PATROLMAN PAYS PIPER

NZ Truth, Issue 1179, 5 July 1928, Page 4

PATROLMAN PAYS PIPER

Wharf Guardian Lost His Temper, His Job and His Case i (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) Enmity of long standing between two of the Auckland Harbor Board's wharf patrolmen recently came to a head.

AS a result, Chief-patrolman Richard Ryan appeared before the Auckland Magistrate's Court last week m the role of defendant, to be mulcted m the sum of £38/9/6 and costs. Ryan, for reasons which were not made very, clear to the bench, would seem to have .been at loggerheads with his fellow patrolmen. On the night of February 28, Frederick John Baker, having* finished his tour of duty, went to the office to hand over the keys of the sheds, etc., about 10.30 p.m. • What happened immediately afterwards resulted m both men being discharged and Baker bringing his action against Ryan, claiming, m all, £43/9/6 .damages Lawyer Allan Moody placed his client, Baker, m the box to prove his case, Ryan having retained the ' services of Lawyer Sullivan. According to Baker, when he arrived at the top of the ladderway leading to the office and placed the keys on the table, with, a note attached, Ryan demanded to know what had 'been done with his sugar-ftag. j Baker more or less ignored the question and turned to leave, but Ryan attacked him, seized him around the arms and waist, and with some force rushed him against the edge of a small table m the room. Baker's leg hit the table and it was the injury caused by this rough treatment which brought about his temporary incapacity and led to the pre'-

sent proceedings. "I said to him," declared . Ba k c r, ; " 'What's the game, Ryan?' He called he a ' nun." .Further words

passed .between the men and Baker descended the stairs. Ryan then opened the window of the room and called out some abusive remarks, to which Baker replied: "You can have ans'thing you like if you come, down here; you are a cur.'' Leaving the irate chief patrolman, Baker went to the gatekeeper and then to the ambulance man on duty,, to whom he showed his injured leg. Afterwards he rang up W. R. Golden, the traffic manager of the Harbor Board, and told him something of the row. '.■"...'. . The next day both men were brought before Golden, when Ryan told their chief, that Baker had ''spat at him and hit him:". . , Ryan denied any assault on his part arid is said to have remarked : "Neither of us could knock a pumpkin off a table*" ; Baker, on February 29,. saw Dr. Thomas, who examined his injury and gave him a medical certificate to go off duty. Both men were suspended. "f called Ryaiv a — Irishman," Baker told Lawyer Sullivan- under cross-examination. '.-- It was not the first 'assault case m which he had been involved, he admitted; he had given evidence m a case m which Ryan had been mixed up with a man named O'Leary. Baker went on to deny that he had taken part m any suicide hoax. He had nothing to do with buying some blood froni the butcher and, spreading, it on, the wharf ., "I heard about it after and laughed, but I had no part m it," he added. . Counsel: Is Ryan popular ?— l don't think -he's popular with anyone. j There had been an exchange of compliments, it seemed, between the twoTpatrolmen,

That Suicide Hoax

Baker said he had called Ryan' "McHugh's pimp," when he had been call- I ed "Golden's pimp." ( t ' j Counsel: You resented him helping the .police on the wharf ?— Not at all. Baker mentioned that he was formerly m the police force for three years. He, knew that Ryan' had fourteen years' service. ' . Counsel: "Did you have any trouble m the police force before you left?-" Baker's answer was that he had been one of those who took an active part m forming the Police Association. "I put it to you that' Ryan used>no bad language?" suggested counsel. "He did; he used what I've said he did," insisted Baker. "The man was like a raving lunatic." . Have you ever said to Detective McHugh that you wondered he asr sociated with a man like Ryan? — Not m those words. I told McHugh he'd done some very dirty actions. Dr. William H. Thomas described the injury to Baker's leg, which might have been caused by a blow such ap he , described or some blunt instrument. The injuries were also detailed by Roy Selwyn Stevenson, ambulancedriver, who was on duty that night. Baker showed signs of great pain and it looked to him as though the muscles had been ruptured. : The gatekeeper, John Hodges, 'related how Ryan had been shouting •wildly: "You big cur, I'll do you

for your job yet." In reply, Baker had called out: "Come down and I'll give you all you want!" *Counsel: You're

not kindly disposed towards Ryan? — You're talking* nonsense now. "Then you love him?" Hodges re-; mained silent. Robert Campbell, m evidence, described Ryan as morose. His position was that bf Chief patrolman, said Ryan from the box. He proved to be a tall, rather, severe, man with narrow, keen eyes and suntanned features. v T The cause of all the trouble was a common sugar-bag on which he stood when changing his clothes. When he asked Baker , if he had seen, the bag, the latter gave no reply; he repeated his question and met with the same silence. Baker had, then made as if to hit him. At that he took one of Baker's hands m both of his. The other .■man, -broke, away, saying as he did so: "You're an Irish ," to which he retorted: "Yes, and you area ' Hun." Bakfer -could have met with an accident during the evening which .might account for his injury. 7 The traffic manager, "William Rober.t Golden, gave evidence that he knew the men' were not friendly. : He had held: the inquiry; 1 but ,did not have a very definite idea; 'about.. 'many, of the things said on that occasion. He had ',' made some rough sort of notes, but could not say Avhere they were. The inquiry .did not clear things up very much. "I couldn't get :anywhere with it. What one alleged the other denied." Result— Golden dismissed! them both. The bench announced that he was satisfied with Baker's version. He awarded damages amounting to . £ 38/9/6 ; costs, witnesses and solicitors' fees totalling another