"WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD PARTY"

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 4

"WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD PARTY"

Sandy's Bottle Solo On Human Skulls Was The Star Turn On The Programme CONTESTANTS INDULGEPIN^FRIENDLr FEUDS" (From "N.Z, Truth's" Special Chrlstchuroh Representative.) A five-gallon keg of beer, two men and a woman— these provided all the ingredients of a party m Christchurch which gave every promise of being quite good. It was some party all right. Proceedings opened with a bottle solo on the heads of Charlie Harker ancl his Llsie, and they closed when Alexander parted with a fiver— his fee towards the entertainment.

17XISTING between Charles Harker, Hi the man who brought the beer, and Alexander Anderson, the host, was a friendly feud — If there can be such a thing. At all events, they were prone to an occasional scrap which was generally succeeded by a reconciliation. On the night of September 1, however, the parties indulged m a donnybrook which should make an effective and perpetual break m relationships. Though it was a mixed party, Harker went unattended, and ere he had time to sink many tankards of the foaming amber the call came for him to leave. The call was represented m the person of his wife, Elsie Harker, who did not approve of her husband's presence at the party. Whatever Anderson may have had on Harker he did not want him to go, and declared that "Charlie was his guest and was not going home." As is so often the case, the parties disagreed on the substance of the conversation and subsequent events, but whatever happened Elsie Harker had the side of her skull damaged, while Harker had a few days off work with injuries to his head and hip. The battle was staged outside Anderson's home on the corner of Ely and Salisbury Streets m the heart of ■ the city. Anderson satisfied himself, that he was exonerated from further liability when he issued, a rather remarkable document, signed by the Harkers, m which they agreed to withdraw all claims against him on the payment of Harker's doctor's bill and lost wages. The law sometimes takes a hand m such matters, however, and m addition to paying £10 out on the document, Anderson was further involved to the

amount of over £ 6 when he appeared before Magistrate Mosley last week on charges of assaulting both Harker and his wife. . . . It was alleged that . Anderson had used two beer bottles with which he hit the Harkers, but Anderson declared that he merely, told Mrs. Harker to. go to and brandished one bottle to frighten them off the place. ; Elsie Harker's version of the. affray was that Anderson was entirely the aggressor, and by time, he hafl completed his solo with the two beer, bottles as clubs, he had felled both the witness and her husband. Obvious concern for her husband's! welfare at Sandy's party compelled her to go along for him at about 9 o'clock. He had been there before when there was trouble^ and he had got the worst of it, according to Elsie, so she took adequate steps that there waa not going to be a repetition. While she was imploring her husband to come home, however, Anderson swooped down on them like a bolt from the blue and crowned Harker on the back of the head with a bottle which sent him reeling insensible into the gutter. As Anderson sprung upon his fallen prey, he dealt Mrs. Harker a blow with the other bottle, so she said. She did not approve of her husband going to Anderson's place as they caused too much trouble. This she told Lawyer Roy Twyneham. who appeared to defend Anderson. She did not, however, anticipate that there would be any trouble over her going to collect him. Counsel: You are a fairly capable woman yourself, Mrs. Harker? — I can atick up for myself. Did you not say to him, "come out of this ?" — That's a word I never use.

The combat started, she said, through Anderson using an ,indecent word to her when she was endeavoring to persuade her husband that his place was at home and not at the party. Harker resented this term and, pulling off his coat, gave chase. Anderson ran inside, but later appeared armed with the two bottles which he used with much skill and precision. Cqunsel: You . urged Harker . into mixing it with Anderson? — I was not going to let him stand by and hear me insulted. You thought it was correct procedure for the two men to have a few rounds? —-No. • ■

But you think Anderson should ihave stood up to Harker? — I don't dike to see a man run away when he

should stand up and take his gruel. An amazing document was produced at this stage by Lawyer Twyneham which the witness recognized as one which Anderson had sent to her and her husband for them to sign m recognition of the payment of £10 towards Harker's medical expenses and the wages he lost following the unofficial.bout. The document, a scrappy piece of paper; bore the following inscription: Mr. and Mrs. Harker, Ely. Street, Christchurch,— ' We, the above mentioned, wish to withdraw all charges "against Alee. Anderson, Salisbury •' Street, providing he pays C. Harker, his wages

for loss of time while he is m bed and doctor's expenses. We agree that he was not the only one at fault. Signed: C. L. Harker. E. Harker. Witness: P. Williams. . Witness added that her husband had been paid £10 by Anderson, but he had. lost his position which he had held for the past thirteen and a-half years.

