young **• . TJ* children go on .squabbling snipers made it very annoying for Mrs. a ? d • 4 mir Vi al Y' ay _ 5 a^-the. wprsi of yyj:fi; De Senna on washdays. •s_,'*.-, My backyard .w.fu.3r«r.,:'^ "This lady has been an : awfhl nui- *?•?**? the w ,n . d «»w. «>f^heii* two- vj> sance," commenced Lawyer Dickson, *J° rey J??u? e an l* h _?L-.L go °H* *? after the parties and their respective ?* - a ; ?u' ns '-*£• shpot. y supporters had ceased filing into court. down w,tn pea-shanghais.'V ; JJ-JJjJXi Magistrate Hunt: "Oh, it's a lady, is Counsel Addinson: "There it:is,';_i^P ; „_._ it?" complainant must borne here with clej_n ; ;.^|| "She had made herself a nuisance to hands and has . no right to waste 1 " .y3 the district," continued counsel, pre-' time of the court by asking that this J:-iX§ senting John McLaughlin's reasons for woman be bound over, saying they- aire VI asking the court's order for disarma- frightened of their lives when they^ "I ment on the part Of his belligerent have adult children." '• W .? neighbor. . - . "McLaughlin tried to get me out of VV "My client has ________ " the. house," con-? : jJX, been obliged to .-'.-.-■' tinued the woman. V take proceedings, / V .7 O • "Hehas tried sev-. I and we have two IllfiPTll It? ' mlftlt)PTs eral times, but thei' policemen here who J UUKIULK kJIUfJKIO landlord refused to V know her as simply ' shift me." J-!j a nuisance to the -j, Lawyer , Dickson -'^/O. whole neighborhood. I understand she then beckoned to hiss side a portly lady . . -..[l has. been previously bound over." ~ ' seated at the back of the court. A few. y "That is not so, sir," interjected whispers . and he turned to: cross-; y_3 Lawyer Addinson, who held Evelyn's examine. '.■'';"_. -J'.JJi legal spear. "The complainant, like- "Do you know that lady who^ spoke 4 "'| wise has not been all he should have to me— Mrs. Louisa Gresson? . - . '.- V -Vl been. I can assure your worship that Do you remember telling her that Mc-V^ there has been ample provocation." Laughlih's girls associated with China-.y^^ ..... .._ ..„ -„„ men?" — "I told her no such thing." -vy* > Magistrate: "Provocation for -Well, you said it so that, she could :Sl| what?"— " For assault, but my hear?"— *l didn't say .that. I said that ; .1 client has not done it." Chinamen go there — and so they do!": ;;i| „ .... lIT „v„„ij, v.^^.^ .T./X+ "What girls are these?" demanded"' Jm Magistrate: "I hope not- the , bench tersely> V.| there is no such thing as ample pro- i^^yer Dicksontumed to the bod y y«i vocation for assault. of the court and two young girls be-V-i; Constable Jones then tooK the wit- tween 15 aXd 17 sprang to their feeU J^M ness-box to tell of what he knew about ,. Wh a t , those two nice-looking youhgv V| the Napier Street warpath • . _ gir i s? „ . .what's the Innuendo £.: : | He had, he said, known defendant f hat? » His wo4 . ship wa s indignant. -y for four years, and she was a woman L Dioksonf "It. is al awfui: with "an evil tongue and very abusive thine to __ay'^ ■ • ;. —constantly causing trouble with ■ Magistrat e. « 0 # rDura p lt i«s_anfl J^ ■■■s neighbors ever since he had known t-S? her. '. . ' ." ..- :.;---.-% To avoid one neighbor scoring a pomt "Well, now." There was thun- V Sjg over another, I usually adjourn these der m his worship's enunciation as 'VV$ sort of cases for three months and ask he loaded the: judicial depth- y. the police to keep an eye open," re-. charge. Vl marked the S.M. , irri . v . „ « ;- ,-' .- .. -.■'■•'■-■• : ':t. "We've had numerous complaints. T"® constables are agreed, that the ...;::< and I am of the opinion that she should woman has an evil tongue' and I , find V be bound over to keep the peace," de- xt has been' „ , . (glaring at de- y; Glared witness fendant). "And let me tell you that if ■ "Do you by any chance know of the you dpn't ketep your tongue and teriiper r complainant being before the court quiet you will go .to . prison. . . y and fined for assault?" counsel for-de- Tou are ; bound oyer to- keep' the .( fendant asked " peace for six v months,i.on .a; surety of i ; ; "There's many a good man been fined £i - Willthe husband go .bail?"V !;- for assault," observed his worship. . Lawyer Dickson : "No, he .wontt. rHe y "She is a woman of. erratic behavior rang. me up this morning and said, he - and always causing trouble. I have hoped your worship would bind her, 7 'v. been called on a number of occasions. Over. But I. am /willing, to accept her • "Mirs. Lyttle,. of Brunswick Street, Own recognizance." ;:. . > . .' who used to reside next to Mrs. De Magistrate:- "Very- well;-; And.-il ■:^ Senna, has complained to me; m fact, there's a repetition of this she goes m." j_>. all the neighbors have complained." Again fixing defendant -'..--'lt's a pity Thus Constable Moore m his contri- you cannot keep yOur tongue i, quiet If .j bution to the general opinion that Mrs. you speak to complainant— in you go." De Senna's conduct required some re- Mrs. De Senna left the court ai wiser straint. •':■■ and less warlike woman. . :,, "Do you know that the McLaughlins . . .• . are worse than the De Sennas?" Lawyer Addinson wanted to know. "I don't know much about the McLaughlins," came the reply. John McLaughlin' said lie lived with his wife and six children next door to Mrs. De Senna. in Napier Street. He had been , resident there for 14 years, while defendant moved into the next house about IS months ago. He had not spoken ;to her for many months. "She accused my girls of immorality and shouts out to them m the street . "My children are frightened of her. Her son recently threatened his father with a bayonet . . " To Lawyer Addinson: "Our children are not as big as defendant's — she has a son 21 years of age. I have a boy of 18 who could account for him, but I don't want that to happen." " "Quite, right — that sort of thing should not be encouraged," said the bench. Complainant denied that he had. been . : ' :"■■ .'.''," '- J ' •■ \ ■'■"'• '_. ' • ■'■' '