DISGRAGEFUL SCENE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 318, 30 April 1877, Page 2

DISGRAGEFUL SCENE.

A most disgraceful row took place in Thames-street at an early hour on Sunday morning. The affair, from what we can learn, appears to have partaken of the character of a free fight between the boarders at two well-known lodging-houses and reputed sly-grog shops situated at the north end of Thames-street. So far as we have been able to ascertain the particulars, the row seems to have commenced on Friday night. It appears that while a lodger at one of the boardinghouses, which, for the sake of distinction, we >vill call No. 1, was attending a dance' at boarding-house' No. 2, when a dispute arose, and a stand-up fight occurred, ending in the visitor being considerably illtreated. The cause of tliis dispute is stated by some to have been jealousy on the part of one of the lodgers of boardhouse No. 2 in consequence of the visitor dancing with a £t young lady," whom the disputant thought he had a prior claim to. Others say that the cause of the origin.' 1 disturbance • was some cheating during a gambling transaction. Which of the two causes assigned is the correct one we cannot say. On Saturday night the person who had been ill-treated the previous night collected together a large party of friends and fellow-boarders, and proceeded to the house where he. had been ill-used, ' ---.Sv

a m ost disgraceful scene was enacted jialf-nMt 12 o'clock. The assailants en , r i 'r j wing stones, breaking the ~f t::e "niindows in front of the brought out "the occupants . ;iinl a regular faction fight took tiif n;?..- "f sticks, stones, and other , n s of a like nature being freely in,(l in. Eventually, tlie assailing > vvas driven back to the other boardoUsc, and here the row was kept up om e time, until the arrival of the e put to 1 light those taking part in it. combatants did not appear to have any , c t for parties, for several perfectly ;ent persons were made to sutler, voting gentleman, who was passing r the street on his way home, was j with stones, receiving a severe blow ie back. It is a matter of regret that processings as these should be pered to take place in the very centre of accful town, and wc hope that steps lbe taken to prevent a recurrence of i disgruejftil scenes.