SPARKING ON ALL SIX ?

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 8

SPARKING ON ALL SIX ?

Stoush Comes First, But Fails To Pay A Divvy (From "N.Z. Truth's" Speoial Christchurch Representative.) Being a baker, William Barnes is used to punching things, but when he took it upon himself to knock the spark out of Alfred Hengist Spark, with whom he Was not on speaking terms, he hardly calculated on paying the best part of £13 into the coffers of the State.

SPARK, a Christchurch City Council employee, who lives at the Cashmere pumping station, had, according to his own story, reason to believe that Barnes had been "carrying on with his wife." It came to Barnes' ears, however, that Spark had ibeen circulating in-; formation that "he, would clean Barnes" iup." On Grand National night, shortly before 7 o'clock, Spark was cycling into his gate when he was sprung upon by Barnes, who oaught him by the throat. : Spark imagined for a moment or two that ho Was going to ba thoroughly extinguished. So he called for help and on the arrival of a stranger Barnes departed. Throughput the whole proceedings, Barnes used most disgusting language, constituting a serious reflection on Spark. When on the street, Barnes threatened Spark that "he would fix his rotten ——Cockney cobber." The only trouble, so far as Spark knew, was that he would not recognize Bai'nes m the street and had reason for not doing so. Under cross-examination by Lawyer Roy T'Wyneham, Spark stated that he was friendly with Barnes, until he requested him to keep away from his house. He has never threatened to clean up Barnes, as he *was not a fighting man. Counsel: I think you bit his thumb through, didn't you?— Yes, while he was holding me down oh the ground. ' In reply to Sub-inspector rick's invitation to tell the magistrate the real cause of the trouble, Spark aaid he told Barnes that he had an

idea he was carrying on with Mrs. Spark, 'but — • Magistrate: "That will do, witness." Robert Kelleher, commercial traveller, residing m Colombo Street, was called to the scene of the assault by a cry for help. When he " arrived there, he saw Barnes getting up from holding Spark down on the ground. Spark had nothing to say at all, but Barnes was using 1 most abusive language. His obscene expressions were too numerous to repeat. When Barnes got out on the street, he roared: "I'll get you again! I've been waiting for you!" Barnes, "ri'hp described himself as a baker, of Hutcheson Street, Sydenham, denied that he was the aggressor and claimed that the grievance was entirely with Spark. "I visited his home to see him about certain matters, but Spark declined to accuse me of anything . . . "In consequence of what I had heard, I 'decided to run down and see him on National day .. . and- when he cairie up to the gate I called to him to stop, but he put out his foot and knocked me over, while he fell on the other side of the bicycle." He denied that he went with the intention of giving Spark a hiding and that he had used any bad language. Barnes' excuse failed to impress Magistrate Mdsley, who said that he Had added to his offenoo by committing perjury. "Kelleh^r, an independent witness, with no axe to grind, told a truthful story," said the Magistrate, "and you should be indicted for perjury. "I don't direct the police to do so, but they can consider it. I shall take that into consideration In inflicting the penalty." On a charge of assaulting Spark, Barnes was fined £5, m default one month m prison, white a similar penalty was imposed for the charge of, indecent language. A further £2/11/- was added by way of costs and witnesses' expense^, making a rather costly National day for the 'doughboy. ,

•niiimiiiiiiiiiiiumiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiimii that her love for another man completely overshadowed anything else m her life. Two or three days before the flight of Berry and Mrs. Luff, she returned With Berry to Wellington, saying she Avas simply pining for the sight of her eighteen-months-old baby, whom she had not seen for some little time. There was nothing m her b«aring towards her husband which indicated that she had any guilty motive. Her attitude was one of deep affection, m keeping with the phraseology of her letters. That waa on Tuesday, September 4. It must be explained that the Luffs lived m a little home of their own at Lower Hutt, "Wellington, but since the departure of Mrs. Luff on her healthrecrultingr visit to Hawkes Bay, Luff, who was an em- .._... ployee of the Colonial Carrying Company, m Wellington, stayed with friends m the city, but paid periodical weekend visits to his home, just to satisfy himself that the house was m order. Well, Mrs. Luff returned to Hawkes Bay on Tuesday, September 4, but it-was not until mid-day on Thursday that her husband had. a premonition that something was wrong. Contrary to his^ practice since his wife had been away, he returned home that night and was astounded to find that his wife's sewing-machine had been taken away, as well as the bulk of her intimate clothing and personal effects. Then it was that he experienced the gnawing doubt that the disappearance of these — and. the departure of the baby j -were hot mere coincidence. He searched his mind for a possible explanation, but could find none, and it was brought home to him that his wife— a mere girl m point of years m comparison with the age of Berry — had been deceiving him for some time.

Luffs Suspicions

miiiimiiiiniiimiiiimiimiiimiiimiiiimiuimiiiiimiiimmiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimii fears of Mrs. Berry and Luff were confirmed by a telegram from Walters, who said that he had neither heard nor seen anything of Berry for some time. . The next moat logical thing to do was to visit the local shipping office and institute inquiries there as to the departure of a "Mr. and Mrs. Berry" from either Auckland or Wellington. A shipping clerk named Sydney Arthur Marris, m the employ of the Huddart Parker line, met them at the counter and searched the lists for the name of "Berry," but without success. He was then asked whether the name of "Luff" appeared anywhere m- the schedule of passengers, but again without result. They were about to leave when Luff was seized with the inspiration that the runaways might .have travelled under Mrs. Luff's maiden name. i As soon as he mentioned the name "Wood" to Marris, the clerk said he distinctly remembered booking berths for a man of that name — or, rather, "Woods" — as the man had appeared ill-at-ease at the time he made his application. He had rushed m at the last moment, inquiring whether there were any vacant cabins aboard the "UHmaroa," due to sail for Sydney from Auckland on Friday, September 7. His nervous, uneasy manner drew the attention of Marris, who, with the observational training that is cbmmdn to his vocation, commented on the furtive manner m which Berry, or "Woods," had plied his questions. The shipping company had dispatohed a wire to their Auckland office, as time was very short, and within a comparatively brief span of time, a reply came back that -the reservations were made. "Woods" had proffered the information that his wife was 111 and would meet him m Auckland, but his whole