TOO MERRY

NZ Truth, Issue 1206, 10 January 1929, Page 9

TOO MERRY

Boisterous Xmas Celebration STREET FRACAS (From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.) During the Christmas and New Year holidays the police are busy ' maintaining law and order. With the regularity of the seasons, the courts are busy dealing wjth roysterers who have imbibed not wisely but' too Well. The recent holiday season was no exception to the general rule. DEOPLE m the vicinity of Cuba 1 Street last Boxing Night saw a disgraceful street brawl, when three roysterers involved another citizen m a street fracas. Mathew Babich, a man of Continental origin, but Avho has spent the greater portion of his life m Wellington, was one of the principals. Annie Maria Babich, his wife, and Stephen Bresanella, an Italian chef m Babich' s employ, were the others. Mathew Babich, a man of some substance arid . well known m the city, is the proprietor of a restaurant m Cuba Street. On the night m question he went out with his chef for a game oi billiards. Later, Mrs. Babich went m search of him. • . . About six o'clock m the evening Babich, his ,wife arid Bresanella were walking up the street, arm m arm singing, when they suddenly .became involved Iri 1 a free fight with Johr Thorpe, a one-armed man standing or the side of the footpath. Mrs. JSabicr. became the possessor of a bea.utifu: black eye. • First one constable arrived on . the scene and then another. After some difficulty, the four~*\vere bundled into a cab and taken to the Police Station. This did not improve matters for Babich, his wife arid Bresanella, who were m an uncontrollable frame of mind. Babich wasn't drunk, but his wife was, and she. swore at the constables and spat m their faces, so one of them later told Magistrate Salmon.

; In Self-defence I. ';■ ■' ' • ■ '

Locked m the cells, Babich an<3 I Bresanella created a racket by.heav- - ing articles •of furniture about, anc '. the former broke a window. Thorpe remained quiet throughout. [ When the parties appeared m court Lawyer O'Halloran held the brief. foi Bresanella and Babich and his wife j while Lawyer Hay was on deck tc . defend Thorpe. ' . After the constables had given theii evidence, Lawyer O'Halloran saic ■ Babich saw red When his wife re- ; ceived a smack m the eye. The origii : of the trouble was a purely unprovoked assault by Thorpe. Babich » said none of his party was under the influence of liquor. The damage m the cell he freely ad mitted doing. "Absolutely," he said "I went mad, I was so excited to b( there." . Babich said he had played no par whatever m the initial disturbance The attack came .from. Thorpe's side but he could: not understand the reasoi for it. Thorpe said the three came along the street arm-in-arm, staging. They bumped into two other people and then attacked him. He was struck with a stick, and, having only one arm, all he could do was to defend himself. The bench said the whole circumstances showed that a disgracefu fracas took place. He was. satisflec that Mrs. Babich arid Bresanella wen drunk. Babich was not drunk, but hi might have had some liquor. It was extremely unlikely that the troubl< originated with Thorpe. He was { one-armed man and the charge agai'ns him would be dismissed. Babich, his wife and Bresanella wen each fined £2, m default 14 days'" imprisonment, .'while' the two men wen also fined £1 each on- a charge o committing mischief and ordered t( make good the damage done m th< cell.