AT THE SALUTING BASE

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 2

AT THE SALUTING BASE

How Larrikins Greeted Flapper: "Hello, Baby Face!"

(Prom "N.Z. Truth's" Palmerston North Representative.)

Palmerston North, as a rule, is happily free from that particular species of "smart Alec" youth known as the street larrikin. But of late a particular band of mill employees m the town have been guilty of behaoior which has drawn unto themselves some unenviable notoriety and the attention of the lam.

IT may have been that despite men's attire, some of these youths had not graduated from the hobbledehoy stage; or that m order to acquire a bubble reputation they must adopt the spoilt child's pastime of "showing off." Whatever the peculiar mental processes which led up to their foolish conduct, three of them certainly appeared rather ridiculous when they faced Magistrate J. L. Stout last week, charged with insulting and disorderly behavior. They were devils of fellows whan annoying unprotected women and girls, but they wilted into remarkable insignificance when the-, law took them m hand. Archibald Bolstad, Albert Abraham and Arthur James Swan, described as the ringleaders of this band of street larrikins, cut a sorry figure m the courtroom. •

It appeared that they were employees of a certain mill m -■ -

the town and had formed the habit of assembling In a orowd outside the building- during the lunch hour.

scene from a building on the other side of the street. Lawyer Cooper: "We are not concerned with what they did on other days. "What else did they do on this particular day?" , Constable: "They -were jumping all over the place and shouting out remarksto girla." The next witness had been -with the constable while watching the activities of the mill employees across the street. He stated that prior to the arrival of the girl who had already given evidence, two High School girls had passed on cycles. The crowd of youths had called out remarks to them which' had caused the. girls to put; their heads down and hurry past. This sort of thing had been happening every day m the street until people would not walk on the footpath at all.

The witness had been unable to distinguish the remarks passed owing to the distance from the mill and the fact that he had been inside a building. He had recognized Bolstad and Abraham among the crowd.

The Wrong Name

Counted Fifteen

When they noticed a woman or girl approaching, they would laugh , and pass offensive remarks.

The previous witness had not complained, but several letters had been received m.. connection with the matter, one of whjch had characterised the behavior of the youths as ''abominable." The constable noticed that the three defendants had been taking a leading part and had singled dut the 15 -yearold girl. After watching the mill for two days, he had taken the names of Swan and Bolstad, but Abraham ran inside and refused to give his name when later accosted. The constable had been told by the other youths that this defendant's name was s ßegan. Abraham had appeared to consider It a matter for humorous comment when addressed by that name. ' : In the end it had required the persuasion of a principal of the mill before he had given the required Information. ■ ■ The constable had counted i twelve youths and three men m the party. They had made things so unpleasant that many girls would not walk on the footpath when passing the mill.

Lawyer Cooper and the constable then exchanged a lew chatty remarks. The man m blue had definitely identified the three youths m court as being among the personnel of the saluting squad. He had brtn watching the

. Lawyer Cooper submitted that the court was only concerned with what had occurred on August 8. There was nothing insulting m the boys saluting a passing girl — indeed, he suggested that the girl had not minded a great deal, except when some other girls had chaffed her about it. Counsel submitted that the evidence of the' past two witnesses had been grossly exaggerated. Wilfred Archibald Bolstad took the box with a jaunty swagger, which disappeared as his evidence proceeded. He denied that he had ever passed insulting remarks. He had come outside just as someone had called out: "Attention," so he had stood, up and saluted just to be "m the joke." To Senior- sergeant Whitehouse, witness stated that most of the girls m the neighboring factory were fairly friendly and would have a joke with them. Were you "fairly friendly" with the girl who gave evidence? — No.

"I suppose that Is why she iras singled out — because she -would not come down to your level I" Arthur James Swan produced an outsize m sickly grins when hie turn came. His evidence consisted of a denial of all allegations. He had saluted, but only because the others had done so. . - Albert Abraham also remembered the saluting episode, but denied everything else m toto. ; The Senior- sergeant: "Tdu have heard what the constable has said. Do you mean to suggest that it is all untrue?" " The witness appeared rather hazy as ' to what he did — or did not— suggest. He had not refused to give the constable his name, but had merely corrected him when he had called him | •fßegan." He had not considered the officer had any right to ask for his name; he did not know at the time that he was a policeman and had never seen him on the beat around town.

The Seniorsergeant: "You mean to tall me that you did not knoTr he was a policeman! That

Having thus assured themselves of safety m numbers, they proceeded to annoy passing women and girls, laughing, jeering and generally reproducing the unmannerly behavior of street cads. They subsided with the abruptness of a pricked balloon, however, when the men In blue appeared and— as the result of complaints — lined them up before the S.M. The first witness was a pretty, flfteen-year-old girl who had apparently attracted .the unwelcome . notice of this Band of Hope. « She told the court that for some time past the crowd of mill employees assembled on the footpath had annoyed her as she passed on her way to. work. Indeed, so persistent had been this unwelcome attention, that she had become more or less inured to it. ' The occurrence which drew the attention of the police had taken place about 12.65 p.m. on August 8, when she had been returning after the lunch hour. ; She had seen the usual crowd of m

telligentßla assembled outside the mill and when she approached one of them had called out: "Attention l " They had all stood up then and saluted her, while she had to walk through the crowd accompanied by the Jeers and laughter of the larrikins. She could not positively Identify the three youths m court as being among those present on that occasion, but she had picked out Abraham, who had made himself particularly conspicuous. The witness was reluctant to inform the court as to the exact ' nature of the remarks passed by her guard of honor, but instanced "Hallo, Bab.y Face!" as one. A constable, m the box, stated that m consequence of complaints regarding the behavior of the mill employees during the lunch hour, he had the neighborhood under observation on August 8. "..■■;■ Between 12.40 and one o'clook, a crowd of men and boys had gathered outßlde the mill. "

~ is on a par with everything else you have had to say." Thomas Turner, who had also been outside the mill on the day m question, corroborated the evidence of the three defendants. He had been one of the "mob." "In my opinion," said the" magistrate, "the conduct of these youths was' offensive. Women and girls have a right to pass without having this undue notice taken of them. "So far as these throe here are concerned, they were 'alt m the joke'— and they are all going to be m this joke I "They will each be fined £2 and I costs. The evidence of Abraham -was less worthy of credence than that of the otherß."

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