"There was a little bit of a donnybrook at the party," said Charles Hanker, motor driver, of 46 Ely Street, when asked for his version of the incident. . He corroborated his iwife's account of the incident m respeot to what was said and what was done excepting for the period when he

Taking His Gruel

Crowning Harker

Cornet Solo, Too

(was stretched out studying astronomy.

m the gutter

A few moments after his wife had arrived he received the crack on the back- of the head with something. He did not know what it was. He had previously had a few tiffs with Anderson, but no fights. They had had a few scuffles, nothing more. Lawyer Twyneham: I think you have a scrap now and again and are good friends after it. A sort of friendly feud? — That's the position. The scene of the conflict was described by Constable King who said he observed pools of blood, broken glass, and the necks of two bottles on the footpath. : Anderson was away when witness

went inside for a statement, but he saw a person known as "Little Jimmy" who said he had not seen anything, knew nothing of what had happened, and heard nothing. • Anderson, who described himself as a salesman, said the first he knew of the party was when Harker arrived at his home at 251 Salisbury Street on the Saturday morning -with a practical invitation to hold a surprise party m the form of a five-gallon keg- of beer. He was out m the city buying the usual fruit and pastry for the weekend and when he returned at about 9 o'clock he met Mrs. Harker at the gate. A wordy battle ensued on the relative merits of the homes of v the Andersons and the Harkers. "Your house is not respectable," was hurled by Mrs. Harker at him, and he replied to the effeot that his dump would stand comparison with hers any day. Anderson said he did not want any trouble, so he went inside and returned with an empty bottle m his hand. This he slammed down on the footpath with the intention of frightening them away. His explanation of Harker' s presence m the gutter was that Harker had clutched him round the waist and that they had struggled. Mrs. Harker was there screaming and kicking, said Anderson, and one of the girls from the party who came out to witness the "little aside," connected with Mrs. Harker's hoof and bang went a perfectly good pair- of silk stockings. At this stage Anderson's wife joined the fray and pushed over Mrs. Harker, who was endeavoring to separate the men m the gutter. Anderson was subjected to a close cross-examination by Sub-Inspector Fitzpatrick concerning the document which he induced the Harkers to sign.

You made every attempt to squash this case? Anderson was asked. Anderson: The squashing came from them. Their deputation approached me first, but before I did any thing, definite I wanted something m writing so I sent that to them and they signed it 'of their own free will. ■-'.■■■■ Bub-lnspector: But why did you. interfere outside at all?— Well, I didn't want my party broken up by them. They have done Jt. before. •■'' '.' '■,-.. .-•■ \ { The constable said he' found the hecks of two bottles on the footpath, but you said you had only one bottle?— Well, why didn't he pick them up and bring them here? You're a bit of a bush lawyer, aren't you? — No.---"It was going to be a good party," said Percy "^Tilllams, a laborer, who gave evidence for the defence. S.M.: Why was it going to be a good party? Williams: Oh, there was a sing song, and cornet playing and that. Sub -Inspector: And five gallons of beer. Williams: Yes, that's handy at a party. James Houston, an hotel porter, was also called to give evidence, but the magistrate intimated that the witness was obviously not telling the court* what he knew about the episode and the sub-inspector discontinued the cross-examination with the remark that he did not wish to waste the time of the court. Magistrate Mosley gave the nod to Harker's corner, and Anderson was landed with a £5 fine and witnesses' expenses for the assault on Mrs. Harker. He was convicted and discharged for assaulting Harker.