"A BOLSOIS NOW"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 296, 9 August 1932, Page 2

"A BOLSOIS NOW"

HIQH INDIGNATION CHRISTCHURCH TRAVELUEJUS AFTER IJtfTOXICATION CHARGE. "BLOW UP MEMORIAL BRIDGE" j r CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. I "Fve always had 0 lot of time for | tho police, doctoi', but ^ftep this I'm finished with them. I'm a 'Bolshie' | now, and the Memorial Bridge will ' be blov/n up after this." Lying in 1 a cell at fhe Police Station last week, ; John Menzies, a traveller, aged 3Q, ! of Christehurc'h, who had been ari rested on a charge of being intoxij cated in charge of a car, made this I statement to Dr. F, L. Scott, it was ■! alleged by Sergeant T. Wolfepdale i in the Magistrate's Court in ChristJ church. i Menzies was charged before Mr. H. j P. Lawry> S.M., with being intoxi- , cated in charge of a car, and pleadj ed not guilty. I Sub-Inspector G. B. Edwards, said that about 10 o'clock on an evenirjg las week, Constable W. J. Harper went to a car standing in Papanui Road. Accused was sitting at the wheel asleep. -He smelt strongly of liquor, and when questioned by the constable was very abusive. Constable J. McLeod then arrived on the scene. and in his opinion accused was not in a fit state to be in charge of a car, He was taken to the Police Station in a taxi, but refused to get out, sayipg, "Let the arm of the law do its work." "The arm of the law did get him out," said the Sub-Inspector. A doctor exaniined accused, and in his report set out that accused was not drunk at 11.5 p.m. "We are not saying he was drunk at 10.5 p.m. even," said the Sub-Inspector, "but he was so intoxicated that he was not in a fit state to be in charge of a car." Dr. Scott was called by the police, and he reported that while accused was not drunk he could smell liquor. Constable Harper said that wfien he went to the car it smelt so strongly that he thought a bottle had been upset. Accused was thick in his speech and the constable was of the opinion that he was intpxicated. "When I told him I would have to arrest him," said the constable, "he said, 'You can do what you like,' and adopted an aggressive attitude. "He would not get out of the taxi when asked to, and said, 'Let the arm of the law do its work," so I had to pull him out." Constable McLeod also said that accused was very argumentative. "If you were wrongly charged. wouldn't you also be argumentative?" asked counsel of the constable. "Perhaps you would be one of those stiong, silent Scotsmen," Constable D. C. McPhail said that the doctor did not examine accused, i but just asked him a few questions. j Accused told the doctor he had two j whiskies. | Counsel: The doctor dian't what? | Eidn't examine him, you say? j Ths Magistrate: Did he take his i temperature or feel his pulse? — No. "When I went to the cell and told accused who I was," said Sergeant Wolfendale, "he said I was tbe same as the remainder of the police. "He said to Dr. Scott, "Fve always had a lot of time for the police, doctor, but after this I'm finished with them. I'm a Bolshie now, and tho Memorial Bridge will be blown up after this !' " | Counsel for accused said the case j was an extraordinary one. Accused was in the city in the afternoon and was not feeling well so went to the pictures. Afterwards he met a friepd and had two whiskies. He left t'own to drive home about 7 o'clock. He drove along Papanui Road for some distance, and, feeling ill, pulled up on the side of the road, not knowing whether he was going to faint or not. He was there until nearly 10 o'clock. "He was taken to the Police Station, and it is true there was a bit of a barney there," added counsel. Dr. Acland's standing in his profession was beyond any dispute, said counsel, and he knew when he went to the Police Station what he was there for. The fact that he went to the cell and talked a minute or two with Menzies and then walked out, showed that there was not the slightest foundation for the assertion that Menzies was drunk, or even a suggestion of it. He was able to corpe to a conclusion right away. Menzies was convicted and fined £5 and costs. His license was not cancelled,